Ole Miss Football vs. Oklahoma: Series Snapshot
OXFORD, Miss. – (Release) No. 18 Ole Miss football will host Oklahoma for the first time as a member of the SEC and just the second time in the history of the programs this weekend.
We’ve taken a look at the first matchup and more connections between the Rebels and Sooners in this week’s series snapshot.
The 1999 Independence Bowl
Ole Miss and Oklahoma have met just once in the long history of the two programs in the 1999 Independence Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Romaro Miller and Deuce McAllister teamed up to propel the Rebels to a 21-3 lead at halftime. Led by current Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, the Sooners scored three second-half touchdowns to take a 25-24 lead late in the fourth quarter, but McAllister wasn’t going to let this one slip away. The star running back returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards, then started the drive with runs of 8 and 9 yards to enter OU territory. Les Binkley finished the job with a 39-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to give Ole Miss a 27-25 win in the last football game of the 20th century.
Sooners vs. SEC
Saturday’s game will be the first time that an Oklahoma football team plays a game in the state of Mississippi. Oklahoma is 47-30-1 (.603) all-time in true road games against current members of the SEC. It is 5-0 all-time on the road against SEC members at the time of competition.
Storied Programs
The Independence Bowl berth snapped a four-year bowl-less streak for Oklahoma, and the Sooners won the national title the following season and have been to a bowl game every year since. Combined, the two programs own 1,629 wins, 98 bowl appearances and 56 bowl victories. Oklahoma (31) and Ole Miss (25) rank among just 15 FBS programs with at least 25 bowl wins.
Ole Miss vs. SEC Newbies
Oklahoma’s trip to Oxford this weekend marks the first SEC contest between the two schools. Ole Miss is 2-2 in first games against new SEC opponents and it stands as one of the 10 remaining original SEC schools from 1932 alongside Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Ole Miss will eventually add a sixth game to this list when it squares off against fellow newcomer, Texas. The Rebels won their first two meetings with Arkansas and South Carolina in 1992 but lost their first SEC games against Texas A&M and Missouri in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
