Chargers turn their sights to Senatobia
A final opportunity to work out some kinks and start to fine tune things against another solid opponent heading into region play is what Oxford faces this Friday night at Senatobia.
The Warriors (2-1 overall) are always a well-coached team and in the past have given the Chargers a lot to prepare for.
This year is no different said OHS coach Johnny Hill, who enjoys squaring off against SHS coach Phil Oakley. Oakley scolded his team after falling to Winona 45-21 in the opener and the motivational talk has resulted in a win over Corinth as well as a win last week over Tate County rival Independence. (September 9, 2010, Page 7)
No. 15 NWCC to host East Central tonight
A win over Pearl River on the road last week not only got the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers off to a great start this year, it jumped them up to No. 15 in the national rankings as well.
NWCC (1-0 overall) enters tonight’s home opener with East Central (0-1) ranked No. 15 in the latest NJCAA football poll. The Rangers were one of only two teams to win from the MACJC’s North Division last week, while East Central was the only other team from South Division to lose, falling 34-6 to Northeast. (September 9, 2010, Page 7)
Ole Miss’ Ingram back at practice
Ole Miss’ beleaguered defense got some more good news Tuesday with the return of free safety Fon Ingram to practice. A day after senior defensive end Kentrell Lockett said he hoped to play against Tulane on Saturday, Ingram told the media that it was his goal to see his first action of the year against the Green Wave as well.
Rebel coach Houston Nutt said it was great to see Ingram, who missed the last half of summer practice and the Jacksonville State game with knee injury, back on the field. (September 8, 2010, Page 8)
Nutt, Rebels moving forward after loss
Two days have now past since Jacksonville State’s monumental upset of the Ole Miss Rebels. For Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, the time in between the loss and the start of work for Saturday’s opponent, Tulane, couldn’t have been more relevant as he and his staff try to get the Rebels headed back in the right direction.
Nutt said that Sunday’s practice and film work that preceded the practice was very quiet. (September 7, 2010, Page 6)
No more Mr. Nice Guy for Rebel coach
Ole Miss football coach Houston Nutt learned a valuable lesson Saturday afternoon in his team’s 49-48 overtime loss to Jacksonville State: You can’t be Mr. Nice Guy all the time.
There seems to be a sizable portion of Ole Miss fans who believe that Nutt was being a nice host by not running up the score on his former boss, JSU coach Jack Crowe. Whether Nutt intentionally called the dogs off or not, the perception of the fan base is the Rebels coasted in the second half so the Gamecocks wouldn’t be destroyed on the scoreboard.
Late rally lifts JSU to upset of Rebels
The shock on Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt’s face following Saturday’s loss to Jacksonville State was as apparent as the 49-48 score posted on the Jumbotron at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium following the second overtime period.
The Rebels, a team that was riding a wave of positive emotion after Friday’s announcement that quarterback Jeremiah Masoli would be allowed to play this season, have suddenly gone from a team that some thought would win eight or nine games to one that some think may finish below .500.
Losses in the season opener always hurt, but a loss to a lower division team coached by Nutt’s former employer hurt even more, especially when the Rebels led 31-13 after the third quarter and had their chances to stop the Gamecocks in both the late stages of regulation and overtime. (September 6, 2010, Page 1B)
‘Dores outlast Chargers in Crosstown Classic
The annual matchup between Lafayette and Oxford is called the Crosstown Classic for a reason and the latest installment in the series played Friday night at Oxford’s Bobby Holcomb Field definitely lived up to the moniker.
In a game that is usually decided by just one play, it was Lafayette junior defensive end Keeyon Tyson that produced the single-biggest play in a 21-14 win for the No. 1 Commodores. Just a little over a minute after the Commodores (3-0 overall) scored the game-winning touchdown on a 12-yard run by Demarkus Dennis at the 2:13 mark of the fourth quarter, Tyson was able to thwart a potential game-tying scoring drive for the Chargers (2-1) by slapping the ball away from quarterback Guy Cameron Billups at the LHS 13-yard line. (September 6, 2010, Page 1B)
Ole Miss D can’t make plays late
A defensive unit that had returning starters up front and at linebacker was expected to lead the Ole Miss Rebels, especially early in the season as the offense and new quarterbacks found their way.
After holding Jacksonville State’s offense to just three points — the Gamecocks touchdown in the first half was scored by the defense — and 70 yards in the opening 30 minutes of play, the Rebels defense was shredded by JSU in the second half and subsequent overtime period.
Ole Miss ended up allowing 355 total yards, 21 points in the fourth quarter and 15 points in the overtime periods, including a 30-yard touchdown pass from Coty Blanchard to Kevyn Cooper on a fourth-and-15 situation and the game-clinching two-point conversion. (September 6, 2010, Page 1B)
Nutt says team needs to make more plays
Sunday was a day of heavy evaluation for Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt and his staff. Besides getting back to the practice field to correct things physically, Nutt was able to talk about Saturday’s 49-48 loss to Jacksonville State in double overtime a little better after watching the tape.
“I thought we played a very good first half of football. The second half of the third quarter and fourth quarter was not good. We’ve got to be better, we’ve got to be better with our eyes, assignments, tackling, the whole bit,” Nutt said. “We did not play well, we didn’t make plays on the ball and along with that you can’t turn the ball over. We felt the momentum slipping away as the game went into the fourth quarter and we had a real lull offensively as well. We had some turnovers at critical times that really hurt us.” (September 6, 2010, Page 3B)
Another Classic, another win for LHS
SPORTS EDITOR BLOG — Friday night’s Crosstown Classic matchup between the Lafayette Commodores and Oxford Chargers had a little bit of everything. (more…) (September 4, 2010)
