Here’s a look at the Ole Miss-Memphis series (through a series of one-liners):

* Each of the last three games in the series have been decided by seven or fewer points, Ole Miss winning by 3 last year, by 4 in 2005 and Memphis winning by 7 in 2004 in Oxford.

* Ole Miss leads the overall series, 44-10-2, but the Rebels are 6-4 against Memphis in the last 10 meetings (beginning in 1993).

* The average margin of victory in the series since 2003 is 6.0 points; it hasn’t been a series this closely contest since the mid-1970s, when the margin of victory in five games was 5.2.

* Tiger coach Tommy West began his college coaching career as an assistant under Steve Sloan at Ole Miss in 1979.

* There are 21 players on the Memphis roster from Mississippi, an increase of 18 from 2001 when West took over as Tiger coach.

It is now 12:20 am on Friday morning. I can’t sleep and believe me I’ve tried. The eyes just don’t seem to want to close. My mind is solely on getting myself to the Highland Hundred parking lot tomorrow, oops, this morning. Yes I said this morning. I will pull into the HH lot sometime around 9:30. I don’t image there will be anyone there at that time but I do know many will soon follow. The RV’s will start to arrive around 10. I want to be there to see my friends drive them in.

My car has 14 magnets on it which includes a few leaping Tiger logos, the obligatory “GO TIGERS”, a paw or two, the school official crest and even a couple of schedule magnets. I’ve got the “city” car flag on the back window. I call it the “city” car flag because I’ve got a couple that are worn and are for road game highway travel.

I’ve organized everything knowing full well that by game time Saturday the back end of my truck will be a complete mess. There are 4 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of shoes, some sandals, 6 shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, gray underwear to wear at the game (yep, I’m that superstitious) and a half dozen hats for 34 hours or so I’ll spend out there.
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THE BIG STORY
Kentucky senior wide receiver Steve Johnson will play in Saturday’s season opener against Eastern Kentucky, despite being arrested and charged with resisting arrest and several misdemeanor traffic violations Wednesday night.
Johnson was charged with resisting arrest along with having no insurance, failure to have his driver’s license in his possession, not wearing a seat belt and having no registration plate. Kentucky coach Rich Brooks questioned the resisting-arrest charge and noted that Johnson was on his way to the hospital to visit teammate David Jones when he was pulled over. Jones underwent an emergency appendectomy Tuesday night.
“It’s interesting a young man would resist arrest on the way to see a teammate when he’s got his parents coming to town to see him play in a game,” Brooks told the Lexington Herald-Leader. “So we’ll just have to see how it all plays out. I’m very comfortable with playing him and dealing with the issues inside (internally) for not taking care of a ticket, and some of the other stuff may be a little exaggerated.”

A look at the league: Read the rest of this entry »

It’s only an NFL exhibition game tonight in Charlotte, N.C., but it’s an intriguing matchup for those who’ll also be interested in Saturday’s Memphis-Ole Miss football game.

The Carolina Panthers play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a rather meaningless NFL tuneup, but the Mid-South football connections will offer some intrigue.

Pittsburgh is in its first season with former Tiger graduate assistant Mike Tomlin as head coach. Former Tiger linebacker Keith Butler is a defensive assistant and former Tiger offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner is in his first season as the Steelers’ receivers coach.

It was Fichtner who was credited with recruiting DeAngelo Williams to the U of M. Williams, who holds practically every Tiger rushing record and remains one of the top rushing backs in NCAA history, is in his second season with the Panthers.

Ole Miss has several players on the Panther roster, including cornerback Ken Lucas and receiver Taye Biddle, who has had a strong preseason and is expected to make the Carolina 53-man squad.

Unfortunately for Mid-South football fans, the game will not be available in this market. The NFL Network is showing Buffalo at Detroit and San Francisco at San Diego. ESPN and ESPN2 are, understandably, covering the opening night of college football.

Next time you visit the Pickwick Dam tailrace to fish for striped bass, be sure to take at least one ultra-light rod-and-reel with you.

The stripers have been unpredictable below Pickwick Dam this year - and when they’re not biting, you’re in for a really dull trip.

Unless you’re prepared to fish for skipjack.
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THE BIG STORY
Florida senior offensive lineman Phil Trautwein, a preseason first-team All-Southeastern Conference left tackle and team captain, suffered a stress fracture in his foot. He’ll miss the season opener Saturday against Western Kentucky and possibly more time.

Trautwein had been bothered with a minor ankle sprain that he rested a couple of weeks ago. He had played through the injury. Trautwein, a fourth-year senior, has a medical redshirt year available, and stress fractures take more than two months to heal. His foot is in a cast.
“We’ll know more here the next couple of days, the length of it,” Florida coach Urban Meyer said following Wednesday’s practice. “But that’s what they tell me. He’s in a cast.”

“It’s a big loss, a huge loss,” Meyer said, “but the good thing is it’s an area where there’s a little bit of depth, a little bit of competition.”

With Trautwein out, junior Jason Watkins will move back to left tackle, Carlton Medder will move out to right tackle from right guard and freshman Maurkice Pouncey will start at right guard. Pouncey is the first true-freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener at Florida since Reggie Green started at left tackle in 1992.

A look at the league: Read the rest of this entry »

So there I was sitting at a table in a packed ballroom at The Racquet Club watching University of Memphis football coach Tommy West honored at an appreciation dinner.

There were proclamations from state representatives, a short speech from Mayor Willie Herenton, classic stories from former teammates and coaches and several special gifts, including a custom-made putter.

As the evening came to a close, a person sitting at the same table leaned over and said: “It’s hard to believe (Memphis) went 2-10 last season.”

The outpouring of support was genuine and a sign that West’s inclusion on several `Coaches on the Hot Seat’ lists is a bit off base, especially at a school devoid of the intense spotlight that shines on BCS programs.

West is appreciated for what he has done for the Tiger football program during his career. Before last season’s struggles, Memphis had been to three straight bowls — the only time in history the school has been to consecutive bowls.

That’s what created an atmosphere Tuesday night normally reserved for a post-league championship party. One of the event’s organizers, Don DeWeese, said he could have sold an additional 100 tickets, but had to cap the crowd at 260.