Ole Miss to Honor Eli Manning, 2003 Football Team vs. LSU

The Cotton Bowl and co-SEC West Champions will be honored on Saturday.

Eli Manning and company are returning to Oxford.

The 2003 Ole Miss Rebels football team will be honored by the university on Saturday when the Rebels host the LSU Tigers in the annual Magnolia Bowl. According to an Ole Miss spokesperson, the festivities include some private team events and the group being honored at halftime on Saturday.

The 2003 Rebels were coached by David Cutcliffe and finished ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll. Ole Miss was named co-SEC West Champion that season, but it missed out on a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game due to losing a tiebreaker (and a game) to, ironically, these same LSU Tigers. 

Ole Miss was also led by legendary quarterback Eli Manning and names like wide receivers Mike Espy and Chris Collins as well as linebacker Von Hutchins.

Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning during the 2003 season. Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics. 

The Rebels' season started off somewhat unceremoniously, picking up wins over Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Monroe but dropping games to Memphis and Texas Tech. After the .500 start to the campaign, Ole Miss rattled off six straight wins, including road victories at Florida and Auburn before dropping a home date with LSU 17-14.

Ole Miss would go on to blow out Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl 31-0 and capture a win 31-28 over Oklahoma State in the SBC Cotton Bowl. 

The Rebels and Tigers are set to kick off at 5 p.m. CT at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday night, and the game will be televised on ESPN.