Spurlock still locked into lineup despite rough start

By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Sept. 6, 2004
OXFORD In the first start of his career on Saturday, Ole Miss quarterback Micheal Spurlock played like well, like a quarterback starting his first game.
The player that head coach David Cutcliffe said five days earlier was "not that type of person who typically gets nervous" never looked comfortable on Saturday, completing just 11-of-31 passes for 182 yards in the Rebels' 20-13 loss to Memphis.
Even Cutcliffe, one of the most reserved coaches in the Southeastern Conference, quickly admitted that Spurlock has a long way to go.
Teammates defended Spurlock's lackluster debut as a starter, but even running back Vashon Pearson said Spurlock was disappointing.
Developing an inexperienced quarterback like Spurlock, who played in just his third career game on Saturday, will take time. Pearson said the best way to help the newcomer is for the Rebels to improve their rushing attack, which produced a meager 58 yards against Memphis.
Despite disappointing final numbers, Spurlock showed flashes of potential on Saturday. He completed consecutive passes of 31 and 43 yards during the third quarter. And during a second-quarter drive, Spurlock guided the Rebels from their own 13-yard line to the Memphis 29 by completing 3-of-3 passes for 30 yards and rushing for 11 more yards.
That drive ended when Spurlock threw three straight incompletions.
But Cutcliffe insisted that he will stick with Spurlock unless back-ups Robert Lane and Ethan Flatt give him reason to do otherwise.