The 1977 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Ken Cooper, in his fourth and final season, and played their home games at Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, the Mississippi Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi and Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of five wins and six losses (5–6 overall, 2–5 in the SEC). In 1978 their record was updated to six wins and five losses (6–5 overall, 3–4 in the SEC) after Mississippi State was forced by the NCAA to forfeit their win over the Rebels for playing an ineligible player.[1]
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 3 | Memphis State* | | | W 7–3 | 45,500 | [2] |
September 10 | at No. 6 Alabama | | | L 13–34 | 74,324 | [3] |
September 17 | No. 3 Notre Dame* | - Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
- Jackson, MS
| | W 20–13 | 48,200 | [4] |
September 24 | Southern Miss* | | | L 19–27 | 20,000 | [5] |
October 1 | at Auburn | | ABC | L 15–21 | 48,000 | [6] |
October 8 | at Georgia | | | L 13–14 | 56,200 | [7] |
October 15 | South Carolina* | - Hemingway Stadium
- Oxford, MS
| | W 17–10 | 30,100 | [8] |
October 22 | Vanderbilt | - Hemingway Stadium
- Oxford, MS (rivalry)
| | W 26–14 | 32,300 | [9] |
October 29 | LSU | - Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
- Jackson, MS (rivalry)
| ABC | L 21–28 | 46,000 | [10] |
November 12 | vs. Tennessee | | | W 43–14 | 50,259 | [11] |
November 19 | vs. Mississippi State | - Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
- Jackson, MS (Egg Bowl)
| | W 14–18 (forfeit) | 46,500 | [12] |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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Game summaries
Notre Dame
Game information
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First quarter
- MISS – Carl Langley 29-yard field goal. Ole Miss 3–0. Drive: 64 yards.
Second quarter
- ND – Jerome Heavens 2-yard run (Dave Reeve kick). Notre Dame 7–3. Drive: 8 plays.
- MISS – James Storey 10-yard pass from Bobby Garner (Carl Langley kick). Ole Miss 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards.
Fourth quarter
- ND – Dave Reeve 44-yard field goal. Tie 10–10. Drive: 5 plays
- ND – Dave Reeve 28-yard field goal, 4:53. Notre Dame 13–10. Drive:
- MISS – James Storey 10-yard pass from Tim Ellis (Carl Langley kick), 3:13. Ole Miss 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards.
- MISS – Carl Langley 27-yard field goal, 1:44. Ole Miss 20–13. Drive:
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- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
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Ole Miss gave eventual national champion Notre Dame its only loss of the season.
Roster
1977 Ole Miss Rebels football team roster
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Players
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Coaches
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Offense
Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
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QB
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David Coates
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WR
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Roy Coleman
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OL
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Chuck Commiskey
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TE
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Bill Denny
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QB
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Tim Ellis
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Sr
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WR
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Willie Foster
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QB
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Bobby Garner
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RB
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Roger Gordon
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OL
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Jimmy Hawkins
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WR
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Les Kimbrough
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QB
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Jim Lear
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RB
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20
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Leon Perry
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So
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RB
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Jarratt Price
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RB
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Tyrone Richards
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RB
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L.Q. Smith
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FB
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James Storey
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OL
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Mickey Thames
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OL
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Terrance Walker
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TE
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Curtis Weathers
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OL
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Randy White
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RB
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Freddie Lee Williams
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Defense
Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
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DL
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Charlie Cage
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LB
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Eddie Cole
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LB
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Kem Coleman
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DB
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William Day
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DB
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Al Dotson
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DB
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John Fabris
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DL
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Bob Grefseng
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DL
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Lawrence Johnson
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DB
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Gary Jones
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Brian Moreland
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DL
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Bryan Niebhur
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DL
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George Plasketes
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Special teams
Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
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K
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Carl Langley
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K
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Robin Lavinghouze
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P
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Jim Miller
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- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
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References
- ^ "Bulldogs forced to forfeit 19 football games". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. May 24, 1978. p. 19. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
- ^ "Rebels bounce Tigers 7–3". The Tennessean. September 4, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rutledge guides Alabama past Ole Miss, 34–14". Hattiesburg American. September 11, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mississippi Rebels, upsets Irish". The Indianapolis Star. September 18, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Golden Eagles blow down Ole Miss". The Clarion-Ledger. September 25, 1977. Retrieved March 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Auburn holds off Ole Miss to post 21–15 SEC victory". Tallahassee Democrat. October 2, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Georgia holds off late Ole Miss rally, 14–13". The Pensacola News-Journal. October 9, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ole Miss downs Gamecocks". The Sun-News. October 16, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ole Miss explodes in fourth quarter; beats Vandy 26–14". The Sun Herald. October 23, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "LSU outlasts Ole Miss to take victory". The Greenwood Commonwealth. October 30, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Reb blitzkreig humbles Vols". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 13, 1977. Retrieved May 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bulldogs weather early storm and post victory over Rebels". The Commercial Appeal. November 20, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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