VANDERBILT-OLE MISS SERIES HISTORY

• Meeting Between Schools: 77th
• Series Record: VU trails, 32-42-2
• Last Meeting: VU 27, Ole Miss 38 (2001)
• First Meeting: VU 40, Ole Miss 0 (1893)
• Last Game at Miss.: VU 27, Ole Miss 38
• Last VU Win in Series: 37-34 (1999)
• VU Record @ Oxford/Memphis: 8-22
• VU Record @ Nashville: 24-20-2
• Biggest VU Margin: 91-0,1915
• Worst VU Defeat: 47-0, 1961
• Longest VU Win Streak: 19
• Longest VU Losing Streak: 10
• Ole Miss has won 8 of the last 9, including last year’s 38-27 win in Oxford

WHAT THE OTHER TEAM IS SAYING
Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe on Vanderbilt wide receiver Dan Stricker:
"He’s a great playmaker. All of us that have played against him know that Stricker is a guy who’s going to be there to make plays. He’s got great speed, great size, and makes great catches."

Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning on why his team has trouble getting started offensively in the first quarter:
"We have really gotten into some bad situations. We had had some third and longs, and have not been able to connect on some of those. I don’t really know what it is. We just haven’t gotten into the groove. We will figure something out."

BY THE NUMBERS
6: Number of Ole Miss players with the last name of Johnson

0-9: Ole Miss’s record in their last nine SEC openers

15: Number of consecutive games Ole Miss QB Eli Manning has thrown at least one
touchdown pass

6.3: Average margin of victory for either team in the last three meetings

1969: The last time the two teams did not meet in the regular season

357.3: Number of total yards Vandy is averaging in 2002

3: Number of Ole Miss players who list Nashville as their hometown (Jr. LB Ian Bass,
Fr. QB Ethan Flatt, and redshirt Fr. FB Craig Holcomb)

WHO TO WATCH
Ole Miss offense: QB Eli Manning. In three games, the Heisman Trophy candidate is 65 of 118 for 740 yards, 7 TDs, and 2 INTs. Last year against Vandy, Manning was 23 of 40 for 286 yards and four TDs.

Ole Miss defense: DB Chris Knight. He leads the Rebs in tackles (23) and passes defended (4).

Vanderbilt offense: QB Jay Cutler. After only three career starts, the redshirt freshman leads the Commodores in passing (32 of 59 for 408 yards, 2 TDs, and 5 INTs), rushing (163 yards and 3 TDs on 16 carries), and scoring (18 points).

Vanderbilt defense: LB Hunter Hillenmeyer. The Nashville native leads Vandy in tackles (32), tackles for losses (4), and passes defended (1).

BEARD RECOGNIZED AS SEC'S GOOD WORKS TEAM RECIPIENT

Commodore junior DT Brett Beard will be recognized as the Southeastern Conferenceâs Good Works Team ãPlayer of the Weekä this Saturday. Beard, a Birmingham native, frequently tutors underprivileged children in the Nashville area and is an active speaker to various youth organizations.

STRICKER CLIMBING SEC AND VANDERBILT RECEIVING MARKS

Senior WR Dan Stricker moved into the alltime Top 10 among Southeastern Conference receivers in career receiving yardage with his performance against Auburn.

Complete Notes