House Concurrent Resolution 45

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE 2014 OLE MISS REBELS FOOTBALL TEAM FOR AN OUTSTANDING SEASON FINISHING WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 9-4 RECORD.

WHEREAS, the football program at the University of Mississippi, referred to with affection as "Ole Miss," continued the Rebels' return to prominence after Head Coach Hugh Freeze successfully inspired the 2014 Rebel team in year three as head football coach of the Rebels; and

WHEREAS, Coach Freeze's first Rebel unit finished ninth in the conference, winning three conference games and losing three others in nail biters in a 7-6 season, his second unit improved on that record with an 8-5 campaign, and his third squad improved yet again with an impressive 9-4 record; and

WHEREAS, the season began successfully for the Rebels when Coach Freeze led his team to a remarkable 7-0 start, becoming only the second Rebels team to do so along with the 1962 team that finished their season 10-0; and

WHEREAS, the 7-0 start began with a resume-building win in Atlanta, Georgia, against the Boise State University Broncos football team, who went on to win the Fiesta Bowl, and the Rebels then defeated Vanderbilt in dominating fashion in Nashville, Tennessee, before winning home games in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium against eventual bowl victors Louisiana-Lafayette University and the University of Memphis; and

WHEREAS, the signature win of the season came on a pristine October Saturday in Oxford that began with College Game Day in the Grove and the world's most popular current pop star Katy Perry picking the Rebels to win before the football team shocked the nation with a 23-17 victory against the #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, won by a late touchdown pass from Bo Wallace to Jaylen Walton and sealed with a highlight reel interception by Senquez Golson in the Rebels' end zone; and

WHEREAS, the Rebels followed that amazing win by going to College Station and dominating the Texas A & M University Aggies before a college football record crowd of over 110,000 people, and then returned home to crush the Tennessee Volunteers 34-3 in one of the most dominating defensive performances of the season; and

WHEREAS, despite losing their top two wide receivers to injury, the regular season ended in triumph as the Rebels reclaimed the Egg Bowl Trophy by convincingly defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs on national television by a score of 31-17, highlighted by a 91-yard touchdown run by Jaylen Walton and outstanding play by tight end Evan Engram; and

WHEREAS, Ole Miss was selected to participate in the Peach Bowl in the inaugural season of the College Football Playoff and Access Bowls, but they could not overcome numerous key injuries and the outstanding play of the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs, relinquishing their NCAA leading mark of 6 straight bowl wins; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize excellence, and to commend those athletic teams that bring honor to their university and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the 2014 Ole Miss Rebels Football Team and Head Coach Hugh Freeze for an outstanding season finishing with an impressive 9-4 record, and extend best wishes for continued success in all of their future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Coach Hugh Freeze, Athletic Director Ross Bjork, Chancellor Dan Jones and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.