Ole Miss prepares for its second FCS opponent

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Northern Arizona takes on an added sense of urgency

By CHRIS TALBOTT

The Associated Press

The Ole Miss Rebels’ game with Northern Arizona tonight wasn’t supposed to happen. Now that it is, the Rebels have to take it very seriously.

The second game against a FCS foe this season is an unwelcome interlude in the midst of a SEC schedule that is suddenly serious business. The Lumberjacks are plopped in the middle of a demanding SEC stretch, the Rebels would rather pursue bowl eligibility than play a fairly meaningless game in November.

“If I had my way, I would love to have all four non-conference games in a row and then go play SEC ball,” Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said. “You don’t get that choice.”

That’s the negative to the game, which was scheduled after a late withdrawal by another team.

There could be a positive for the Rebels (5-3), though. They need a win against the Lumberjacks (5-3), plus at least one more victory as they finish with Tennessee, No. 9 LSU and Mississippi State to clinch a bowl for the second straight season.

Yet, Ole Miss appeared to take a step backward in a 33-20 loss to Auburn last week after shaking off some of the problems that originally sent the Rebels tumbling out of a the Top 25. Not only did the Ole Miss offense struggle, but the defense stumbled as well.

Still, the team’s off to it’s best start since 2003, and all the Rebels have to do is focus on the opponent at hand while trying to gain momentum going into the final push.

“I really look for our guys to come out with improvements and getting back to playing the way that we are supposed to play,” Nutt said.

Northern Arizona promises to be a threat to Ole Miss and its secondary, which struggled in the loss to the Tigers. The Lumberjacks, ranked in the FCS Top 25 until last week, pushed Arizona in a 34-17 loss earlier this year and feature the nation’s No. 8 offense.

They’re led by former Rebel Michael Herrick, who left the program just as Nutt was arriving after Ed Orgeron was fired in December 2007.

Herrick told reporters this week he felt Nutt had already settled on Jevan Snead as his starter and decided to go to Northern Arizona.

“When the coaching change happened I just didn’t think I would be the guy,” Herrick said. “I didn’t think I’d have an opportunity to compete for the starting job. Jevan is a great quarterback and he is their guy. He’s the guy they wanted and that’s just the way life goes sometimes.”

It’s worked out pretty well for Herrick. He’s completing more than 68 percent of his passes for 2,477 yards.