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PROVO -- Saturday marks the return of a highly anticipated Cougar team that ended on such a high note last year. A lot of promise is in store for this young team as they prepare for their first opponent in Ole Miss.
Although the Rebels do not appear to be the most threatening team out of the SEC, they're speed and size will look to give BYU a lot of trouble during Saturday's battle.
Week 1 Game Notes- BYU (0-0) at Ole Miss (0-0)
- Date: Saturday Sept. 3, 2011
- Time: 3:46 p.m. CT (2:46 p.m. MT)
- Site: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Oxford, Mississippi)
- TV: ESPN, ESPN3.com
- Radio: KSL Radio 1160 AM, 102.7 FM and ksl.com
- Kickoff Weather: Partly cloudy with a chance of showers. Temp: mid 90s
Head Coach: Houston Nutt is coming into his fourth season as the head coach for Ole Miss. His career coaching record is 133-86, 22-16 since being with Ole Miss. The team is coming off of a dismal 4-8 performance last year. "I know that Bronco Mendenhall and his team will be tough. They will be smart and disciplined. They have a quarterback coming back with a lot of confidence and experience. They have receivers that are tall and some big offensive linemen," said Coach Nutt. "They have a good football team. There is nothing like momentum coming off a bowl victory in the off-season."
Key players:
- Brandon Bolden, RB : A 5-foot 11-inch, 221-pound senior is the premier running back for Ole Miss and apparent go-to guy for the entire offense. Returning for his final season with the Rebels, Bolden comes off of a season where he rushed for 976 yards on 163 carries giving him an average of six yards per carry. He amassed a total of 1,327 offensive yards for the 2010 season. - Kentrell Lockett, DE : This 6-foot 5-inch, 248-pound senior defensive end is not a defensive end the BYU offensive line can take lightly. Lockett is coming off of an injury red shirt last season after tearing his ACL three games into the season. In 2009 he acquired 10 tackles for loss, five of which were sacks for the Rebels. If he can stay healthy, the BYU offensive line will surely have their hands full. "He has not been able to go every single day. There are times when he has had to have his knee drained, but he keeps coming back. I don't know how many plays he can get," said Coach Nutt. "It will be a pretty good amount of plays and make a pretty good ballgame for him."
- Bradley Sowell, OT : We don't have many stats for Bradley Sowell, but we do know that he is a 6-foot 7-inch, 315-pound senior with plenty of experience underneath his belt. Sowell has made many analysts' lists as a pre-season All-American Honorable Mention. BYU's defensive line may run into some trouble with Sowell, but have been able to practice during all of fall camp against linemen that are right around his same size. - Melvin Harris, WR : Harris may be somewhat of a dark horse for the Rebels this year. The junior receiver is a definite force to be reckoned with. BYU doesn't have a particularly tall defensive backfield, meaning that Harris and all 6 feet, 6 inches of him could potentially make a lot of noise for Ole Miss. Harris is coming off of a productive sophomore season with 30 receptions for 408 yards and three touchdowns. "I do feel better about this team simply because I know how hard they've worked. Our summer was much better and our camp was much harder this year," said Coach Nutt. "Last year we assumed that they would dominate and carry us until the offense got ready. We are much closer as a team now with chemistry and unity."
Key Facts:
- Ole Miss returns nine starters on offense, and five on defense making them a fairly experienced team.
- Gunter Brewer is their receivers coach who has personally coached premier wide receivers such as Randy Moss, Dez Bryant, and Justin Blackmon.
- Although the Rebels went 4-8 last season, five of those losses were to Top 25 teams, three of which were in the Top 10.
Dont' be fooled by last year's record. This Ole Miss team comes from the SEC which has produced the last four National Champions and the Rebels have held their own. With talent on both sides of the ball, including a smash-mouth defense, a wily coach, a hostile home crowd and from arguably the best conference in college football you can bet these Rebels will be prepared, amped up and ready for the newly minted independent Cougars.
Email: onlinesports@ksl.com
