Not many men can move a spirit like Nutt can.

Last Saturday Louisiana high school senior football player Floyd Raven verbally committed to Ole Miss.

Neal McCready of RebelSports.net reported of Raven’s recruitment by Ole Miss:

Floyd Raven loved his experience at Ole Miss’ elite camp in June.

Ole Miss loved him back. The Rebels’ staff, wowed by his performance against top wide receivers such as Nick Brassell and Donte Moncrief, not only offered him a scholarship on the spot but also made him a priority.

Raven loved the time at Ole Miss so much, in fact, that he very nearly committed to the Rebels on the spot.

So, what took so long for Raven to commit?

Raven to RebelGrove.com:

“To be honest, with me being a black male, I wanted to see everything for myself. That’s why I was slow to commit. When I got here (Friday), it was the total opposite of what I heard. My girlfriend, mom and everyone totally loved it.”

What did being a “black male” have to do with committing to Ole Miss? Read more…

At his weekly media presser in Oxford, Ole Miss Coach Houston Nutt reminded us that adversity is a great teacher.

A teacher that reveals the true character of a coach in the midst of adversity.

Below are some excerpts and video of Nutt’s opening rant statement to the media on Monday.

“I just want to remind our fans of this, number one, it was just 50 years, it’s been 50 years since you won back-to-back January 1 games. 50! 50!
Read more…

Come to find out Les Miles has an official iPhone App called the “Miles Method“:

Twitter compatibility? A little buggy. Read more…

The official website of Ole Miss athletics announced Friday that Rebels quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has won his appeal against an NCAA, overturning a ruling which had previously required him to sit out a season after recently transferring from the University of Oregon:

Ole Miss quarterback Jeremiah Masoli may compete immediately, according to a decision today by the NCAA Division I Subcommittee for Legislative Relief. The subcommittee’s decision overturns the staff decision that required Masoli to sit out the 2010-2011 season.

Masoli had previously requested a waiver from the NCAA in order to use his last year of eligibility to compete for the Rebels this season - despite having obtained his undergraduate degree at Oregon.

On its official website, the NCAA confirmed the ruling reversal with the following statement: Read more…

In a recent, lengthy piece for the PORTLAND OREGONIAN, columnist Steve Duin compares the plight of Jeremiah Masoli at Ole Miss to that of civil rights pioneer James Meredith, who was the first black to enroll at the school in 1962.

After applying to Ole Miss twice and being denied both times, Meredith sued the school in 1960 for the right to be admitted. His lawsuit asserted that the only reason the all-white institution would not admit him was because he was black. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in a landmark 1961 ruling granted that Meredith had every right be admitted to the school.

Even after the SCOTUS ruling, Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett attempted to block Meredith’s entrance to Ole Miss on numerous occasions before U.S. President John Kennedy interceded - allowing for Meredith’s admittance to the school.

Meredith’s class attendance at Ole Miss sparked riots, resulting in the callup of troops from the U.S. Army, Mississippi Army National Guard and U.S. Border Patrol. Those riots left two dead, including a murdered journalist and 160 injured Army soldiers.

Despite that deadly disturbance and constant, oft-unthinkable abuse from his classmates, Meredith graduated on August 18, 1963, from Ole Miss with a degree in political science. (He had previously attended Jackson State for two years.)

By transferring to Ole Miss, Meredith made civil rights history while facing murderous resistance every step of the way. By any measure Meredith is a genuine, American hero.

After acknowledging Meredith’s profound contribution to the American civil rights movement with his admittance to Ole Miss, the Oregonian’s Duin writes of Masoli’s transfer to the same school:

Masoli’s challenge is similar in spirit if not scale. While in high school, he spent three months in a California juvenile facility for his part in an armed robbery. In his final months in Eugene, he pleaded guilty to burglarizing a UO fraternity house and was nabbed by Eugene police with marijuana in his car. Read more…

Ron Higgins of the MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL APPEAL reports today that Ole Miss football coach has confirmed that former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, “has sent Ole Miss his scholarship release papers from Oregon.”

(Masoli now shopping for a school after his dismissal)

In a text message, Nutt said that Masoli, “e-mailed us his release as I’m sure he did to several schools.”

More from Nutt: “Checking all avenues. I anticipated Jevon’s (Snead) departure (leaving school after his junior season for this past April’s NFL draft), but (Raymond) Cotton’s really puts us in a bind. Will let you know if I get serious with Masoli.”

Redshirt freshman Raymond Cotton, the Rebels’ backup quarterback, left the program last Saturday.

Masoli has graduated from Oregon but only played three years of football with the Ducks after being kicked off the team following his second arrest in six months. NCAA rules would allow for his transfer to Ole Miss with accompanying, immediate eligibility.

Though the SEC does have its own rule stating that all transfers must, “have at least two seasons of competition remaining.” Read more…

Current Ole Miss football player Kentrell Lockett Tweeted this NFL Draft and media analysis last night on his Twitter account:

(Account hacked? Katt Williams wanted for questioning.)

Lockett also provided an insightful observation about his former teammate, Jevan Snead, among other things. Read more…

Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead was blindsided by Oklahoma State Safety Markelle Martin after Snead threw an interception in the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl today in Dallas.

Snead walked off under his own power and appeared to be in good enough condition to re-enter the game at some point.

Read more…

WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge shot on-field video from the end zone of Vaught-Hemingway stadium at Oxford, MS last night clearly showing Les Miles repeatedly signaling to LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson to spike (”clock“) the ball  with :01 left against Ole Miss.

The above animation shows only one instance of Miles’ gesture. He made the same signal multiple times, sometimes with both hands, while running down the sideline.

After the game, Miles claimed he did not tell LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson to spike the ball.  Read more…