Rebels run way to victory
By By Joey Vaughn / special to The Star
Sept. 8, 2002
OXFORD Ole Miss still didn't click on all cylinders in the passing game, but a physical running attack was enough to get the job done in a 38-16 pounding of Memphis Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
The Tigers, determined not to let Eli Manning beat them through the air, played an extra safety most of the game, and paid for it to the tune of 214 Ole Miss rushing yards.
Manning threw for less than 200 yards and completed less than 50 percent of his passes for the second week in a row, but Robert Williams ran for 107 yards and Ronald McClendon and Vashon Pearson combined for 83 yards on the ground.
Ole Miss improved to 2-0 in front of 54,718, the second-largest crowd in stadium history.
Manning's final numbers, 14-of-30 for 174 yards, weren't spectacular, but he threw for three touchdowns and the Rebels didn't turn the ball over at all.
Memphis managed only 18 rushing yards and only made it past its own 30-yard line four times.
The bright spot for Memphis was quarterback Danny Wimprine, who completed 20-of-38 for 271 yards and two 50-yard touchdown passes to Antoine Harden. But eight of Memphis' 14 drives lasted three plays or less, and Wimprine was sacked five times.
For the second week in a row, the Rebels took some time to get things going on offense. Memphis tallied the only score of the first quarter, the first of Wimprine's 50-yard bombs. But Ole Miss outscored the Tigers 17-0 in the second quarter on Manning scoring passes of 20 yards to Bill Flowers and 10 yards to Chris Collins and a 19-yard Jonathan Nichols field goal.
Sophomore fullback Rick Razzano put the Rebs up
24-7 with his first career touchdown run, a 2-yarder in the third quarter.
The Tigers threatened briefly with nine straight points, the second Wimprine-to-Harden pass and a 30-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. But Ole Miss pulled away on a 15-yard scoring pass from Manning to Pearson and a 62-yard punt return touchdown by Jason Armstead.
The Rebel defense forced eight Memphis punts and, the two long touchdown passes notwithstanding, held the Tigers in check all afternoon.
The win sets up Ole Miss' big game at Texas Tech next Saturday, and also silenced what had been a very vocal Memphis fan contingent leading up to the game.
