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)
Crowe can’t downplay magnitude of upset
Under the empty stands of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, Jack Crowe tried to downplay what his team had just accomplished. The Gamecocks had done what was virtually unthinkable prior to the game and defeat ed the Ole Miss Rebels 49-48 in double overtime.
During his postgame press conference, Crowe spoke of how much respect he has for Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, how they “probably took advantage” of an Ole Miss team searching for itself and how he’d be surprised if the Rebels were not “in the running for the (SEC) West.”
“I think there were some circumstances that we probably couldn’t probably repeat in 100 years if we tried to do it again,” he said.
But it is hard to downplay what actually occurred during an otherwise pleasant day in Oxford.
If nothing else, Crowe’s hat — or absence of one — said it all. (September 6, 2010, Page 2B)
GAME BLOG: Jacksonville State
Hello from beautiful Oxford, where the weather is in the high 70s and there’s not a cloud in the sky. Kickoff against Jacksonville State is set for 2:35 p.m. (more…) (September 4, 2010)
Nutt turns to Stanley, Mackey at QB
With Jeremiah Masoli still awaiting clearance for a transfer from the NCAA, Ole Miss football coach Houston Nutt said Nathan Stanley and Randall Mackey will take most of the snaps in practice as preparation continues for Saturday’s season-opener against Jacksonville State. (August 31, 2010, Page 6)
