By By Joey Vaughn / special to The Star
Nov. 5, 2002
OXFORD Ole Miss may have lost its third straight game Saturday, but the way it happened, losing by seven points instead of 20 or more, gave Rebel coach David Cutcliffe something positive to talk about at his Monday press conference.
Ole Miss fell to Auburn 31-24, but had a comeback going until Eli Manning threw an interception in the end zone with 1:32 left to go.
Things don't get any easier for Ole Miss in the next two games, road trips to Southeastern Conference division leaders Georgia and LSU. A three-game losing streak hasn't been any fun for Cutcliffe and his players, but it's nothing a win wouldn't cure.
Georgia's loss to Florida last Saturday, its first of the season, could have the Bulldogs hot to get back in the winning column when Ole Miss visits
Saturday. The Rebels are heavy underdogs, a position they've been forced to get used to more and more lately.
Losing streak or not, giving up will never be an option for Rebel players this year, Cutcliffe said.
Injuries
Ole Miss didn't suffer any major injuries against Auburn, a trend that hasn't held up for much of this season.
Sanford had three carries for nine yards against Auburn. For the season, he has carried the ball only six times.
Senior running back Robert Williams, the teams leading rusher with 307 yards, didn't play against Auburn. Williams has played in only five of Ole Miss' games. Cutcliffe said Williams is still questionable for the Georgia game.