On the verge of the Eli Era in Oxford
SportsLine.com Reports
Because of his frequent visits to Knoxville when brother Peyton played for David Cutcliffe at Tennessee, Eli Manning has been around the Rebels offensive system longer than two years.
All that physical and mental preparation will be needed as another Manning era begins at Ole Miss.
Manning, who went 25-of-38 and threw four touchdown passes in the spring game, says he is ready to get on to bigger things.
Yes, bigger and better even than his three-touchdown performance in the Music City Bowl. That game, after all, was a lost cause. He entered in the fourth quarter of a 49-16 game ... so as impressive and encouraging as his outing was, it was just mop-up.
2000: 7-5 overall, 4-4 SEC (T/3rd West)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Joe Gunn, QB Eli Manning, FS Syniker Taylor, LB Eddie Strong, DT Anthony Sims, WR Chris Collins, OT Terrence Metcalf, FB Charles Stackhouse.
STARTERS RETURNING (Offense): 6 -- QB Romaro Miller and RB Deuce McAllister are veteran stars that can't -- and won't -- be replaced by any two individuals. They've meant more to the Ole Miss program than any other players or coaches the past five seasons.
Yet, returning players like RB Joe Gunn isn't exactly a neophyte, and sophomore Eli Manning has nobody depressed about the quarterback situation in Oxford ... anything but.
STARTERS RETURNING (Defense): 6 -- The return of Eddie Strong (he missed last season with a stress fracture in his foot) makes a big difference in the defense, which will have a hard time replacing end Derrick Burgess and cornerback Ken Lucas.
STARTERS RETURNING (Special teams): 0 -- Les Binkley was virtually an automatic in his only two seasons on campus. At least sophomore Lee Rogers won't be kicking the ball in a game for the first time -- he handled kickoffs last season. Redshirt freshman Cody Ridgeway had a strong spring to earn the job taking over for the sketchy Reagan King.
COACH: David Cutcliffe (16-9 in two seasons and 2-1 in bowl games) was coveted by North Carolina in the off-season, but the Rebels locked him up with a contract extension.
PRIMARY STRENGTHS: QB Eli Manning could be special and the Rebels have quality depth at tailback and fullback. The offensive line could resurface as one of the SEC's best.
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: The defensive front is small and generally inexperienced. Linebacking corps and defensive backs must tackle better and new punter and place-kicker must come through under pressure.
OVERVIEW: Don't expect miracles from a team that has so many question marks going in. Rebel fans weren't satisfied with a December bowl last year, but such a scenario would look pretty good for a squad with only 12 scholarship seniors.
Senior linebacker Kevin Thomas will wear the Chucky Mullins No. 38 jersey this season.
Thomas is the 12th winner of the prestigious award, which honors the memory of Mullins, who was paralyzed after making a tackle against Vanderbilt in 1989 and died in 1991.
"It's a very, very big honor," Thomas said. "I am so proud to be able to wear it. It means I give my all and I will continue to give my all to represent Chucky Mullins well."
Thomas, a former walk-on, is a 5-9, 190-pound linebacker who plays bigger than his size.
Terrence Metcalf's dislocated ankle in 1998 has turned out to be a boon for the 2001 Rebels. Metcalf redshirted his sophomore season in 1998 after suffering the injury, which means he's got another year of eligibility ... which he'll use to lead the Rebels and hone his skills as a left tackle.
Metcalf, 6-3 and 305 pounds, made the transition from guard to tackle last season after the Rebels saw 1999 starting tackles Todd Wade and Tutan Reyes move on to the NFL. Moving one spot down the line might not seem like a big deal to the average fan, but there's a world of difference between playing guard and tackle.
Metcalf was on a sharp learning curve for the first part of the season, but finished strong to earn coaches' first-team All-SEC and Associated Press second-team All-SEC honors at left tackle.
Line coach John Latina said Metcalf made major strides at his new position the second half of the 2000 season.
"Terrence really played well the last five or six games," Latina said. "By showing he can play inside and outside, he has made himself into a very flexible offensive lineman. That's going to help him not only now, but down the road as he continues his football career."
Significantly, Metcalf opted to return to Oxford after briefly considering a leap to the NFL.