Ole Miss comes up short to Tigers

By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Sept. 5, 2004
OXFORD Micheal Spurlock looked every bit like a quarterback starting his first game.
Ole Miss' new signal-caller was jumpy and inaccurate, completing just 11-of-31 passes for 182 yards as the Rebels lost 20-13 to Memphis on Saturday.
It was the Tigers' second win over Ole Miss in as many years.
Spurlock was anything but consistent, though, ushering the Rebels to their lowest scoring output since a 14-13 loss to LSU in 2002.
But on Saturday, the Rebels offense went nowhere for much of the game. Spurlock was 5-of-16 in the first half for just 59 yards, and tailback Vashon Pearson's nine carries went for a meager 30 yards. Pearson finished the game with 60 yards on 14 carries.
Meanwhile, Memphis quarterback Danny Wimprine and running back DeAngelo Williams proved that the Tigers will be one of Conference USA's top teams. Wimprine finished the game with 266 yards on 21-of-43 passing. Memphis also got 118 rushing yards from Williams, who put the Tigers on top 7-0 in the first quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run.
Ole Miss' only points of the first half came midway through the second quarter, when Jonathan Nichols hit a 26-yard field goal after the Rebels stalled on the Memphis 8. On third and five, Spurlock missed a wide-open Bill Flowers in the back corner of the end zone, rifling the ball straight over the receiver's head.
The ensuing 26-yarder was one of two field goals from Nichols, the 2003 Lou Groza Award winner, who also drove one through from 47 yards out in the third quarter.
Ole Miss' offensive woes were not Spurlock's fault alone, though. The Rebels' much-lauded offensive line, which boasted a combined 102 career starts entering the game, was constantly overmatched by the Tigers' defensive rush. Memphis' aggressive defense left little running room for Pearson and even less thinking time for Spurlock.
The Rebels' own defense was the team's only saving grace. Nichols' second field goal whittled the Tigers' lead down to 10-6 in the third quarter, but Memphis broke through for a field goal of their own later in the third. Wimprine's 14-yard touchdown pass to Tavares Gideon early in the fourth quarter put the Tigers up 20-6.
After Memphis went up by two touchdowns, Spurlock enjoyed a brief stint of success with a couple of long passes to Taye Biddle. The rookie quarterback hit the Rebels' speedy wideout on strikes of 31 yards and 43 yards, setting up Pearson for a five-yard touchdown run with 8:55 left.
That made the score 20-13, but Ole Miss came no closer. The Rebels converted just one first down on their final two possessions, the last of which ended on third down when Spurlock scrambled deep and fell for a loss of 22 yards.
It was one of 12 third downs the Rebels failed to convert.