By Staff
Nov. 24, 2000
By Colby Dickson/The Meridian Star
OXFORD Ole Miss quarterback Romaro Miller became the all-time career leader in passing yards with a 12-yard completion to fullback Charles Stackhouse in the first quarter of Thursday night's Egg Bowl.
Miller entered the game tied with former Rebel standout Kent Austin (1981-85) at the top of the chart with 6,184 yards. Miller now holds the record alone with 6,311 yards.
Miller also became the second player to have two seasons of at least 2,000 yards of total offense. He finished the 2000 season with 2,099 yards of total offense. Miller had 2,306 yards of total offense as a sophomore in 1998. John Fourcade (1978-81) was the first Rebel to accomplish the feat of recording two seasons of more than 2,000 yards of total offense (2,299 in 1980; 2,014 in 1979).
Senior RB Deuce McAllister broke the Ole Miss single-season TD record with a 1-yard run in the second quarter. The record which was previously 14 TDs held by Kayo Dottley and Archie Manning is now 17 TDs in a season after the Deuce scored three TDs Thursday.
With his 72-yard TD run in the third quarter, McAllister became the first player in Ole Miss' history to rush for 3,000 career yards. McAllister finished his career atop the Ole Miss career rushing list with 3,060 yards. McAllister's 72-yard run is tied for the 20th longest rushing play in Ole Miss history since 1933. McAllister is tied with A.J. Holloway for the 20th spot.
Halloway had a 72-yard rush against Mississippi State in 1960, but did not score on the run.
With his three touchdowns Thursday, McAllister now holds the single-season scoring record with 102 points, passing Archie Manning's 86 points in 1969.
McAllister continued to be perfect passing the ball in his career. McAllister is now 3-for-3 passing in his career after his 28-yard TD pass to Miller in the third quarter. He was 2-for-2 passing in the 1999 season.
The 75 points combined scored in Thursday's game is a record in the overall series and the Egg Bowl series. The previous record was 72 points scored between the two teams in the 1985 encounter (a 45-27 Ole Miss victory).
The 2000 seniors are the first four-year senior class to record four straight winning seasons since the 1956 class did so.
The 2000 class is only the fourth in the post-World War II era to accomplish the feat of four straight winning seasons. The 1954 and 1955 senior classes also had four straight winning seasons. Freshmen were ineligible from 1954-72.
Ole Miss is now 8-4-1 versus Mississippi State in Thanksgiving Day Egg Bowl battles 12-8-1 all-time against the Bulldogs on Thanksgiving.
Colby Dickson is a sports correspondent for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at cwdickson@olemiss.edu.