2010 Ole Miss Rebels football team

2010 Ole Miss Rebels football
Conference	Southeastern Conference Western Division
2010 record	4–8 (1–7 SEC)
Head coach	Houston Nutt (3rd year)
Offensive coordinator	David Rader (1st year)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Tyrone Nix (3rd year)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Capacity: 60,580)

2010 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
#22 South Carolina x		5	–	3					9	–	5
Florida		4	–	4					8	–	5
Georgia		3	–	5					6	–	7
Tennessee		3	–	5					6	–	7
Kentucky		2	–	6					6	–	7
Vanderbilt		1	–	7					2	–	10
Western Division
#1 Auburn x†#		8	–	0					14	–	0
#12 Arkansas ‡		6	–	2					10	–	3
#8 LSU		6	–	2					11	–	2
#10 Alabama		5	–	3					10	–	3
#15 Mississippi State		4	–	4					9	–	4
Ole Miss		1	–	7					4	–	8
Championship: Auburn 56, South Carolina 17
# – BCS National Champion † – BCS representative as conference champion ‡ – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The 2010 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi during the 2010 college football season. The team was coached by Houston Nutt, who was in his third season as the Rebels' head coach. Ole Miss has been a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) since the league's inception in 1932, and has participated in that conference's Western Division since its formation in 1992. The Rebels played seven home games in 2010 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, which has been Ole Miss football's home since 1915. They finished the season 4–8, 1–7 in SEC play.

Previous season

The Rebels finished the 2009 season 9–4, 4–4 in SEC play and won their second straight Cotton Bowl Classic 21–7 against Oklahoma State. They finished #20 in the final AP Poll and #21 in the final Coaches Poll.

Preseason notes

Jeremiah Masoli, former Oregon quarterback, walked on to the team months after being dismissed from Oregon.

2010 season

Ole Miss began their 2010 football season with a loss to Jacksonville State. Jacksonville State won 49-48 after a touchdown and successful 2-point conversion in double overtime.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	2:30 p.m.	Jacksonville State*	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS	CSS	L 48–49 2OT	55,768[1]
September 11	8:00 p.m.	at Tulane*	Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA	ESPNC	W 27–13	36,389[2]
September 18	11:21 a.m.	Vanderbilt	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS (Rivalry)	SECN	L 14–28	51,667[3]
September 25	6:30 p.m.	Fresno State*	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS	CSS	W 55–38	55,267[4]
October 2	11:21 a.m.	Kentucky	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS	SECN	W 42–35	55,344[5]
October 16	8:00 p.m.	at #8 Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL (Rivalry)	ESPN2	L 10–23	101,821[6]
October 23	11:21 a.m.	at #21 Arkansas	Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR (Rivalry)	SECN	L 24–38	73,619[7]
October 30	5:00 p.m.	#3 Auburn	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS	ESPN2	L 31–51	61,474[8]
November 6	6:00 p.m.	Louisiana–Lafayette*	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS	ESPNU	W 43–21	53,144[9]
November 13	12:00 p.m.	at Tennessee	Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN	CBS	L 14–52	96,044[10]
November 20	2:30 p.m.	at #5 LSU	Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA (Magnolia Bowl)	CBS	L 36–43	92,915[11]
November 27	6:00 p.m.	#25 Mississippi State	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS (Egg Bowl)	ESPNU	L 38-23	58,625[12]
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Central Time.

Schedule source: OleMissSports.com

Schedule notes

The Rebels' schedule will feature four (3 home, 1 away) non-conference games against non-BCS opponents. Their conference schedule features the other five teams from the SEC West, their Eastern division constant opponent Vanderbilt, and Kentucky and Tennessee. Their Homecoming game will be against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns.

Game notes

1 2 3 4 OT 2OT Total • Jacksonville State 7 3 3 21 7 8 49 Mississippi 14 17 0 3 7 7 48 Location: Oxford, Mississippi Game start: 2:30 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:40 Game attendance: 55,768 Game weather: 77 (Sunny and Clear with Calm Wind) Referee: Marc Curles Television network: CSS

The Ole Miss Rebels began their 2010 football season playing FCS opponent Jacksonville State. The Rebels got off to a hot start with Sophomore quarterback Nathan Stanley throwing two long touchdown passes, and would later add a third in the second quarter. A one-yard touchdown run by Enrique Davis gave the Rebels a 31-10 lead at halftime. However, Jacksonville State would score sixteen unanswered points in the second half and tied the game at 34-34 with eighteen seconds left. The Gamecocks converted a two-point conversion on the final play to give them a 49-48 victory. It was the Rebels first loss to an FCS opponent in school history.

Tulane

1 2 3 4 Total • Mississippi 14 10 0 3 27 Tulane 0 3 7 3 13 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Game start: 8:07 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:00 Game attendance: 36,389 Game weather: 72 (Indoor Stadium) Referee: Steve Barth Television network: ESPN 2/ ESPN Classic

Coming off a devastating loss in their opener, the Rebels traveled to Tulane to get back on track. They got off to a fast start scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions. A 70-yard touchdown pass from newly named starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli gave the Rebels a 24-3 lead at halftime. Despite ten unanswered points from the Green Wave, the Rebels won the game 27-13 giving them their first victory of the season. It was their 10th consecutive victory over the Green Wave and gave them a 42-28 series lead.

Vanderbilt

1 2 3 4 Total • Vanderbilt 0 14 7 7 28 Mississippi 0 7 7 0 14 Location: Oxford, Mississippi Game start: 11:21 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:28 Game attendance: 51,667 Game weather: 81 (Clear with Calm Winds) Referee: Penn Wagers Television network: SEC Network

The Rebels hosted the Vanderbilt Commodores in their SEC opener, who had lost 10 straight games within the Southeastern Conference. After a scoreless first quarter, Vanderbilt running back Zac Stacy rushed for a 35-yard touchdown to put the Commodores ahead 7-0. The Rebels would find themselves down 14-0 with under two minutes left in the first half. The Rebels would eventually tie the game at 14-14 with a 28-yard touchdown run by Jeremiah Masoli, but the Commodores responded :12 later with an 80-yard touchdown run by Warren Norman. A Masoli interception with 1:50 remaining would seal the win for Vanderbilt, their second consecutive victory at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. With the loss, the Rebels fell to 1-2, 0-1 in the SEC.

Fresno State

1 2 3 4 Total Fresno State 7 3 14 14 38 • Mississippi 14 13 14 14 55 Location: Oxford, Mississippi Game start: 6:30 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:39 Game attendance: 55,267 Game weather: 73 (Mostly Cloudy) Referee: Ken Williamson Television network: CSS

The Rebels took the field on Family Night against the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Bulldogs got the scoring going early with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Colburn. The Rebels responded in a big way by scoring 21 consecutive points, and built a 27-10 halftime lead. Brandon Bolden rushed for a 71-yard touchdown right out of the gate in the second half, and the Rebels would not turn back. The Rebels defeated the Bulldogs 55-38 to earn their first victory of the season at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Bolden would finish the day with a career high 228 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns.

Kentucky

1 2 3 4 Total Kentucky 7 10 3 15 35 • Mississippi 7 14 14 7 42 Location: Oxford, Mississippi Game start: 11:21 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:54 Game attendance: 55,344 Game weather: 64 (Calm) Referee: Hubert Owens Television network: SEC Network

Ole Miss faced the Kentucky Wildcats looking to capture their first winning streak of the season. The Wildcats built an early 14-7 lead, but it was quickly lost with two touchdowns within 2 minutes of each other by the Rebels. Ole Miss captured the momentum in the third quarter with two touchdowns (a pass and run) by Jeremiah Masoli. Despite a comeback attempt by Kentucky, Brandon Bolden ran for 33 yards on third-and-19 to seal the victory. It was the first SEC win for the Rebels and their first winning streak since November 21, 2009. Masoli finished the game with a season-high 4 touchdowns.

Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total Mississippi 0 3 7 0 10 • #8 Alabama 10 6 7 0 23 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Game start: 8:15 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:18 Game attendance: 101,821 Game weather: 62 (Clear Skies with Calm Winds) Referee: Matt Austin Television network: ESPN2

Coming off their bye-week, the Rebels traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide. The Tide were coming off their first loss of the season and had dropped eight spots in the rankings from #1. The Rebels struggled offensively going three-and-out on their first three possessions. Bama's defense held Ole Miss to just 243 yards and 10 points (both season lows). Jeremiah Masoli threw the only offensive touchdown for the Rebels late in the third quarter to Melvin Harris. An interception by Mark Barron in the fourth quarter ended the Rebels' chances as they fell to the defending champions 23-10. Despite the loss, the Rebels defense played their best game of the season as they allowed just 100 rushing yards by Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, and sacked Greg McElroy 5 times.

Arkansas

1 2 3 4 Total Mississippi 0 3 7 14 24 • #21 Arkansas 14 7 3 14 38 Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas Game start: 12:30 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:24 Game attendance: 73,619 Game weather: 69 (Cloudy with Strong Winds) Referee: Steve Shaw Television network: SEC Network

The Rebels traveled to Fayetteville to face the Arkansas Razorbacks in week 8. It was an incredibly slow start for the Rebels as they found themselves trailing 21-0 halfway through the second quarter. Ole Miss got back in the game however with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jeremiah Masoli. Following a 30-minute lightning delay, Masoli hooked up with Markeith Summers for a 43-yard touchdown pass to cut to Razorback lead 24-17. Knile Davis ran for a 71-yard touchdown two plays later, but Masoli answered with another touchdown pass to Summers to make the score 31-24. Another lightning delay suspended play immediately following the score. Despite a valiant effort to come back, the Rebels' defense could not gather themselves as they gave up a 22-yard touchdown run by Knile Davis to put the game away. With the loss, the Rebels fell below .500 for the third time on the year, and fell to 3-4 for the second time under Houston Nutt. Masoli finished the game with a season-high 327 pass yards and 3 touchdowns.

Auburn

1 2 3 4 Total • #3 Auburn 14 20 10 7 51 Mississippi 14 3 0 14 31 Location: Oxford, Mississippi Game start: 5:00 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:20 Game attendance: 61,474 Game weather: 68 (Clear with Fair Winds) Referee: Matt Moore Television network: ESPN2

The Rebels took the field on Saturday night against the Auburn Tigers, the #1 ranked team in the BCS. Ole Miss kicked the game off with a punch as Jeff Scott ran 83 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game. The Tigers quickly responded as Cam Newton caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Kodi Burns. Auburn took the lead with a 68-yard touchdown run by Onterio McCalebb, but the Rebels tied the game a few minutes later with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Jeremiah Masoli to Markeith Summers. The Rebels were toe-to-toe with the Tigers after one quarter, but things went downhill after that. Auburn went on a 30-3 scoring run entering the fourth quarter. Brandon Bolden scored 2 touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to overcome the Tigers. The Rebels fell 51-31, and found themselves 3-5 on the season (1-4 in SEC play). Jeff Scott ran for a career-high 134 yards and a touchdown.

Louisiana-Lafayette

1 2 3 4 Total Louisiana-Lafayette 7 14 0 0 21 • Mississippi 24 6 3 10 43 Location: Oxford, Mississippi Game start: 6:00 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:23 Game attendance: 53,144 Game weather: 54 (Fair with Calm Winds) Referee: Penn Wagers Television network: ESPNU

The Rebels took the field on Homecoming Night against the ULL Ragin' Cajuns. The Cajuns got the scoring going early with a 27-yard touchdown pass, but the Rebels responded with 27 unanswered points. Starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli had to leave the game with a concussion, and Sophomore Nathan Stanley took over as starter. After two Cajun touchdowns, the Rebels closed the game with 16 consecutive points and earned a 43-21 victory. The victory was the fourth win of the season for the Rebels and brought their record to 4-5. Ole Miss rushed for a season high 298 rushing yards in the win. Brandon Bolden and Enrique Davis both ran for 100 yards, and Bolden finished the game with over 200 total yards and three touchdowns.

Tennessee

1 2 Total Mississippi 0 Tennessee 0 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Game start: 12:00 p.m. Television network: CBS

See also

• 2010 Southeastern Conference football season
• 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
• 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

References

Ole Miss Rebels football Venues Vaught–Hemingway Stadium (1915–present) Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (alternate, 1941–1996) Bowls & rivalries Bowl games Alabama Arkansas LSU: Magnolia Bowl Mississippi State: Egg Bowl (Golden Egg) Vanderbilt Culture & lore Colonel Reb Rebel Black Bear "Forward Rebels" The Pride of the South The Grove People Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders Seasons 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 National championship seasons in bold