Rebels begin important second season Saturday

The second half of the season begins Saturday with a pivotal game for the Ole Miss Rebels and No. 21 Arkansas Razorbacks. Since Houston Nutt came to Oxford to coach the Rebels, the Arkansas game has been circled on the calendar for both fan bases.

Nutt has routinely tried to downplay his personal involvement in the game, but the fact remains that his Rebels have used wins over the Razorbacks the last two years as launching pads to successful seasons that ultimately ended with wins in back-to-back Cotton Bowls.

Ole Miss (3-3 overall, 1-2 in the Southeastern Conference) may be the underdog in Saturday’s game at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, but there is still a glimmer of hope that a third-straight win over Arkansas (4-2, 1-2) would go a long way to turning around a season that got off to a start Nutt didn’t anticipate. (October 22, 2010, Page 6A)

Mallett key to Arkansas’ big-picture hopes

If the Arkansas Razorbacks are going to make a run at winning the Southeastern Conference Western Division title, then quarterback Ryan Mallett is going to have to be 100 percent healthy.

Mallett missed all of the spring due a broken foot and while he appears to have recovered from the injury, he’s also been limited at times during the first two weeks of summer drills. Mallett shined in Arkansas’ Thursday scrimmage throwing for 475 yards and five touchdowns, while in the team’s most recent scrimmage held Saturday, Mallett threw touchdown passes to tight end D.J. Williams and wideout Joe Adams. The belief from many is he’s healthy enough to help lead the Razorbacks to the SEC title game for the first time since the 2006 season. From wide receiver Greg Childs’ standpoint, Mallett is throwing the ball like he has in the past. (August 24, 2010, Page 6)