AU FOOTBALL 2009 OPPONENT PREVIEWS: Ole Miss thinking big

Editor’s Note: This is the ninth in a series previewing Auburn’s 2009 football opponents. This week: Ole Miss (Oct. 31). The series will run weekly.

Auburn and the rest of the SEC West have every right to be spooked about Ole Miss this season.

It’s no trick: The Rebels are stacked, loaded and ready to build off their surprising 9-4 finish to the 2008 season.

Get it yet? The Tigers and Rebels are set to square off on Halloween at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

And, on paper at least, the Rebels are scary.

There are three quick points that give Ole Miss every reason to think it’ll have no trouble picking up its first division crown since Eli Manning was completing passes.

Stability at quarterback? Check.

A strong batch of returning players on an already solid defense? Check.

All the positive offseason momentum you could possibly desire? Check.

With all this preseason speculation, you’d think second-year coach Houston Nutt would be giddy at the prospect of being worlds ahead of schedule in Oxford.

Not even close.

“The same experts who picked you basically last or toward the bottom and you were nowhere on the radar screen, those same people now are picking you high,” Nutt told USA Today. “So really all those things mean nothing.“

The newspapers, apparently, aren’t the only outlets he’s given that message.

“Actually, you’d be surprised. We don’t read all that — it’s mostly told to us by outside,” defensive end Greg Hardy told the Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.). “We don’t really entertain that. That’s the same people that told us we were down last year.“

The prospect of having the SEC’s top returning passer, Jevan Snead, back in the fold certainly helps, though. Just look at the success Florida, Alabama and Georgia had in 2008 with their veteran quarterbacks.

Snead averaged 212.5 yards per game last season — good for third-best in the conference — as he quickly adapted to the kinks and intricacies of Nutt’s offense. His sneaky mobility makes him a dual threat, which is perfect for what Ole Miss runs.

Outside of Superman over at Florida, Snead is the only returning starting quarterback whose team is actually confident enough to say he’s the starter going into this season.

And he’ll have the same array of weapons to throw to as he did in 2008.

Dexter McCluster and Shay Hodge are both back. They each caught 44 of Snead’s passes last season. That’s just 24 less than all of Auburn’s receivers caught last season.

McCluster, of course, is more than your standard wideout.

He constantly lined up in Nutt’s “Wild Rebel” set, which puts him behind center. That led to McCluster’s averaging 50.4 yards rushing per game, which was good for the team lead and a key toward keeping defenses constantly off balance against the Rebels.

McCluster was just one of two players to rank in the top 10 in the SEC in rushing (50.4 yards per game), receptions (3.38 per game), receiving yardage (48.1) and all-purpose yards (98.5). Florida’s Percy Harvin, who is now with the Minnesota Vikings, was the other.

The key for Ole Miss will be knocking McCluster from the top of its rushing rankings. That will be the job of Brandon Bolden, who ran for 542 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman, Cordera Eason and Enrique Davis.

Ole Miss’ defense, meanwhile, has just a few holes to fill, though they’re quite sizable.

Defensive tackle Peria Jerry, whom Nutt called the “heart and soul” of Ole Miss’ defense, is gone. But Hardy, who missed all of spring after undergoing his second foot surgery, should be back and ready to build off his 8.5 sacks in 2008.

The Rebels allowed just 20 points in November last season in the midst of winning their final six games.

“We don’t want people coming in our inner circle and corrupting minds, because that’s the downfall of a lot of great things — corrupt minds,” Hardy told the Clarion-Ledger. “We’re not satisfied with anything we do.“

agribble@oanow.com | 737-2561