Ole Miss hopes to build off 2003 season's success
By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Jan. 4, 2003
DALLAS Ten wins, a share of the Southeastern Conference West division title, a victory in the Cotton Bowl and an almost-certain finish in the Top 15.
Not a bad way for Ole Miss to spend four months.
The best run for any Ole Miss team, arguably, in more than 30 years. The Rebels, who entered Friday's Cotton Bowl ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press poll, finished 10-3 after a 31-28 win over 21st-ranked Oklahoma State.
Not since 1970 has Ole Miss won a January bowl game, and only twice since then have the Rebels even played in January.
And not since 1970 has Ole Miss produced a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Manning changed that, finishing third in the race, during a season in which he threw 29 touchdown passes and racked up 3,600 yards.
Rebels head coach David Cutcliffe said after the Cotton Bowl win that the next step after competing for a championship is to win one.
Whether that hunger translates into return to glory for the Rebels will not be known for years to come. Ole Miss must replace several obvious holes, the most glaring of which is the one left by Manning. Wide receiver Chris Collins will be replaced by Bill Flowers, while Jamal Pittman and Vashon Pearson will fill holes left by running backs Ronald McClendon and Tremaine Turner.
Familiar faces Justin Wade, Charlie Anderson, Josh Cooper and Jesse Mitchell will all be gone from the team's defense, which improved greatly in 2003.
But the seeds for success, according to Latina, have been laid.
Sophomore wide receiver Mike Espy echoed Latina's sentiments in far fewer words.
