Memphis game observations

The game started out well for the Rebels.  The team seemed fired up and we scored 10 points early.  Then it seemed the spirit of the team evaporated until the 4th quarter.  Normally, Ole Miss fans would be happy with a 31 point win.  However, this time there are some folks who felt we should have done better.  Here are my thoughts on the game:

(1) This is the game for Memphis.  One could argue that this is more important to Memphis than any bowl game they play in.  A win over Ole Miss in any season is huge but with the Rebels being in the top 10 a win for Memphis would have been the biggest win in school history.  Bottom line, they were up for the game.  For us, it's a game we should win.  So it's hard for the team to be hyped for the game.

(2)  First game of the season.  It seems most teams play sloppy the first game of the season. 

(3) We finished.  The most important thing for me this weekend is how we finished.  We pored it on in the 4th.  This will be important for the rest of the season.

(4) Our  D only game up one drive the entire game. 

(5)  Jevan was very mobile in the pocket and eluded several possible sacks.

Gameday:Memphis

It's finally here.  The highly anticipated 2009 Rebel season is upon us.   Let's start this season off with a bang.  My prediction for today: Ole Miss 42 Memphis 14

Ole Miss: Your thoughts on the Memphis game.

You've read what Memphis fans think of Ole Miss and the upcoming game. Now read what Ole Miss fans think:

(1) Are you in favor of keeping the Memphis series? Explain

"Only because the road games are 10 minutes from my house. Otherwise, no. Until a couple years ago, when they actually found themselves a strong season base, the argument was easily made that Ole Miss and UT were subsidizing UofM football." --TheRebelAS (Rivals)

"Keeping Memphis game- end it. It was tied to basketball and Calimari ended BB so end the football game. No need to give Memphis $50.00 per ticket for 25,000 OM fans when the game means nothing for Ole Miss." --thp023(Spirit)

"I’ve been in favor of dumping Memphis State for 25 years. It’s a bore. As a football game, it’s often an embarrassingly close game with an inferior program. They’ll whine about that, but go and compare bowl records, national championships, wins against top ten teams, etc..; it’s a mismatch. It’s a practice game that has gotten tough too often. There’s no real benefit to recruiting. We’re better off to let recruits come see SEC atmosphere in Oxford (the CUSA will be a letdown by comparison). " --GeorgePosey(Rivals)

"They ended the basketball series, so we should end the football series -- and baseball too while we're at it." --MidtownReb (Spirit)

"but not every year. Make it an every now and then game. It gets old playing the same teams all the time unless there's a rivalry or the team generates excitement for fans. The series is just old and tired for us and most ole miss fans would probably rather play a Name team to start the year with a bang rather than have it creep along until we hit the conf. schedule. It's kinda like the NFL Preseason; we'll watch bc we are dying for football, but nobody really cares." --KobanT...barain (Rivals)

"Very much in favor. Memphis is an ancient rival and our traditional "kickoff game". The stadiums are always packed, our many Memphis area fans get to see a game in their backyard and it's good exposure for recruiting Memphis. If any of you young'uns had ever been to a Pep Rally in the lobby of the Peabody before the Memphis game, I believe you'd want to continue the series if we'd have that Pep Rally again. They were all unbelievable." --VampirReb (Spirit)

"Yes, it's a no brainier, unless we replace them with the rumored UT home and home, then drop them. Do not drop them for some podunk Ark. State, 1-AA crap."--cogburn8 (Spirit)

"NO. It does nothing for Ole Miss. A win means nothing but a loss hurts us in recruiting. There isn't any money in it for Ole Miss. Better to play someone else in an area where we don't have a recruiting presence." --AlohaReb(Spirit)

" If they will pick us back up in basketball, I will be in favor of keeping the series. As it is now, as much as we've done for their football program, and they drop us at basketball then I'd much rather go to New Orleans and play Tulane. But it is nice having an opening game every year that's either at home or just an hour away." --JaySuede (Spirit)

(2) What are your predictions for the Memphis game?

"I have no reason to believe we won't win. As much as I'd love to see a 34-0 blowout, a more realistic score would be 24-17, Rebels."--TheRebelAS (Rivals)

"Game prediction; OM 28 - -Mem 3." --thp023(Spirit)

"We’ll beat them again in a bitter game. They’ll die inside again and tank for the year. The usual. Outside world will say ho-hum."--GeorgePosey (Rivals)

"Ole Miss 21 Memphis 17" --MidtownReb (SPirit)

"Honestly, it's a game we should never lose. Just looking at history, recruiting, etc. this game should be won by Ole Miss by a TD or more, but unfortunately, we haven't had a strong opening game for a while, and this is memphis' bowl game most years. If we come out flat or sloppy, we could give this one away." --KobanT...barain (Rivals)

"Ole Miss 24- Memphis 13 [they're lucky to catch us early- I don't think they are much good this year]" --VampirReb (Spirit)

"Close win for us, maybe our only win." --cogburn8 (Spirit)

"Ole Miss should win. I think score will be somewhere around 28-21." --AlohaReb(Spirit)

" As every year, it will be close and Ole Miss will probably win." --JaySuede (Spirit)

(3) How do you feel about the Memphis fans?

"To have as little football history as they do, I'm surprised they have that large of a fan base. That said, I've never seen a school whose fan base with that large of an inferiority complex. To hear many of their fans talk it's like everyone imaginable is out to get them from The Commercial Appeal to the SEC teams to the C-USA office to the Big East to the BCS." --TheRebelAS(Rivals)

"Memphis fans=totally obnoxious." --thp023(Spirit)

"I don’t like them much. They’re wretches." --GeorgePosey (Rivals)

"Due mainly to their geography, Memphis fans have a siege mentality. They hate everybody. " --MidtownReb (Spirit)

"I have a number of good friends who are fans or alumni of the school and they're great people, but the fan base as a whole is pretty awful. I know every team has bad fans but the last game I went to at memphis I witnessed a number of deplorable acts including a memphis fan cussing a kid in a stroller and It's hard to overlook something like that. I also dated a girl from memphis whose entire family fit the stereotypical mem st fan: Hates every other team, has a massive inferiority complex about Ole Miss, and cries about the BCS every day." --KobanT...barain (Rivals)

"They'll be more fired up for us than when they play Tenn. always been that way. Helps the atmosphere." --VampirReb (Spirit)

"Indifferent" --AlohaReb (Spirit)

"They are obnoxious and seem to hate us more than we hate them. see MSU fans." --JaySuede (Spirit)

(4) What do you respect about Memphis?

"I respect the fans who waited out decades of bad football teams until they got a good coach and a great player and made three straight bowl trips. "--TheRebelAS

"They get up for the game. They’re essentially outclassed, but they fight off that reality and they get passionate about it. Every fan base and every university has something of quality. You don’t see much of it, but Memphis must have some. I knew one really good professor who went there to teach. It’s close to the Rendezvous. " --GeorgePosey (Rivals)

"they have a good basketball program thanks to Calipari, and the seemingly few respectful fans who didn't just discover the team in DeAngelo's Sr year." --KobanT...barain (Rivals)

"Basketball" --VampirReb (Spirit)

"Their basketball team." --AlohaReb(Spirit)

"Barbeque" --JaySuede (Spirit)

(5) What do you dislike about Memphis?

"The "everyone is out to get us" attitude many of their fans have." --TheRebelAS

"The city was interesting to visit for a while, but it strikes me as filthy and dangerous with a bad highway system, overrun by an underclass. I had to work there once and found it to be swamped with poverty and cheapness, even amongst those with lots of self-importance." --GeorgePosey (Rivals)

"The lack of tradition and the majority of the fans." --KobanT...barain (Rivals)

"Typical urban commuter school- doesn't seem like a college campus- just some buildings scattered out in Memphis [Tulane is similar in N.O.]" --VampirReb (Spirit)

"Nothing really." --AlohaReb (Spirit)

"news"--JaySuede (Spirit)

To join in the discussion visit:

Ole Miss Rivals

Ole Miss Spirit

Ole Miss: Your thoughts on the Missouri game.

As a follow up to my "Ole Miss v. Missouri- What are the Mizzou fans saying? ", I've asked Ole Miss fans on Rivals and Spirit a serious a question about Missouri.




(1) If you made the trip last year, what did you think of the city, University and stadium?

"Been there, everything ok, stadium somewhat bare"--thp023 (Spirit)

"Didn't make the trip last year, but I've been to the area and it is nice." --AlohaReb (Spirit)

"City -- Pretty nice with easily noticeable bad areas; very cool downtown bar scene; really enjoyed my time" --TheRebelAS (Rivals)

"I stayed just outside Columbia, and loved it. weather was great, people were nice, and fishing was unbelievable. I like their stadium for the most part. it had a cozy kind of feel. site lines weren't the greatest but not as bad as sitting in the upper deck of some SEC beohemuth like Neyland Stadium." --KobanT...barian (Rivals)

(2) What are you thoughts on this year's game?

"Mizzou should be a very good team this year, but they are historically horrible on the road (remember their trip to Troy a couple years ago). This, plus it being our first home games, gives me hope we may sneak out of there with a win. " -- TheRebelAS (Rivals)

"I think in keeping with our policy, we’ve played a dud program at its 25 year peak. (cf. Baylor, Wake Forest, Wyoming, etc..). We have a knack for that. They had the talent to win five more games the last two years but not the character. I don’t think they’ll get our deer-in-the-headlights game two years in a row. Ole Miss wins." --GeorgePosey(Rivals)

"This yrs game-Ole Miss wins." --thp023 (Spirit)

"They will be tough. Orgeron MUST win this game. It is our home opener. They humiliated us last year." --MidtownReb(Spirit)

"They are good and we'll have to be better than I think we'll be early this season to beat them. They are serious contenders for the Big 12 North championship." --VampirReb (Spirit)

"We get slaughtered" --cogburn8 (Spirit)

"Missouri wins but it's closer than last year. I will say 31 - 21 Missouri." --AlohaReb (Spirit)

"It's a big game. We will probably be the underdogs and will need to bring our A game. I think our OL and DL will definitely make it a closer game than last year plus home field advantage. It will be a fun game." --JaySuede(Spirit)

"I obviously hope for a different outcome. I think we'll be able to run well and our Defense will be much better particularly on the line where so many Fr were playing last year. I just hope we can slow down Chase Daniels "--KobanT...barian (Rivals)

(3) What do you think about MO fans?

"Don't know anything about them" --MidtownReb (Spirit)

"Seem decent" --cogburn8 (Spirit)

"They seem like friendly people to me." --AlohaReb(Spirit)

"Definitely a different crowd! I saw my fair share of denim shorts, washer pitching, and beanbag tosses." --TheRebelAS (Rivals)

"Most were friendly and did their smack talking in a good natured way. "--KobanT...barian (Rivals)

(4) Would you like to play MO again in the future?

"Sure, but not anytime soon. I'd like to play some Texas schools if we're going to play the Big XII." --TheRebelAS (Rivals)

"Not much. Rather play Wake Forest again. But if they'll both go back to normal until we run up a 20-2 record against them, I could live with it." --GeorgePosey (Rivals)

"Yes. I think this could be a good game for both teams in the future." --AlohaReb (Spirit)

"Rather play Texas in '09." --VampirReb(Spirit)

"not particularly" --MidTownReb(Spirit)

"sure. I'd love to see us get a variety of teams from OOC but playing Mizzou again in a few years would be fine with me."--KobanT...barian (Rivals)

(5) What do you respect about MO?

"Good football tradition" --thp023 (Spirit)

"great school, nice college town" --MidtownReb(Spirit)

"Once had one of the best football programs and HC in the country. Alot of big time tradition but like us, you gotta go pretty far back to know it." VampirReb (Spirit)

"They are a team that seems to be on the rise in the Big 12." --AlohaReb(Spirit)

"The Cardinals, Six Flags, Branson, the Arch, Budweiser, the Fox theater in St. Louis" --JaySuede(Spirit)

"Journalism school. Distinguished past alums. Nice weather. " --GeorgePosey (Rivals)

"They seem to have a lot of pride in their football team and their school." --TheRebelAS

"The fans (one I met anyway)" --KobanT...barian (Rivals)

(6) What do you dislike about MO?

"they beat us last year." --thp023 (Spirit)

"that they trampled us last year" --MidtownReb(Spirit)

"Aside from my views on denim shorts and pregame activities differing, not a lot." --TheRebelAS
To join in the discussion visit:

Ole Miss Spirit

Ole Miss Rivals

Ole Miss v. Memphis: Tiger fans weigh in.

Update: I stopped by a couple of Memphis message boards to ask questions about Ole Miss and thoughts about the upcoming game. I've added comments from the MemphisTigers.org messageboard.
Here is what I found:

(1) What do you guys think of our upcoming game this year?

"Should be as competitive as the last three, with hopefully more points." --BrianJ


"More so I am looking to see if the 2-10 season was a fluke. Lots of challenges occured for Memphis last year that took away from possibly a good season. There were so many bad things that happened that its tough to really know where we stood." --griffin


"Memphis 26-Mississippi 18" --memphismojo

"a typical game between the 2. one or two plays tilt the outcome one way or the other" --tigerjeb

"The usual battle between Memphis and Ole Miss. The days of Rebel blowouts are long gone in this series. As mentioned, it will come down to one or two plays."--HornLakeTiger

"I love the game against Mississippi. Love the game against Tennessee. However, Mississippi is a BCS opponent on the schedule that Memphis always has a real chance of beating. I don't really get that feeling about Tennessee. " --Tigers2B1

"It will be a pick 'em game" --Bill83

"I ALWAYS look forward to this game" --Tigerjedi

"it'll either be close or you'll run through us like butter. i can't decide which, i want to believe the hype about our improved defense, but i have to see it first." --Dylan


(2) What are your strengths and weaknesses this year?

"Strengths - offensive line and defensive lines, experience at QB and RB.Weaknesses - Unless they make dramatic improvements from last year - linebackers. And maybe special teams." --Brian J


"Without question - our biggest strength is our punter and possibly the wide receiver position, closely followed by the offensive line. After that it is as big a question as the 2 - 10 season. The QB, RB, DL, LB, DB are all a big question mark at this time." --griffin


"DLine and WRsPunter and ?s in secondary." --memphismojo

"strengths are depth and experience. weakness is at linebacker position" --tigerjeb

"Strength is plenty of on field experience to go around. Weakness may come down to attempting to get a load of new coaches to gel together." --HornLakeTiger

"This year and every year -- our strength is Tommy West. Not just coaching - but he's a great PR guy for the school. Just hard to notice West sometimes because of the national shadow cast by John Calipari. "Our weakness is not playing in a BCS conference - this year and every year."
--Tigers2B1

"O-Line and D-line are the strengths, I'll believe the secondary can actually turn and look at a ball in the air when I see it." --Bill83

"Strengths: QB, RB, WR (the DL and OL could be) :) Weakness: Punter is unknown, I am not sure about our DB's and our LB will be good, but how good remains a big question IMO (I guess that is everything, sorry :). " --Tigerjedi

"strengths are receivers and experience. Weakness is that experience went 2-10 last year." --Dylan


(3)What do you think about the Ole Mis v. Memphis series?

"How close the schools are and how much it excites each fan base." --BrianJ


"Grew up with it and loved it - keeps the summer exciting more so than opening up with any other team. The fact that there is history there as the first game, provides a regular path to have some good hearted talk with some rebel fans. Its not as big of a deal anymore to me as it was in the late seventies and early eighties since we won two in a row with Tommy's teams and then were close in the following two - I guess because there was always a point to prove even if its for only one game a season. Probably similar to missisippi and LSU. We've opened with Miss St. before and while I looked forward to the game, the overall excitment was not there. Just fun to know there is a possobility to knock off mississippi and to know how that "ruins" so many Sunday mornings for rebels fans....you know..the walk to get the paper at the end of the drive feeling...yeah, that probably puts it best...knowing that walk to the paper on Sunday morning is potentially going to be painful is worth the 2 wins every ten years. Sick I know." --griffin


"Should open every season." --memphismojo

"should be played as the season opener. but greed is a powerful motivator" --tigerjeb

"I like the series. We won't die if it's discontinued, but I enjoy it. It's a great season opener, whether Rebel fans admit it or not."--HornLakeTiger

"Twilight. The tossing and turning and the smell of death is already in the air. I think that the series in both football and basketball are in their last days." --Tigers2B1

"i like it, have a lot of Ole Miss friends, like the fact that it's the first game of the season. Our game last year gave both fan bases a glimmer of hope until we both played the next week, and both looked bad." --Dylan

"I love it, but if they want to end it, we will survive." --Tigerjedi

"I hope it nevers ends but my vote doesn't count." --Bill83


(4) What do you respect most about Ole Miss?


"Traditions in The Grove." --BrianJ


"The fact that they have always been there in the SEC to schedule Memphis at a time when no one would and the fact that when recently when our football facilities burned down about 5 or so years ago, Ole Miss was the first to offer assistance, equipment. Dont forget those types of things. Also, cant forget about this...the women. While they cant hold a candle to the University of Memphis/Mempis St. women, they come in a close second. They always seemed to have a special place in their hearts for Memphis boys for some reason, pity or not - they made Saturday nights more enjoyable for some of us." --griffin


"Chucky Mullins" --memphismojo

"loyalty of its alumni" --tigerjeb


"I like the feeling of old school, traditional southern football around campus on a gameday Saturday." --HornLakeTiger

"Women. That and that they were able to pull themselves out of the attitudes of 1950s and early 60s --- by no later than the 1990s --Tigers2B1

"William Faulkner" --Bill83

"Some of the fans are ok and the grove is cool. The chicks are HOT!!!" --Tigerjedi

"fanbase and alumni, and the fact that a huge majority of the fanbase is alumni." --Dylan

(5) What do you dislike most about Ole Miss?

"The "holier-than-thou" attitude that many of the fans seem have. It's not all of them, but for those that do, it's quite obnoxious. " --BrianJ


"Really only one thing - to still see the rebel flag from fans. All of the smack talk etc. is at all schools to some extent...but seeing a flag that you know bothers other folks just sends the wrong message no matter how you position it. Outside of that, no problem what so ever...pretty campus, easy drive, good food, fun games....great way to start the season off - even if we are only going to win 2 out of every ten - still worth a summer of suspense." --griffin


"Pete Boone" --memphismojo

"the total unjustifiable arrogance " --tigerjeb

"As mentioned by jeb, unjustified arrogance. That is the main reason why I'm looking forward to playing State in a couple of years. Their fans are much easier to get along with. "
--HornLakeTiger


"They make fun of our mullets --- or my mullet. Some of the fans can take it a little too far, especially when the liquor flows." --Tigers2B1

"when they are around memphis fans, they act like Alabama fans. When they are around Alabama fans, they act like the red headed stepchild." --Dylan

"It would be easier to ask what I like about Ole Miss, but if I had to pick one dislike, I would say the drunk fans. Rednecks get REALLY mad when they lose. " --Tigerjedi

"Their grads and undergrads really believe an Ole Miss diploma makes them more sophisticated as compared to UofM. Harvard of the South? try Vandy, Rice, Rhodes , Sewanee or Emory." --Bill83

Thanks to the fans of Memphistigers.org & YourMemphisTigers.com.