The Ole Miss Rebels – The Extensive Story Regarding ExtraordinaryActs
The University of Mississippi is referred to affectionately as ‘Ole Miss’ in that state. It really stands for, as you may have guessed, ‘Old Mississippi.’ The Ole Miss Rebels are the flag team of the university in the NCAA Division I-A FBS. The team is currently member of the Southeastern Conference.
The team was born in 1893 with the encouragement of Dr. A. L. Bondurant who was himself selected by the student team as their first coach. The very first game played by the team in its inaugural season was against Southwest Baptist University, presently Union University, of Jackson City. The game, played on November of 1893 was a route 54-0 in favor of Mississippi. Ole Miss won three more games of the total of five that they played then.
A yellow fever epidemic suspended football playing in 1897. In 1943, the impending Second World War prompted school authorities to stop the playing of football.
The annual selection of the national football champion is not one of the duties of the NCAA. However, various polling organizations and publications proclaim their own versions of who is the year’s top-rated team through polls. In 1955, 1959, 1960 and 1962, the Rebels came out in some minor polls as the National Champion. However, major polls like Associated Press and United Press had other ideas. They placed Ole Miss only in either second or third place. The team finally won that coveted honor in 2003 by vote.
The team is remembered for having two ‘firsts.’ They were the first team to travel by plane to the site of the competition. This happened in 1937 when the team flew from Memphis, Tennessee to Philadelphia. Ole Miss Rebels was also the first team whose game was aired on radio. This was for their 1948 match with Memphis.
The team hired its 36th coach in 2007. The person was Houston Nutt. Several weeks before he was hired he had coached the Arkansas Razorbacks when they defeated the Rebels. In his first season, Nutt secured a 9-4 win for the Rebels. This happened during the 2009 Cotton Bowl classic. The Rebels routed the Florida Gators, the LSU Tigers and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Later, the Gators were proclaimed the BSC National Champions.
There are annual rivalry matches which the Rebels play versus selected universities. With Mississippi State University they contend for the Egg Bowl. The current winner in this series is the Rebels with 60-40. The Magnolia Bowl is a rivalry series played opposite Louisiana State University. LSU currently dominates with 55-39-4.
Another rivalry series is that played against the Vanderbilt University Commodores. The two teams are co-founders of the Southeastern Conference and this is one of the oldest rivalries of the Rebels. They have the lead with 42-13-2.
The ranking of the Rebels program is third all-time among all football programs. In its 33 Bowl games it registered 21 victories. It has ten members included in the College Football Hall of Fame, 2 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 3 in the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame and 1 in the National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame.
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