Houston Nutt
Encyclopedia
Houston Dale Nutt, Jr. is an American football
coach and former player. Most recently he was the head football coach at the University of Mississippi
(Ole Miss) from 2008 to 2011. Previously, he served as the head coach at Murray State University
(1993–1996), Boise State University
(1997), and the University of Arkansas
(1998–2007). Nutt has served as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz
and Jack Crowe
.
under Adolph Rupp
before transferring to Oklahoma A&M
(now Oklahoma State) in 1952. Nutt graduated from Little Rock Central High School. His parents taught at the Arkansas School for the Deaf at Little Rock, Arkansas
for 35 years. His father also served as athletic director and head basketball coach for the school. His father was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. During his childhood, Houston and his brothers were daily members at the Billy Mitchell Boys and Girls Club in Little Rock.
Often referred to as the "Right Reverend" Houston Nutt because he is known for his fiery and inspirational speeches to his teams.
Wife Diana, like Nutt, graduated from Oklahoma State University. They have four children together: Houston III (born March 11, 1987), twins Hailey and Hanna (born September 26, 1988), and Haven (born March 19, 1991).
Nutt's brother Dickey Nutt
was the head basketball coach at Arkansas State University
until he announced his resignation on February 19, 2008. He now coaches basketball at Southeast Missouri State University
. His brother Danny Nutt
is currently the Assistant Athletics Director for Player Development at Ole Miss. Nutt's youngest brother Dennis Nutt
, a former NBA player, is head men's basketball coach at Ouachita Baptist University.
before his retirement in 1976. Nutt was recruited as a drop-back style quarterback
and started four games as a true freshman after starting quarterback Ron Calcagni
was sidelined with an injury. Nutt also played that year for the Southwest Conference champion Arkansas basketball
team under coach Eddie Sutton
, which went 26–2 and bulled its way to a 16–0 conference mark.
With the retirement of Frank Broyles, Arkansas hired Lou Holtz
as the head football coach. Holtz established an option offense
that did not make use of Nutt's passing style and relegated him to the bench as a backup.
Disappointed by his lack of playing time, Nutt transferred to Oklahoma State University and played two years as a backup quarterback. During his time at Oklahoma State he also played for the basketball team. Nutt graduated from Oklahoma State in 1981 with a degree in physical education
.
as a full-time assistant coach but he spent only four months there before returning to Oklahoma State that summer as a receiver's coach.
Nutt spent six seasons as an assistant coach for receivers and quarterbacks at Oklahoma State and was promoted to offensive coordinator
in 1989. During his years at Oklahoma State he coached legendary running backs Barry Sanders
and Thurman Thomas.
In 1990 Nutt returned to the University of Arkansas as an assistant under head coach Jack Crowe
and established a reputation as an excellent recruiter. Nutt remained with the Razorbacks for three seasons and established relationships with Arkansas high school football coaches that would serve him in good stead in later years.
. The team went 4–7 and 5–6 in Nutt's first two years.
In 1995 his efforts paid off with an 11–1 record and an Ohio Valley Conference
championship after reeling off an 8–0 conference mark. Nutt received Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors and was recognized with the Eddie Robinson National Division I-AA Coach of the Year Award.
Nutt repeated his success for the 1996 season with an 11–2 record and another undefeated run through his Ohio Valley Conference schedule. Murray State won its first round Division I-AA playoff appearance, earning Nutt the OVC Coach of the Year honors and regional Coach of the Year honors.
hired him to take over their program, which was the lowest ranked of 112 Division I-A schools and had posted a 2–10 record the year before. Boise State had just made the jump to Division I-A football and was looking for a recruiter and motivator to jump start their program.
Nutt's team earned a 5–6 record in 1997 playing at the Division I-A level with its Division I-AA players. Nutt's team beat rival Idaho
and almost pulled off an upset against Big Ten Conference
program Wisconsin
.
Razorbacks
on December 10, 1997 succeeding head coach Danny Ford
. Nutt, during his first press conference as coach, immediately mentioned a "National Championship" as his goal and felt that Arkansas had the program to win one. The Razorback team had suffered through a long low period under a succession of head coaches in the previous years, having only received two bowl game
bids in the eight seasons prior to Nutt's arrival.
Under Nutt, the Razorbacks were one of three SEC schools to play in three New Year's Day bowls within five years. Nutt's teams have been noted for a series of overtime games including the two longest overtime games in NCAA history. Off the field, some of Nutt's players have been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll 145 times and he has established a reputation as a responsible coach academically. Some criticism has come for an SEC
win record just barely over .500 and because he calls his own offensive plays during a game instead of relying on an offensive coordinator
. In his first six seasons Nutt led the team to a bowl game each year and averaged eight wins per season.
Western Division in 1998 but ended up with a 9–3 record and a share of the division title. The Razorbacks lost to the eventual national champion Tennessee Volunteers
on Tennessee's home field after quarterback Clint Stoerner
fumbled while trying to run out the clock. For their efforts, the Razorbacks received their first-ever invitation to the Citrus Bowl
and ended the season ranked 16th after losing to Michigan
. Nutt was selected as the Football News' National Coach of the Year.
and Mississippi State
to earn a Cotton Bowl Classic bid versus arch-rival Texas
. The Razorbacks defeated Texas 27–6, becoming the first team to ever hold Texas to negative rushing yards in a game. The Cotton Bowl victory propelled Arkansas into the top 20 to end the season.
teams to pull out another winning record and another bowl appearance.
and Auburn
teams. Based on this performance, the Razorbacks were selected to return to the Cotton Bowl Classic to face the defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners. Arkansas lost, gaining only 50 yards of total offense and just six first downs.
and ended the season with a loss to Minnesota in the Music City Bowl
.
on their home field. The early season success raised fans expectations sky-high and put Nutt under intense pressure when the Razorbacks lost their next three games putting them out of contention for the national championship or even the SEC Western Division crown. The Razorbacks won four of their last five games and defeated Missouri in the Independence Bowl
. After the 2003 season, Nebraska
was rumored to be courting Nutt to be their head coach, after the firing of Frank Solich
.
The 2005 season was also a rebuilding year as expected. Tough losses to the USC Trojans
(70–17) as well as to Vanderbilt
and South Carolina
showed that the season had been predicted accurately. The team was ineligible for a bowl for the second season in a row (and the second season overall under coach Nutt). This led to Razorback fans calling for coaching changes. After meeting with Frank Broyles
(athletic director) at the conclusion of the season, coaching changes were made by Nutt in the offseason at the risk of being fired, the most notable of which was the addition of Gus Malzahn
, previously the head coach at Springdale High School in Springdale, Arkansas
, as offensive coordinator
. The hiring of Malzahn allowed Nutt to sign several highly recruited Springdale players, including Springdale High School quarterback
Mitch Mustain
and wide receiver
Damian Williams who eventually transferred to USC because of disagreements with the coaching staff and a few nasty emails from the Nutts' close friend, Teresa Prewett.
. Following the loss to the Trojans, Nutt announced that Mustain would replace Robert Johnson as the Hogs' starting quarterback. Mustain led Arkansas to eight straight wins, including wins against #22 Alabama
at home and #2 Auburn
at Auburn, before losing the starting job to Casey Dick. Dick had been slotted to start at the beginning of the season but was unable to do so due to a back injury suffered in the spring. Dick led the Razorbacks to two victories out of four for a total of 10 wins, including a win over 13th ranked Tennessee. The Razorbacks moved to #7 in the BCS standings. However, the Hogs lost their last regular season game to the #8 LSU Tigers
, 31–26.
Despite the loss, the Hogs were still Western Division Champions of the SEC, and played the 11–1, fourth-ranked Florida Gators
for the SEC Championship. Florida won, 38–28. The Razorbacks then lost to the #5 Wisconsin Badgers
on New Year's Day, 2007 in the Capital One Bowl
.
A highlight of the season was the second place finish of do-everything tailback Darren McFadden
in the Heisman Trophy
voting. McFadden set a school season record for rushing, and also had receiving, return and passing touchdowns to his credit during the season. At the conclusion of his sophomore season, he had amassed more rushing yards in two seasons than any SEC back in history excluding Georgia's Herschel Walker
, largely on the back of the Wildcat offensive scheme
, a Gus Malzahn
-pioneered extension of the single-wing offense.
. The Hogs opened at home with a victory over Troy
. However, early losses to Alabama and the Kentucky Wildcats
knocked Arkansas out of the rankings and made the remaining SEC schedule an uphill struggle, even with Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, and Peyton Hillis in the Razorback backfield.
On November 23, 2007 in Baton Rouge, Nutt's Razorbacks beat the top-ranked football team in the nation. In a game that lasted into three overtime periods, Arkansas defeated the formidable and eventual national champion LSU Tigers
, 50–48, returning the Golden Boot back to Arkansas.
Three days later, Nutt resigned as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks amid several controversies and allegations, which had come prior to and throughout the 2007 season
. He left the school with a 75–48 record, which is second on the school's all-time win list, behind only Broyles.
, replacing former head coach Ed Orgeron
, who was fired after three consecutive losing seasons. Nutt's move to Ole Miss has served to stoke the long-standing Arkansas – Ole Miss rivalry.
It was announced on April 16, 2009 that Nutt and his wife, Diana, had committed to give a gift of $100,000 to Ole Miss, evenly divided between the university's indoor practice facility and the creation of student-athlete scholarships.
to open the season, the Rebels suffered a loss to the then-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons
, 30–28, on a last-second field goal. After defeating Samford, Ole Miss lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores
at home. After the loss, the Rebels traveled to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
in Gainesville, Florida
, where they defeated the #4-ranked, and eventual national champion, Florida Gators
, 31–30, after blocking Florida's attempt at a tying extra point and a defensive stop of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow
on 4th-and-1. The next weekend, the Rebels lost to South Carolina
.
Next on the schedule was Alabama
, ranked #2 in the nation at the time. During the game, Ole Miss became the first team Alabama trailed in the 2008 season. Alabama ultimately prevailed, however, in the final series of the game, winning, 24–20. Then came Arkansas
. Nutt, facing his old team, came out victorious, 23–21. The Rebels followed that with a 17–7 home win against Auburn
. On November 15, Ole Miss beat ULM
, 59–0, to push their record to 6–4 and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2003. Ole Miss next beat #18 LSU
, 31–13, in Baton Rouge, snapping a six-game losing streak to the Tigers, earning the Rebels an Associated Press ranking of 25, first time in four years Ole Miss had been ranked, and putting them in position for a possible bid to the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas
. The Rebels went on to beat SEC West and in-state rival Mississippi State
, 45–0, in the Egg Bowl
to finish the regular season at 8–4. The win over the Bulldogs moved the Rebels up to #22 in the AP Poll and landed the team their first ranking of the year in the Coaches' Poll, coming in at #25. Ole Miss defeated the #7-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders
, 47–34, in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
, 45–14, and Southeastern Louisiana, 52–6, which gave Ole Miss the second longest winning streak in the nation at eight games dating back to the 2008 season, Ole Miss climbed as high as #4 in the AP Poll before losing their 2009 SEC opener, 10–16, on the road at South Carolina
in a Thursday night game on September 24. After the loss, Ole Miss fell 17 spots in the AP Poll, down to #21. Ole Miss went on the road again and beat Vanderbilt
the next week, 23–7. Ole Miss was able to beat #8-ranked LSU
, 25–23, at Oxford. Ole Miss lost to in-state and SEC rival Mississippi State
on November 28 in the Egg Bowl at Starkville
, 41–27. Ole Miss was picked to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic
for the second year in a row, where they defeated Oklahoma State
, 21–7, to end the 2009 season.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former player. Most recently he was the head football coach at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
(Ole Miss) from 2008 to 2011. Previously, he served as the head coach at Murray State University
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
(1993–1996), Boise State University
Boise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
(1997), and the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
(1998–2007). Nutt has served as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
and Jack Crowe
Jack Crowe
Jack Crowe is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at Jacksonville State University in Alabama, a position he has held since 2000. Crowe served as the head football coach at the University of Arkansas from 1990 until he resigned one game into the 1992 season after an upset...
.
Early life and family
Houston Nutt, Jr. was born in Arkansas. He is the son of the late Houston Dale Nutt, Sr., and Emogene Nutt and is the oldest of four children. Houston Nutt, Sr. briefly played basketball for the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
under Adolph Rupp
Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
before transferring to Oklahoma A&M
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act...
(now Oklahoma State) in 1952. Nutt graduated from Little Rock Central High School. His parents taught at the Arkansas School for the Deaf at Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
for 35 years. His father also served as athletic director and head basketball coach for the school. His father was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. During his childhood, Houston and his brothers were daily members at the Billy Mitchell Boys and Girls Club in Little Rock.
Often referred to as the "Right Reverend" Houston Nutt because he is known for his fiery and inspirational speeches to his teams.
Wife Diana, like Nutt, graduated from Oklahoma State University. They have four children together: Houston III (born March 11, 1987), twins Hailey and Hanna (born September 26, 1988), and Haven (born March 19, 1991).
Nutt's brother Dickey Nutt
Dickey Nutt
Dickey Nutt is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball coach for Southeast Missouri State University. He became the head coach of Arkansas State University in 1995 and resigned on February 19, 2008, ending his thirteen years as head coach just 3 victories short of...
was the head basketball coach at Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and third largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA...
until he announced his resignation on February 19, 2008. He now coaches basketball at Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
. His brother Danny Nutt
Danny Nutt
Danny Nutt is a former college football assistant coach, who now serves as the Assistant Athletics Director for Player Development at Ole Miss...
is currently the Assistant Athletics Director for Player Development at Ole Miss. Nutt's youngest brother Dennis Nutt
Dennis Nutt
Dennis Clay Nutt is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the head baketball coach at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.-Career:...
, a former NBA player, is head men's basketball coach at Ouachita Baptist University.
College athletic career
Nutt was the last player recruited by Arkansas head coach Frank BroylesFrank Broyles
John Franklin Broyles is a former American football player and coach, athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach the University of Missouri in 1957 and at the University of Arkansas from 1958 to 1976...
before his retirement in 1976. Nutt was recruited as a drop-back style quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and started four games as a true freshman after starting quarterback Ron Calcagni
Ron Calcagni
Ron Calcagni is a former quarterback for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football team from 1975 to 1978. Calcagni was born in Youngstown, Ohio. An All-State in high school, Calcagni was initially recruited by Bo Rein to play for North Carolina State University...
was sidelined with an injury. Nutt also played that year for the Southwest Conference champion Arkansas basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team under coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...
, which went 26–2 and bulled its way to a 16–0 conference mark.
With the retirement of Frank Broyles, Arkansas hired Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
as the head football coach. Holtz established an option offense
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
that did not make use of Nutt's passing style and relegated him to the bench as a backup.
Disappointed by his lack of playing time, Nutt transferred to Oklahoma State University and played two years as a backup quarterback. During his time at Oklahoma State he also played for the basketball team. Nutt graduated from Oklahoma State in 1981 with a degree in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
.
Assistant coaching
After graduation Nutt became a graduate assistant for Oklahoma State under head coach Jimmy Johnson. In 1983 Nutt returned to Arkansas and became an graduate assistant coach under his former coach Lou Holtz. In the spring of 1984 Nutt was hired by Arkansas State UniversityArkansas State University
Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and third largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA...
as a full-time assistant coach but he spent only four months there before returning to Oklahoma State that summer as a receiver's coach.
Nutt spent six seasons as an assistant coach for receivers and quarterbacks at Oklahoma State and was promoted to offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
in 1989. During his years at Oklahoma State he coached legendary running backs Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
and Thurman Thomas.
Jack Crowe
Jack Crowe is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at Jacksonville State University in Alabama, a position he has held since 2000. Crowe served as the head football coach at the University of Arkansas from 1990 until he resigned one game into the 1992 season after an upset...
and established a reputation as an excellent recruiter. Nutt remained with the Razorbacks for three seasons and established relationships with Arkansas high school football coaches that would serve him in good stead in later years.
Murray State
In 1993 Nutt received his first head coaching position at NCAA Division I-AA Murray State UniversityMurray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
. The team went 4–7 and 5–6 in Nutt's first two years.
In 1995 his efforts paid off with an 11–1 record and an Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
championship after reeling off an 8–0 conference mark. Nutt received Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors and was recognized with the Eddie Robinson National Division I-AA Coach of the Year Award.
Nutt repeated his success for the 1996 season with an 11–2 record and another undefeated run through his Ohio Valley Conference schedule. Murray State won its first round Division I-AA playoff appearance, earning Nutt the OVC Coach of the Year honors and regional Coach of the Year honors.
Boise State
Nutt made the step up to NCAA Division I-A the next year when Boise State UniversityBoise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
hired him to take over their program, which was the lowest ranked of 112 Division I-A schools and had posted a 2–10 record the year before. Boise State had just made the jump to Division I-A football and was looking for a recruiter and motivator to jump start their program.
Nutt's team earned a 5–6 record in 1997 playing at the Division I-A level with its Division I-AA players. Nutt's team beat rival Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
and almost pulled off an upset against Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
program Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
Arkansas
Nutt became the head coach of the University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
on December 10, 1997 succeeding head coach Danny Ford
Danny Ford
Danny Lee Ford is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Alabama from 1967 to 1969. He served as the head football coach at Clemson University in South Carolina from 1978 to 1989 and at the University of Arkansas from 1993 to 1997, compiling...
. Nutt, during his first press conference as coach, immediately mentioned a "National Championship" as his goal and felt that Arkansas had the program to win one. The Razorback team had suffered through a long low period under a succession of head coaches in the previous years, having only received two bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
bids in the eight seasons prior to Nutt's arrival.
Under Nutt, the Razorbacks were one of three SEC schools to play in three New Year's Day bowls within five years. Nutt's teams have been noted for a series of overtime games including the two longest overtime games in NCAA history. Off the field, some of Nutt's players have been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll 145 times and he has established a reputation as a responsible coach academically. Some criticism has come for an SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
win record just barely over .500 and because he calls his own offensive plays during a game instead of relying on an offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. In his first six seasons Nutt led the team to a bowl game each year and averaged eight wins per season.
1998
Nutt's Razorbacks were picked to finish last in the Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Western Division in 1998 but ended up with a 9–3 record and a share of the division title. The Razorbacks lost to the eventual national champion Tennessee Volunteers
1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Tennessee entered the 1998 season coming off an 11–2 record in 1997...
on Tennessee's home field after quarterback Clint Stoerner
Clint Stoerner
Clinton Jacob Stoerner is an American football quarterback. He is currently a free agent.-High school years:...
fumbled while trying to run out the clock. For their efforts, the Razorbacks received their first-ever invitation to the Citrus Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
and ended the season ranked 16th after losing to Michigan
1998 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1998 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1998 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. The 1998 Wolverines finished the season with a 10–3 record and defeated the...
. Nutt was selected as the Football News' National Coach of the Year.
1999
In 1999, Nutt's Razorbacks were picked to win the SEC Western Division, but suffered a series of setbacks during the season. They recovered to defeat nationally ranked Tennessee1999 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1999 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Volunteers offense scored 369 points while the defense allowed 194 points. Phillip Fulmer was the head coach and led the club to an appearance in the Fiesta...
and Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
to earn a Cotton Bowl Classic bid versus arch-rival Texas
1999 Texas Longhorns football team
The 1999 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:...
. The Razorbacks defeated Texas 27–6, becoming the first team to ever hold Texas to negative rushing yards in a game. The Cotton Bowl victory propelled Arkansas into the top 20 to end the season.
2000
For the 2000 season the Razorbacks lost the core of their team and suffered a string of injuries including season-ending injuries to all of the starting running backs. The Razorbacks struggled through the season as a question mark until the final two games when they defeated ranked Mississippi State and LSU2000 LSU Tigers football team
The 2000 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2000–2001. Coached by Nick Saban in his first year at LSU, the Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Saban led the team to a remarkable turnaround from a...
teams to pull out another winning record and another bowl appearance.
2001
In the 2001 season, the Razorbacks started off with three straight losses in SEC play. They then came back to win six of the last seven including victories over ranked South Carolina2001 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2001 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks were led by Lou Holtz in his third season as USC head coach, and played their home games in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC.Carolina followed up one of...
and Auburn
2001 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2001 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season.They posted a 7–5 record, including a record of 5–3 in the Southeastern Conference...
teams. Based on this performance, the Razorbacks were selected to return to the Cotton Bowl Classic to face the defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners. Arkansas lost, gaining only 50 yards of total offense and just six first downs.
2002
In 2002, Nutt's Razorbacks stumbled midway through the season but pulled together five straight wins, including a last second touchdown pass against LSU, often referred to as the "Miracle on Markham" to pull out a share of a Western Division title. Arkansas was defeated by the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game2002 SEC Championship Game
The 2002 SEC Championship Game was won by the Georgia Bulldogs 30-3 over the Arkansas Razorbacks. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 7, 2002 and was televised to a national audience on CBS....
and ended the season with a loss to Minnesota in the Music City Bowl
2002 SEC Championship Game
The 2002 SEC Championship Game was won by the Georgia Bulldogs 30-3 over the Arkansas Razorbacks. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 7, 2002 and was televised to a national audience on CBS....
.
2003
In 2003, Nutt's team started off with a 4–0 record including a win against #5 Texas2003 Texas Longhorns football team
The 2003 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by head football coach Mack Brown and led on the field by redshirt fresman quarterback Vince Young....
on their home field. The early season success raised fans expectations sky-high and put Nutt under intense pressure when the Razorbacks lost their next three games putting them out of contention for the national championship or even the SEC Western Division crown. The Razorbacks won four of their last five games and defeated Missouri in the Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
. After the 2003 season, Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
was rumored to be courting Nutt to be their head coach, after the firing of Frank Solich
Frank Solich
Frank Solich is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Ohio University, a position he has held since the 2005 season...
.
2004–2005
The 2004 and 2005 campaigns were widely expected to be rebuilding years due to young teams. The 2004 season ended with a 5–6 record and without a bowl invitation for the first time under Nutt.The 2005 season was also a rebuilding year as expected. Tough losses to the USC Trojans
2005 USC Trojans football team
The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the college football season of 2005–2006, winning the Pacific-10 Conference , and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship...
(70–17) as well as to Vanderbilt
2005 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
The 2005 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented the Vanderbilt University in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Commodores offense scored 299 points while the defense allowed 321 points. Led by head coach Bobby Johnson, the Commodores won their first four games of the season...
and South Carolina
2005 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
The 2005 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented the Vanderbilt University in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Commodores offense scored 299 points while the defense allowed 321 points. Led by head coach Bobby Johnson, the Commodores won their first four games of the season...
showed that the season had been predicted accurately. The team was ineligible for a bowl for the second season in a row (and the second season overall under coach Nutt). This led to Razorback fans calling for coaching changes. After meeting with Frank Broyles
Frank Broyles
John Franklin Broyles is a former American football player and coach, athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach the University of Missouri in 1957 and at the University of Arkansas from 1958 to 1976...
(athletic director) at the conclusion of the season, coaching changes were made by Nutt in the offseason at the risk of being fired, the most notable of which was the addition of Gus Malzahn
Gus Malzahn
Gus Malzahn is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn University. Malzahn is a high school coaching legend in the state of Arkansas and the former offensive coordinator at University of Arkansas and the University of Tulsa...
, previously the head coach at Springdale High School in Springdale, Arkansas
Springdale, Arkansas
As of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
, as offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. The hiring of Malzahn allowed Nutt to sign several highly recruited Springdale players, including Springdale High School quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Mitch Mustain
Mitch Mustain
Mitchell Mustain is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League. He played college football at USC. Mustain played his freshman year of college at the University of Arkansas in 2006 before transferring to USC in 2007...
and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Damian Williams who eventually transferred to USC because of disagreements with the coaching staff and a few nasty emails from the Nutts' close friend, Teresa Prewett.
2006
The 2006 season began with a new offensive coordinator in Gus Malzahn, who brought the spread offense and the wild cat formation to Arkansas. The Razorbacks started the season losing 50–14, at a home game in Fayetteville, to the USC2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
. Following the loss to the Trojans, Nutt announced that Mustain would replace Robert Johnson as the Hogs' starting quarterback. Mustain led Arkansas to eight straight wins, including wins against #22 Alabama
2006 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2006 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season trying to improve from a 10–2 record in the 2005 season. The Tide was led by head coach Mike Shula entering his fourth year at Alabama. Despite a strong 5–2 start, they...
at home and #2 Auburn
2006 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2006 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Tommy Tuberville served his eighth season at Auburn, the third longest tenure among current SEC head coaches that year...
at Auburn, before losing the starting job to Casey Dick. Dick had been slotted to start at the beginning of the season but was unable to do so due to a back injury suffered in the spring. Dick led the Razorbacks to two victories out of four for a total of 10 wins, including a win over 13th ranked Tennessee. The Razorbacks moved to #7 in the BCS standings. However, the Hogs lost their last regular season game to the #8 LSU Tigers
2006 LSU Tigers football team
The 2006 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2006–2007. The team's coach was former Oklahoma State coach Les Miles. They played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
, 31–26.
Despite the loss, the Hogs were still Western Division Champions of the SEC, and played the 11–1, fourth-ranked Florida Gators
2006 Florida Gators football team
The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season...
for the SEC Championship. Florida won, 38–28. The Razorbacks then lost to the #5 Wisconsin Badgers
2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Bret Bielema, the Badgers completed the season with a 12-1 record, including a 7-1 mark in the Big Ten Conference, good for a...
on New Year's Day, 2007 in the Capital One Bowl
2007 Capital One Bowl
The 2007 Capital One Bowl was held on January 1, 2007 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game featured the Badgers of The University of Wisconsin, who finished tied for 2nd in the Big Ten Conference, and the Razorbacks of The University of Arkansas, who finished 1st in the Southeastern...
.
A highlight of the season was the second place finish of do-everything tailback Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden is an American football running back who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He played college football for the University of Arkansas from 2005 to 2007...
in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting. McFadden set a school season record for rushing, and also had receiving, return and passing touchdowns to his credit during the season. At the conclusion of his sophomore season, he had amassed more rushing yards in two seasons than any SEC back in history excluding Georgia's Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker is an American mixed martial artist and a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and earned the 1982 Heisman Trophy. He began his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League...
, largely on the back of the Wildcat offensive scheme
Wildcat offense
|- style="text-align:center;"| || |- style="text-align:center;"| Base Wildcat || Speed Sweep|- style="text-align:center;"| || |- style="text-align:center;"| QB Counter || Split Zone|- style="text-align:center;"...
, a Gus Malzahn
Gus Malzahn
Gus Malzahn is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn University. Malzahn is a high school coaching legend in the state of Arkansas and the former offensive coordinator at University of Arkansas and the University of Tulsa...
-pioneered extension of the single-wing offense.
2007
The 2007 season began with the Razorbacks ranked 21st by the AP PollAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. The Hogs opened at home with a victory over Troy
2007 Troy Trojans football team
The 2007 Troy Trojans football team represented Troy University in the college football season of 2008–2009. The Trojans played their home games at Movie Gallery Stadium in Troy, Alabama and competed in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans were co-champions of the conference with Florida Atlantic,...
. However, early losses to Alabama and the Kentucky Wildcats
2007 Kentucky Wildcats football team
The 2007 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head football coach was Rich Brooks, in his 5th year as Kentucky's head coach. The Wildcats played their home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky...
knocked Arkansas out of the rankings and made the remaining SEC schedule an uphill struggle, even with Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, and Peyton Hillis in the Razorback backfield.
On November 23, 2007 in Baton Rouge, Nutt's Razorbacks beat the top-ranked football team in the nation. In a game that lasted into three overtime periods, Arkansas defeated the formidable and eventual national champion LSU Tigers
2007 LSU Tigers football team
The 2007 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University during the college football season of 2007–2008, winning the Southeastern Conference championship and the national championship. The team's Head Coach was Les Miles who entered his third year at the helm of LSU Football...
, 50–48, returning the Golden Boot back to Arkansas.
Resignation
Three days later, Nutt resigned as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks amid several controversies and allegations, which had come prior to and throughout the 2007 season
2007 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2007 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the 2007–2008 football season. The Razorbacks played six home games at Donald W...
. He left the school with a 75–48 record, which is second on the school's all-time win list, behind only Broyles.
Ole Miss
On November 27, 2007 Nutt was hired as the new head coach of the Ole Miss RebelsOle Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
, replacing former head coach Ed Orgeron
Ed Orgeron
Ed Orgeron is an American football coach who is currently serving as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator for the USC Trojans. Orgeron previously served as the head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels from 2005 to 2007...
, who was fired after three consecutive losing seasons. Nutt's move to Ole Miss has served to stoke the long-standing Arkansas – Ole Miss rivalry.
It was announced on April 16, 2009 that Nutt and his wife, Diana, had committed to give a gift of $100,000 to Ole Miss, evenly divided between the university's indoor practice facility and the creation of student-athlete scholarships.
2008
After a 41–24 victory over border rival Memphis2008 Memphis Tigers football team
The 2008 Memphis Tigers football team represented the University of Memphis in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Memphis competed as a member of the Conference USA.The team was led by head coach Tommy West...
to open the season, the Rebels suffered a loss to the then-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team
The 2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Wake Forest's 56th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference .The Demon Deacons...
, 30–28, on a last-second field goal. After defeating Samford, Ole Miss lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores
2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
The 2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2008–09 college football season. The team's head coach was Bobby Johnson, who served his seventh season in the position...
at home. After the loss, the Rebels traveled to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where they defeated the #4-ranked, and eventual national champion, Florida Gators
2008 Florida Gators football team
The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 college football season...
, 31–30, after blocking Florida's attempt at a tying extra point and a defensive stop of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
on 4th-and-1. The next weekend, the Rebels lost to South Carolina
2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head football coach was Steve Spurrier, who served his fourth season at USC...
.
Next on the schedule was Alabama
2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 76th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 17th within the SEC Western Division...
, ranked #2 in the nation at the time. During the game, Ole Miss became the first team Alabama trailed in the 2008 season. Alabama ultimately prevailed, however, in the final series of the game, winning, 24–20. Then came Arkansas
2008 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2008 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the 2008 football season. The Razorbacks played five home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas and one home game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas...
. Nutt, facing his old team, came out victorious, 23–21. The Rebels followed that with a 17–7 home win against Auburn
2008 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2008 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University during 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Tommy Tuberville served his tenth season as head coach at Auburn...
. On November 15, Ole Miss beat ULM
2008 ULM Warhawks football team
The 2008 Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football team represented the University of Louisiana at Monroe in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. ULM competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, and played their home...
, 59–0, to push their record to 6–4 and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2003. Ole Miss next beat #18 LSU
2008 LSU Tigers football team
The 2008 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team's head coach was Les Miles who entered his fourth year at the helm of LSU Football. They played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
, 31–13, in Baton Rouge, snapping a six-game losing streak to the Tigers, earning the Rebels an Associated Press ranking of 25, first time in four years Ole Miss had been ranked, and putting them in position for a possible bid to the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. The Rebels went on to beat SEC West and in-state rival Mississippi State
2008 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 2008 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2008 college football season. The team's head coach was Sylvester Croom. The Bulldogs played their six home games in 2008 at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi...
, 45–0, in the Egg Bowl
Egg Bowl
The Battle for the Golden Egg, also known as the Egg Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between played annually by the Mississippi State Bulldogs football team of Mississippi State University and the Ole Miss Rebels football team of the University of Mississippi . The rivalry is...
to finish the regular season at 8–4. The win over the Bulldogs moved the Rebels up to #22 in the AP Poll and landed the team their first ranking of the year in the Coaches' Poll, coming in at #25. Ole Miss defeated the #7-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders
2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
The 2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the college football season of 2008/09. The team was coached by Mike Leach. The Red Raiders played their home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. The football team competed in the Division I Football Bowl...
, 47–34, in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
2009
The Ole Miss Rebels began the 2009 season rated highly by the media. After beating Memphis2009 Memphis Tigers football team
The 2009 Memphis Tigers football team represented the University of Memphis in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Tigers, led by 9th year head coach Tommy West, played their home games at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Memphis finished the season 2–10 and 1–7 in CUSA...
, 45–14, and Southeastern Louisiana, 52–6, which gave Ole Miss the second longest winning streak in the nation at eight games dating back to the 2008 season, Ole Miss climbed as high as #4 in the AP Poll before losing their 2009 SEC opener, 10–16, on the road at South Carolina
2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team's head football coach was Steve Spurrier, who was in his fifth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in...
in a Thursday night game on September 24. After the loss, Ole Miss fell 17 spots in the AP Poll, down to #21. Ole Miss went on the road again and beat Vanderbilt
2009 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
The 2009 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2009–10 college football season. The team's head coach was Bobby Johnson, who served his eighth season as the Commodores' head coach...
the next week, 23–7. Ole Miss was able to beat #8-ranked LSU
2009 LSU Tigers football team
The 2009 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team's head coach was Les Miles who served his fifth year at the helm of LSU football. They played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
, 25–23, at Oxford. Ole Miss lost to in-state and SEC rival Mississippi State
2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2009 college football season. Mississippi State has been a member of the Southeastern Conference since the league's inception in 1932, and has participated in that conference's Western Division...
on November 28 in the Egg Bowl at Starkville
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
, 41–27. Ole Miss was picked to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic
2010 Cotton Bowl Classic
The 2010 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys, representing Oklahoma State University, from the Big 12 Conference and the Ole Miss Rebels, representing the University of Mississippi, from the Southeastern Conference that took...
for the second year in a row, where they defeated Oklahoma State
2009 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
The 2009 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma State University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Cowboys, led by 5th year head coach Mike Gundy, played their home games at Boone Pickens Stadium...
, 21–7, to end the 2009 season.