Cutcliffe: Rebels can use week off

By By Joey Vaughn / special to The Star
Sept. 25, 2002
OXFORD It's a good thing Ole Miss has this week off, David Cutcliffe said Tuesday, because the Rebel head coach has some holes to fill.
Senior captains Doug Zeigler and Lanier Goethie were lost to broken bones in Saturday's 42-35 win over Vanderbilt, digging an even deeper hole for an Ole Miss team already strapped with an unusually high number of players out of action.
Zeigler broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg, while Goethie broke the fifth metatarsal of his foot. Both had surgery Saturday.
Neither Zeigler or Goethie qualify under the NCAA guidelines for medical redshirts, which stipulate that a player must have played in no more than 20 percent of his team's games. Zeigler is back at the apartment he shares with Eli Manning.
Eddie Strong, the other Ole Miss senior linebacker, didn't dress out for the Vandy game with an ankle sprain. Cutcliffe said he'll look at making some changes on the defensive depth chart during this off week, but wouldn't elaborate about which positions or players.
Off week
Because the Rebels don't play this Saturday, Cutcliffe is giving them a little extra time off.
Players had last Sunday off, and will run Friday morning before taking the weekend off. When the Rebs are practicing, they'll be concentrating on shoring up a defense that's given up 42 and 35 points in its last two games.
Quick turnaround
Just two weeks after being booed for missing three of four field goals against Memphis, Rebel kicker Jonathan Nichols was named the SEC's Special Teams Player of the Week.
Nichols was 3 of 3 on field goals of 28, 40 and 42 yards against Vanderbilt and made all four extra point attempts.