Some interesting notes from Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee
Since 2021, Ole Miss is third among SEC schools with 30 wins, including Furman, behind only Georgia and Alabama. The Rebel football program has not only become more dynamic, it is also gaining traction as a model of consistency. . .
Coach Lane Kiffin is 15-2 in non-conference games in his tenure at Ole Miss with his only losses coming at the hands of Baylor in the 2021 Sugar Bowl and Texas Tech in the 2022 Texas Bowl. . .
The 772 yards of total offense against Furman are the second most by a Rebel offense and No. 7 in SEC history. Kiffin’s offenses own five of the seven 700-yard games in Ole Miss history. Since 2020, Ole Miss leads the FBS in total offense with 503.7 yards per game. . .
Ole Miss recorded 16 tackles for loss against the Paladins, the most since 2000 when the Rebel defense racked up 17 tackles for loss against Mississippi State. Of the 16, 12 came from defensive newcomers, including three from freshman defensive end Kam Franklin. . .
Senior offensive lineman Jeremy James broke the Ole Miss career record for starts versus Furman with 50. They have all come consecutively. Among active FBS players, Jeremy is tied for both the overall and consecutive lead in games started. . .
Ole Miss’ 10 touchdowns against Furman tied Auburn vs Alabama A&M and Arkansas vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff on the opening weekend of football. The 529 passing yards against the Paladins were the most in the league as well as the 76 points and 6 passing touchdowns. . .
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was the only QB in the SEC with over 400 yards passing and he accomplished 418 yards passing in one half of the game in the Rebel win over Furman. The closest to him was Payton Thorne of Auburn with 322 yards. Ole Miss WR Tre Harris leads the league in receiving yards with 179. The closest to him is Ryan Williams of Alabama with 139 yards. . . .
Since joining the FBS ranks in 1999, Middle Tennessee has had four 1,000-yard rushers and one of them was former Ole Miss tailback I’Tavius Mathers in 2016. . . .
The only other time the Rebels and Blue Raiders met in football was in 2001 with the Rebels winning 45-17 behind Eli Manning’s 25-31 passing for 257 yards. . . .
Former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason is now the head coach of Middle Tennessee. He is in his first year at the helm of the Blue Raiders program. . . .
In FBS football this season there are 34 players competing in their seventh season of college football. The Blue Raiders are one of seven schools nationally with seventh year players. The Blue Raiders will field 60 newcomers to their roster including 33 transfers which is seventh most in the country. . . .
The Blue Raiders have had a representative on the Super Bowl Champion roster for the last five years in a row. In all, former Middle Tennessee players have collected 14 Super Bowl rings with Darius Harris leading the way with three rings with the Kansas City Chiefs. . . .
Ole Miss, as of Tuesday morning, is a 41-point favorite in Saturday’s 3:15 p.m. CT game against Middle Tennessee.
