2014 Ole Miss Rebels football team

The 2014 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Hugh Freeze, in his third season with Ole Miss. The Rebels played their home games at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

2014 Ole Miss Rebels football
Peach Bowl vs. TCU, L 3–42
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Western Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 19
AP	No. 17
2014 record	1–4, 8 wins vacated (0–3 SEC, 5 wins vacated)
Head coach	Hugh Freeze (3rd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Matt Luke (3rd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Dan Werner (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Co-defensive coordinator	Dave Wommack (3rd season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Jason Jones (2nd season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Captain	Game captains
Home stadium	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium (Capacity: 60,580)

2014 Southeastern Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 14 Missouri x		7	–	1					11	–	3
No. 9 Georgia		6	–	2					10	–	3
Florida		4	–	4					7	–	5
Tennessee		3	–	5					7	–	6
South Carolina		3	–	5					7	–	6
Kentucky		2	–	6					5	–	7
Vanderbilt		0	–	8					3	–	9
Western Division
No. 4 Alabama x$^		7	–	1					12	–	2
No. 11 Mississippi State		6	–	2					10	–	3
No. 17 Ole Miss		5	–	3					9	–	4
No. 22 Auburn		4	–	4					8	–	5
LSU		4	–	4					8	–	5
Texas A&M		3	–	5					8	–	5
Arkansas		2	–	6					7	–	6
Championship: Alabama 42, Missouri 13
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The Rebels won the first seven games of the season, their best start since the Johnny Vaught era. By October, they had risen as high as third in the nation, the highest they had been ranked at that late date in over half a century. However, the team ended their season losing four of their six last games, including a season-ending 42-3 loss to TCU in the Peach Bowl, their first major bowl appearance since the 1970 Sugar Bowl, and easily the biggest bowl game they had attended since Vaught's tenure. They finished the season as only the sixth Ole Miss team to win nine or more games since Vaught retired in 1973.

On February 11, 2019 Ole Miss announced the vacation of all wins in the years 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2016. In 2013, all wins except the Music City Bowl were vacated. In 2014, all wins except the Presbyterian game were vacated.[1]

Before the season

National award watch lists

• Outland - Laremy Tunsil
• Maxwell - Chad Kelly
• Unitas Golden Arm - Bo Wallace
• Manning - Bo Wallace
• O'Brien - Bo Wallace
• Lombardi - Robert Nkemdiche
• Nagurski - Robert Nkemdiche
• Outland - Robert Nkemdiche
• Camp - Cody Prewitt
• Bednarik - Cody Prewitt
• Thorpe - Cody Prewitt
• Biletnikoff - Laquon Treadwell
• Camp - Cody Prewitt
• Bednarik - Cody Prewitt
• Mackey - Evan Engram
• CLASS - Deterrian Shackelford

Preseason All-America

• S Cody Prewitt
  • Sports Illustrated, Phil Steele, Lindy's (1st team)
• OL Laremy Tunsil
  • Sporting News, USA Today (1st team)
• DL Robert Nkemdiche
  • Athlon, USA Today (2nd team)
• WR Laquon Treadwell
  • Athlon (3rd team)
• TE Evan Engram
  • Sporting News (3rd team)

Preseason All-SEC

• S Cody Prewitt
  • Media, Coaches, Athlon, USA Today, Phil Steele, Lindy's (1st team)
• OL Laremy Tunsil
  • Media, Coaches, Athlon, USA Today, Lindy's (1st team)
• DL Robert Nkemdiche
  • Media, Coaches, Athlon, Phil Steele (1st team)
• WR Laquon Treadwell
  • Athlon, USA Today (1st team)
• QB Bo Wallace
  • Coaches, Athlon, Phil Steele, Lindy's (2nd team)
• S Tony Conner
  • Media, Coaches, Athlon, Phil Steele, Lindy's (2nd team)
• LB Serderius Bryant
  • Phil Steele, Lindy's (2nd team)
• OL Aaron Moris
  • Athlon (2nd team)
• LB Denzel Nkemdiche
  • Media (2nd team)
• DL C.J. Johnson
  • Lindy's (3rd team)
• TE Evan Engram
  • Athlon (3rd team)

Returning starters

Offense Player Class Position Bo Wallace Senior QB Laquon Treadwell Sophomore WR Jaylen Walton Junior RB Evan Engram Sophomore TE Laremy Tunsil Sophomore OL Justin Bell Junior OL Defense Player Class Position Robert Nkemdiche Sophomore DL Byron Bennett Senior DL Woodrow Hamilton Senior DL Serderius Bryant Senior LB Tony Conner Sophomore S Cody Prewitt Senior S Trae Elston Junior S Senquez Golson Senior CB Mike Hilton Senior CB Special teams Player Class Position Will Denny Senior LS Personnel Coaching staff Name Position Year at Ole Miss Alma mater (Year) Hugh Freeze Head Coach 3rd Southern Miss (1992) Matt Luke Assistant Head Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line 3rd Ole Miss (2000) Dan Werner Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks 3rd Western Michigan (1983) Maurice Harris Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator For Offense 3rd Arkansas State (1998) Grant Heard Wide Receivers 3rd Ole Miss (2001) Derrick Nix Running Backs 7th Southern Miss (2002) Jason Jones Co-Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks 2nd Alabama (2001) Dave Wommack Associate Head Coach for Defense/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties 3rd Missouri Southern State (1978) Tom Allen Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers 3rd Maranatha Baptist (1992) Chris Kiffin Defensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator For Defense 3rd Colorado State (2005) Paul Jackson Head Strength & Conditioning Coach 3rd Montclair State (2006) Source:[2] Roster Official team roster Depth chart Depth chart Schedule Ole Miss played their first two games out of state vs. Boise State and Vanderbilt. Both games were played at NFL stadiums. The Boise State game was considered a neutral site while the Vandy game was a home game for Vanderbilt. Due to conference realignment, Ole Miss played at Vanderbilt for the second consecutive year. Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance August 28 8:00 p.m. vs. Boise State* No. 18 Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game) ESPN W 35–13 (vacated) 32,823 September 6 3:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt No. 15 LP Field Nashville, TN (rivalry) ESPN W 41–3 (vacated) 43,260 September 13 3:00 p.m. Louisiana–Lafayette* No. 14 Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS SECN W 56–15 (vacated) 60,937 September 27 6:30 p.m. Memphis* No. 10 Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (rivalry) SECRN W 24–3 (vacated) 61,291 October 4 2:30 p.m. No. 3 Alabama No. 11 Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (rivalry) (College GameDay) CBS W 23–17 (vacated) 61,826 October 11 8:00 p.m. at No. 14 Texas A&M No. 3 Kyle Field College Station, TX ESPN W 35–20 (vacated) 110,633 October 18 6:00 p.m. Tennessee No. 3 Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS ESPN W 34–3 (vacated) 62,081 October 25 6:15 p.m. at No. 24 LSU No. 3 Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA (Magnolia Bowl) (College GameDay) ESPN L 7–10 102,321 November 1 7:00 p.m. No. 3 Auburn No. 4 Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (rivalry) ESPN L 31–35 62,090 November 8 11:00 a.m. Presbyterian* No. 11 Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS SECN W 48–0 60,546 November 22 2:30 p.m. at Arkansas No. 8 Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR (rivalry) CBS L 0–30 64,510 November 29 2:30 p.m. No. 4 Mississippi State No. 19 Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (Egg Bowl) CBS W 31–17 (vacated) 62,058 December 31 11:30 a.m. vs. No. 6 TCU* No. 9 Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA (Peach Bowl) ESPN L 3–42 65,706 *Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and College Football Playoff poll beginning Oct 28 released prior to game All times are in Central time Schedule Source:[3] Rankings Further information: 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes. Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Final  AP 19 15 14 10 10 11 3 3 (3) 3 (3) 7 12 10 8 18 13 9 17  Coaches 18 17 15 12 11 11 4 3 (5) 3 (4) 9 13 10 8 19 14 12 19  CFP Not released 4 11 10 8 19 12 9 Not released Game summaries Boise State Boise State vs. #18 Ole Miss Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game 1 2 3 4 Total Boise St 0 3 3 7 13 • Ole Miss 7 0 0 28 35 Date: August 28 Location: Georgia Dome Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 32,823 Game weather: Indoors (dome) Television network: ESPN Scoring summary Q1 :57 MISS Core 30 yard pass from Wallace (Fletcher kick) MISS 7–0 Q2 7:58 BSU Goodale 25 yard field goal MISS 7–3 Q3 1:02 BSU Goodale 43 yard field goal MISS 7–6 Q4 12:26 MISS Treadwell 14 yard pass from Wallace (Fletcher kick) MISS 14–6 Q4 10:05 MISS Adeboyejo 31 yard pass from Wallace (Fletcher kick) MISS 21–6 Q4 7:45 MISS Core 76 yard pass from Wallace (Fletcher kick) MISS 28–6 Q4 4:26 BSU Ajayi 8 yard pass from Hedrick (Goodale kick) MISS 28–13 Q4 2:50 MISS Dodson 19 yard run (Fletcher kick) MISS 35–13 [4] Vanderbilt #15 Ole Miss at Vanderbilt 1 2 3 4 Total • Ole Miss 10 10 21 0 41 Vanderbilt 0 0 0 3 3 Date: September 6 Location: LP Field Game start: 4:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 43,260 Television network: ESPN Scoring summary Q1 10:28 MISS Walton 20 yard run (Fletcher kick) MISS 7–0 Q1 3:06 MISS Fletcher 31 yard field goal MISS 10–0 Q2 9:19 MISS Fletcher 25 yard field goal MISS 13–0 Q2 4:42 MISS Core 20 yard pass from Wallace (Fletcher kick) MISS 20–0 Q3 14:10 MISS Coleman 39 yard interception return (Fletcher kick) MISS 27–0 Q3 9:29 MISS Mathers 2 yard run (Fletcher kick) MISS 34–0 Q3 3:02 MISS Kincade 2 yard run (Fletcher kick) MISS 41–0 Q4 10:23 VAN Openshaw 26 yard field goal MISS 41–3 [5] Louisiana-Lafayette Memphis Alabama 1 2 3 4 Total Alabama 0 14 3 0 17 • Ole Miss 3 0 7 13 23 Date: October 4 Location: Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Game start: 3:30 p.m. EST TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson Scoring summary Q1 13:17 MISS Wunderlich 46 yard field goal MISS 3–0 Q2 3:44 ALA Sims 1 yard run (Griffith kick) ALA 7–3 Q2 0:42 ALA C. Jones 17 yard fumble return (Griffith kick) ALA 14–3 Q3 7:20 MISS Treadwell 14 yard pass from Wallace (Wunderlich kick) ALA 14–10 Q3 3:54 ALA Griffith 44 yard field goal ALA 17–10 Q4 5:29 MISS Sanders 34 yard pass from Wallace (Wunderlich kick) Tie 17–17 Q4 2:54 MISS Walton 10 yard pass from Wallace (kick blocked) MISS 23–17 [6] College GameDay and Katy Perry in attendance Texas A&M Tennessee LSU Auburn Presbyterian Arkansas Mississippi State Peach Bowl References Parham, Chase (February 11, 2019). "Ole Miss vacates more than 30 wins over a span of six seasons". Rivals. Retrieved February 11, 2019. "Football Coaching Staff". Ole Miss Athletics. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2014. "2014 Ole Miss Rebels Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved December 30, 2013. ESPN. Retrieved 2015-May-16. ESPN. Retrieved 2015-May-18. ESPN. Retrieved 2015-Sep-17.