Sept. 29, 2012

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TV: ESPN | Ole Miss Radio Network (Sirius 94, XM 200)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Ole Miss (3-1) opens up conference play in Tuscaloosa today against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0 SEC).

The Rebels are fresh off of a 39-0 victory over the Tulane Green Wave in New Orleans last Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Running back Jeff Scott, who missed the first game of the season with back problems, has come back and helped the Rebel offense in a big way. He averages more than 89 yards per game and helps the Rebels rank 11th nationally in rushing yards and 24th nationally in total offense, placing them first and third in the SEC, respectively.

Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze has been pleasantly surprised, enjoying the running game his offense has produced thus far.

"I'd say I'm surprised, if you go back to spring ball and you look at where we are now," said Freeze. "Coach (Matt) Luke has done a great job of getting the kids we have better."

Alabama is coming off a 40-7 victory over Florida Atlantic and seems to be on a roll heading into the thick of the season. Already defeating the likes of Michigan and Arkansas by a combined score of 93-14, the Crimson Tide bring a powerful offense and strong defense to every game.

Quarterback AJ McCarron has accumulated 819 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions, while the Tide defense has allowed only 21 points in four games, averaging only 185 total yards against per contest.

"Coach (Nick) Saban and his staff do a phenomenal job," said Freeze. "The thing you don't see is they just don't get out of position. It is very, very rare. They're just not giving up big plays. They're always in position and very fundamentally sound."

Quarterback Bo Wallace and the Rebel offense will face one of their toughest challenges of the season in Alabama, and hope to continue putting the ball in the end zone. Wallace has accounted for 54 points thus far, placing him tied for seventh in the SEC.

The Rebels' 147 points in four games have been the most at this point in the season since Eli Manning helped put up 162 points through four contests in 2003, also the last season that included a victory over Alabama.

This marks the 60th meeting between the Rebels and Crimson Tide, with kickoff set at 8:15 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN.