Can Houston Nutt Survive the Season at Ole Miss?

There were many questions about Houston Nutt's job status coming into the 2011 college football season.  Nobody was happy after a 4-8 season; that included fans, alums, players, and administration.

Nutt failed to help his job security Saturday in a 30-7 loss to Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

“I’m just real disappointed, very disappointed because I know we’re better than that,” a dejected Nutt said.

Scoreless midway through the second quarter, the Rebels allowed Vanderbilt to pull away with 21 points inside the final six minutes before halftime. The Commodores (3-0) now have won five of the last seven games in this series.

The Rebels looked far from sharp with five turnovers, six penalties and a bevy of missed tackles.

If there was just one aspect of the game the Rebels needed improvement in that would be one things.  The problem is Ole Miss isn't doing anything well.

The Rebels showed a lack of discipline with four false start penalties by three different offensive linemen. Center A.J. Hawkins also sailed a snap high over Mackey’s head early in the third quarter, leading to a safety when Jeff Scott kicked it through the end zone.

Nutt said he was most disappointed in the offense after a good week of practice. He even got senior running back Brandon Bolden back from a hairline fracture in his left ankle in the opening loss to BYU. Bolden ran eight times for 39 yards, though not nearly enough.

To Nutt's credit, he didn't sugar coat the situation.  “We could never get anything in synch, could never get anything going offensively,” Nutt said. “That’s what was frustrating. Just looked bad, looked really bad.”

It doesn't get any easier for the Rebels in the coming weeks.  The first four SEC opponents on the schedule are Georgia, Alabama, Arkanssas, and Auburn.  At 2-6, can Nutt keep his job?

NCAA Women's Tennis Regionals at Georgia Tech

Four teams competing at Georgia Tech in the NCAA Women's Tennis Regionals today at Georgia Tech.  Good tennis and exciting matches.  The Arizona State/Ole Miss match went down to the wire as Jacqueline Cako of ASU defeated Connor Vogel of Miss. in a 3+ hour match when the teams were tied at 3-3.

Here are some pictures from today's early action.

Connor Vogel of Ole Miss

The Bill Moore Tennis Center at Georgia Tech

Jacqueline Cako of ASUOne one point in the first set, Cako ran to get a drop shot hit by her opponent and she slid into and through the net, somehow escaping injury.

Ole Miss Picks Rebel Black Bear...Not Admiral Ackbar

According to The Clarion-Ledger, the Rebel Mascot Selection Committee announced Thursday that the Rebel Black Bear will be the school's new mascot.

The Rebel Black Bear was selected after an online vote held over the past week between the bear, the Rebel Land Shark and the Rebel Hotty Toddy.  Others thought that Star Wars character Admiral Ackbar should be the mascot choice since he led the Rebel Alliance.

The bear will replace Colonel Reb, the goateed Southern gentleman banished from the sidelines nearly seven years ago as part of the school's effort to distance itself from symbols of the old South.

In 1997, Ole Miss ended the waving of Confederate flags at sporting events. Last year, the band stopped playing a fight song to discourage the fan chant, "The South will rise again."