I just got an email from a lady in Lewis County, Tenn., who says she and her family have found more than 40 dead whitetail deer on their property during the past few weeks.

They’re finding them all in or around watering holes, which certainly suggests they are casualties of EHD.

I know I said not to worry too much about the EHD outbreak.

But it sure is scary to think how many deer might die before this is all over.

Greetings on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, and welcome to Memphis-Ole Miss at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. My job, directly from my living room couch, will be to bring a live blog about the game as it’s presented on TV. Feel free to comment as we go along.

It’s about 15 minutes before the telecast begins — CSS is showing the show it taped last night from the Liberty Bowl parking lot — and I wanted to share a funny story. Thursday night at the U of Memphis campus Holiday Inn, I attended the Tiger auction to raise money for the athletic department. Ran into Tommy West and we exchanged pleasantries for a minute. I told him, “Tommy, my Saturday morning golf group has an opening this week. Wanna play at 7:22 a.m.?” Tommy laughed, then started counting the hours. “Let’s see, 7:22, 8:22, 9:22, 10 … no, maybe I’d better not.” We both got a good chuckle. He didn’t play this morning (kinda wish I hadn’t either, based on the number of swings I took), so he should be well rested for the big opener.

So with that, welcome to the game. It’s quiet here in the living room. Comcast-willing, we’ll spend the rest of the day writing about the game. Kickoff coming soon.
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So we’re here at the Liberty Bowl, about 30 minutes before kickoff, and there’s already some drama. There have been some rumors swirling around Ole Miss sophomore wide receiver Dexter McCluster — namely, his health. On Internet messages boards, some have speculated that McCluster re-injured his shoulder during Thursday’s practice (and may have undergone an MRI). Others, that he broke his collarbone. None of these tidbits been substantiated, and members of Ole Miss’ Sports Information Department declined comment here at the Liberty Bowl this afternoon.

About 45 minutes before kickoff, McCluster joined his teammates on the field in full uniform. Assistant coach Hugh Freeze tossed short passes to a group of eight or nine wide recievers, but McCluster stood behind Freeze and watched. He did not participate. He clapped his hands (he’s wearing gloves, presumably to catch passes). He picked up a football that rolled astray, then tossed it back to Freeze. He also stretched.

But will he actually play in the game? Stay tuned…

Everyone please be safe and have a good time.