Powe Making Noise At Combine

Jerrell Powe spent the weekend taking in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and today he put his skills to the test in the workout portion of the event. Early reports are positive, including one that had the former Rebel running a 5.2 in the 40-yard dash. Powe's trip included meetings with the Chiefs, Broncos and Ravens, and he has plans to speak with the Raiders and Dolphins. Pro Football Weekly had a good article this weekend on the two-time All-SEC nose tackle.

Presley Focused On Finding Role With MLB's Pirates

Former Rebel outfielder Alex Presley was called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates last year to make the sixth Rebel to jump into the Majors in the last five years. The outfielder recently sat down with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette to talk about his future with the Pirates and his outlook on how to make himself a valuable part of the Pittsburgh club.

Presley Looking Toward Future With Pirates

Coliseum Rain: Cause and Future Prevention

The following is the University Physical Plant’s evaluation of the cause and future prevention concerning rainwater entering Tad Smith Coliseum during Thursday night’s women’s basketball game. It should be noted that there was a complete roof replacement that was finished in November 2009.

What occurred?
Rainwater entered from the dampers located in the cupola area of the Coliseum. In the best interests of the student athletes’ safety, the entering rainwater caused suspension and subsequent cancellation of a women's basketball game. The water entering the building was described as a light sprinkle and at no time were there gushes or streams.

What meteorological conditions were present during the event?
Straight-line winds gusting to 45 mph and driving rain were present and directly contributed to the in-leakage of water onto the arena playing surface.

How many dampers are there on top of the coliseum?
There are 24 pneumatic dampers on the circumference of the cupola on the roof of the Coliseum. The University Physical Plant and Athletics departments had anticipated this type of unacceptable failure and had taken steps to mitigate its undesirable effects. Notably, before the men's Kentucky game a few weeks ago, the dampers were actually screwed shut.

What purpose do the dampers play?
The dampers are in place to allow for ventilation of the Coliseum. These dampers work in conjunction with the outdoor air intake system of the air handlers at the Coliseum. Normally, when the air handlers are running they pull in outside air. The dampers in the cupola act as relief dampers to prevent over pressurizing the Coliseum. The Coliseum is presently under a slight negative pressure, meaning the air is flowing into the building from the outside.

Why did the dampers allow water to pass through?
The dampers are the original components of the air ventilation system of the Coliseum. These dampers were never intended to be airtight and are not a deterrent to blowing rain. Rain carried by wind of sufficient velocity will push through the damper assemblies. Thursday evening's heavy rain and high winds allowed water to follow the path of least resistance.

How is the University going to prevent this from occurring again?
With the help of an engineer and possibly an architect, the Physical Plant will begin working through Facilities Planning to develop a proposed long-term solution to this issue.

Taking Notice Of The Nation's Best Free Throw Shooter

In the midst of his spectacular senior season, Chris Warren is leading the nation in free throw percentage (a sparkling 94.6 percent as of today).

And people are taking notice.

Warren's free-throw shooting prowess has been featured during games on ESPN and on local radio shows and in local newspapers.

Today, the Birmingham News took notice and profiled Warren, who is on pace to shatter the SEC record for free throw percentage and place his name among the very best in several other categories.

Click the link below to read Doug Segrest's story at AL.com.

Ole Miss' Chris Warren Mr. Automatic at the free throw line

A Q&A With LPGA Tour Rookie Dori Carter

Former Ole Miss All-American Dori Carter is getting ready for her debut on the LPGA Tour. Golf Digest recently sat down with the Valdosta, Ga., native for a Q&A with the rookie. Click here to read the article.

Former Staffers At New Jobs

A pair of former Ole Miss assistant football coaches moved into head coaching positions this offseason, as Hugh Freeze took over at Arkansas State and Ron Dickerson, Jr., grabbed the reins at Gardner Webb. They are just two of many ex-Rebel staff members that have surfaced with new teams this winter. Here are a few of the names on that list (years at Ole Miss in parenthesis):

Scott Bennett (1988-89) - Marshall head strength and conditioning coach
Maurice Harris (2006) - Arkansas State tight ends coach
Grant Heard (2005-06) - Arkansas State quarterbacks coach/ passing-game coordinator
Marion Hobby (1999-2004) - Clemson defensive ends coach
Art Kehoe (2006-07) - Miami offensive line coach
Ryan Nielson (2005-07) - NIU defensive line coach
Joe Pannunzio (1995-98) - Alabama director of football operations
Rick Petri (1989-91, 99-2004) - Duke defensive line coach
Tracy Rocker (2008) - Tennessee Titans defensive line coach
David Saunders (1999-2002, 06, 10) - Louisiana Lafayette cornerbacks coach/ recruiting coordinator

Powe A Draft Sleeper

ESPN.com draft analyst Steve Muench highlighted some mid-round linemen that "could develop into valuable contributors in the right situation." Our own Jerrell Powe was listed among three sleepers on the defensive side, saying:

Powe doesn't project as a productive interior pass rusher and he tends to wear down over the course of a game, so the team that drafts him will have to limit his role or improve his conditioning. Powe also needs to play with better pad level and improve his ability to get off blocks, but he has the quick first step, low center of gravity (6-foot-2) and bulk (320 pounds) teams covet at nose tackle. He rarely gives ground in one-on-one situations and can anchor against double teams when he stays low.

The Washington Redskins have to improve a run defense that finished 26th in the league in yards per game, and even if Albert Haynesworth remains in Washington he can't be counted on at nose tackle after the way he played in 2010. Drafting Powe in the fifth round would bring some youth and competition to a group that will likely be bolstered with free-agent signings as well.

Fear The Beard

In case you missed it, check out a good read by Kyle Veazey in Wednesday's Clarion Ledger on Chris Warren and the phenomenon of his facial hair.

A Hall Of Fame Staff

Members of the 16th-ranked Ole Miss women's tennis team can now say they play for two Hall of Fame coaches.

Head coach Mark Beyers became the youngest ever inductee into his alma mater's (Armstrong Atlantic State) Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998, and now assistant coach Jason Ontog will become the seventh former Mocs men's tennis player to be inducted into the Chattanooga Athletics Hall of Fame Friday night.

Ontog is one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of Chattanooga Tennis. He was the 2000 SoCon Freshman of the Year and followed that up with player of the year honors in 2001. Click here to read more about Ontog and his career at Chattanooga.


Jason Ontog

The Rebels are currently in Seattle getting ready to face 23rd-ranked Washington Friday at 3 p.m. CT. and 40th-ranked St. Mary's Saturday at 3 p.m.

Wallace Shines In Super Bowl

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell just short of their ultimate goal on Super Sunday, but it wasn't for a lack of production from Mike Wallace. The former Rebel had a great game on the big stage, and if you missed my tweets last night, here are a few notes on his performance:

- Posted team highs of nine catches and 89 receiving yards.
- Scored the first touchdown by a Rebel in Super Bowl history (see below). Eli Manning tossed TD passes in XLII but did not score.
- Became third Rebel to catch a pass in Super Bowl, joining TEs Wesley Walls (San Francisco, XXIV) and Kris Mangum (Carolina, XXXVIII) who each caught 1 pass.
- Made the 23rd appearance by a Rebel in the Super Bowl and is 19th different player.
- Rebels drop to 13-10 all-time in Super Bowls. Manning is the only victorious Rebel in the last eight appearances.

Powe Raises Draft Stock

It's Super Sunday, a day that almost every member of our football team dreams of someday being on the field for. Departing Rebel Jerrell Powe certainly improved his prospects for a future Super Bowl this past week at the NFLPA all-star game (formerly Texas vs. The Nation) in San Antonio. The Sporting News listed Powe as the player that most helped his draft stock, saying:

After being snubbed by the Senior Bowl committee because of a paperwork error, Powe came to San Antonio with even more incentive to prove his value as an elite nose tackle prospect. His play tailed off in '10 after a dominant junior season, but this week he again proved he has the quickness, agility, athleticism, power and competitiveness to be a good NFL starter. With good pre-draft workouts, he'll fully regain his second-round draft stock.

NFLDraftBible.com also listed Powe as a winner from the NFLPA game, noting:

Powe’s strength at the point of attack and arsenal of moves were continually on display throughout the week, but Saturday’s game revealed how quick the former Rebel can be off the snap. Late in the third quarter, the 320-pound interior lineman exploded past a helpless Daniel Kilgore and sacked Tyler Yates. Powe’s versatility to beat opponents with power, quickness and technique will certainly help him during the weekend of the draft.

Powe will have another chance to showout for the scouts at the NFL Combine February 23 – March 1 in Indianapolis. He and fellow defensive lineman Kentrell Lockett received invites, although Lockett is seeking a sixth year of eligibility.

Tricky Wallace Ready For Super Sunday

In just two days, former Rebel Mike Wallace will play on sports' biggest stage. As we wrote about on the main site last week, Wallace had a monster year for the Steelers, and this week he has been the topic of countless articles as a potential differencemaker in the Super Bowl. His status as no longer a "one-trick" pony drew ink from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Kansas City Star Telegram and the North Jersey Record. Rick Cleveland also had a great feature on Wallace in today's Clarion Ledger. Below is an interview with Mike from Sports790 in Houston.

Warren, Rebels Make National Headline Splash

After last night's thrilling 71-69 win over 10th-ranked Kentucky, Ole Miss was the No. 1 national sports story. Chris Warren's deep 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left was the Top Play on SportsCenter, while Reginald Buckner's dunk and block prowess was tabbed No. 3 on Top Plays.

The Rebels were splashed across the front pages of ESPN.com, SI.com and CBSSports.com, among others.

Check out these highlights!





Here are some of the links from Ole Miss' first win over a top-10 team since beating No. 6 Alabama in 2002.

SportsCenter Highlight of the Night
Recap by CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish
Recap by Memphis Commercial Appeal's Ron Higgins
Recap by Jackson Clarion-Ledger's Kyle Veazey
Recap by Tupelo Daily Journal's Parrish Alford
OleMissSports.com Postgame Coverage