Looking back: Assessing the 120-year history of Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt

Most fans may not realize it, but the Ole Miss-Vanderbilt football rivalry is one of the oldest in SEC history, dating back 120 years to the first-ever meeting between the two schools in 1894. At that time, the SEC was still 38 years from its inception, and college football as a whole was still in its infancy. Vanderbilt won that game in 1894 by a final score of 40-0.

The two teams have met 87 times throughout history, and Saturday will bring the 88th installment of this historic, but under-celebrated, SEC rivalry. Ole Miss is favored by more than 20 points in this weekend’s contest, but it is actually Vanderbilt that has won this game six of the last nine years dating back to 2005.

Let’s hop in the SDS time machine and take a look back at this longstanding SEC rivalry:

• Ole Miss leads the all-time series with a record of 48-37-2.
• However, the Commodores have a winning record when the game is played in either Oxford or Memphis (20-19) while Ole Miss holds a distinct edge when the game is played in Nashville (27-15-2). The teams split four matchups between one another in Jackson, Mississippi.
• After winning the first game in series history, the Commodores reeled off 18 straight wins over Ole Miss from 1894-1938 before the Rebels finally won their first game in series history in 1939.
• Ole Miss’ longest winning streak in the history of the rivalry came from 1953-1963, during which time the Rebels won 10 games in a row. After the two teams tied in 1964, Ole Miss won seven more games in a row from 1965-1973.
• Vanderbilt registered the widest margin of victory in series history, topping the Rebels 91-0 in 1915. Ole Miss’ biggest win in the history of the rivalry came in 1961, with the Rebels topping Vandy 47-0.
• The infamous Chucky Mullins hit, which left Mullins paralyzed and inspired the Ole Miss community in the aftermath of the tragedy, came in the 1989 edition of the rivalry. Mullins suffered a broken neck after hitting Vanderbilt fullback Brad Gaines just shy of the goal line, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down before he eventually passed away due to complications from the injury.

In case you forgot, Ole Miss rallied to top Vanderbilt 39-35 last season on a 75-yard touchdown run by the Rebels’ Jeff Scott with just 1:07 left on the clock.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.