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October started with a bye week, which gave us 2 weeks to get ready for a return to SEC play. The Rebels were showing up at Sanford Stadium, with a 1-4 record. We were 4-0 and sitting at #6 in the polls. Steve Sloan, the former Alabama QB, was running the Ole Miss program and they were coming off back-to-back losses to Tulane and S. Miss.

I had some fun with Rebel QB John Fourcade that week, heading into our match-up. We first met during the summer of 1977, when we both attended a Hertz #1 banquet in New York, which recognized the top athlete in each state. John was a Cajun from New Orleans and represented Louisiana. I was being honored as the Georgia athlete. He was a talker. We all had heard about how good he was, by the time that weekend ended. I thought he was funny. Marcus Allen laughed at him too. We kept in touch in college.

Anyway, I called John early in the week and told him that Jimmy Payne and Eddie Weaver had a bet on who would hit him the most come Saturday. I went on and on about how “Meat Cleaver” was obsessed with getting him. And that Eddie was just killing the scout team QB that was wearing Fourcade’s #1 jersey. For the first time, I heard silence on the other end of the phone. He was buying it. I told Lindsay and some of the guys. We joked about that the rest of the week.

During the pre-game warm-ups, I got a quick moment with him. Fourcade told me they had warned referee Robert Aillet about Weaver’s plan to slam him. I never laughed so hard, before a game. I immediately went over and told Lindsay that he had already complained to the officials. We laughed together.

Ole Miss had some big issues on defense that season. They just couldn’t stop the run, which was a bad formula against us obviously. On offense, they had some nice pieces. Fourcade could make plays. Ken Toler was a solid WR. Buford McGee was a talented RB, who went on to play in the NFL.

Herschel was coming off that ankle sprain against TCU and got some rest during the off week. Our plan was to run it against these guys. But that was the plan every week. Herschel didn’t start, but came in on the 2nd series. Still, he wasn’t 100%. Barry Young and Carnie “Poochie” Norris got most of the reps.

Ole Miss won the toss and took the ball. On the first 3rd down play, Weaver beat his man and chased Fourcade out of the pocket. Payne also came in and delivered a big hit on John. The crowd went crazy and he got up slowly. The game was on. The tone was set.

Woerner took the first punt back 45 yards to the Ole Miss 42. But Barry Young fumbled at their 20. Next series for Ole Miss, Payne sacked Fourcade. That’s when John started in on his O-Line. Chastising them for allowing Payne and Weaver to hit him.

We got on the board on our 3rd series. On 3 and 17 at the Rebels 25, I hit Amp Arnold on a deep out for the first down. We settled for a Rex Robinson FG. It was 3-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. Fourcade was feeling the heat and forced one down the middle that got picked off by Bob Kelly. A series later, he snuck a glance at “Meat Cleaver” at the LOS and then, fumbled the snap. Weaver recovered.

On the first play, after the turnover, Haffner called a deep shot and we cashed in. It was a play-action, with Lindsay, Norris and Amp running go routes. I went to the wide side and Amp, who caught it in stride for a 34 yard TD reception. It was 10-0.

We got it back before the half and Amp broke off a long run on a slot reverse. Poochie got it on a lead play and went for 41 yards to the Rebel 17. Couple of plays later, we were in the end zone and had a 17-0 lead.

Fourcade got chased by Payne on the Rebels next series and forced one down the middle that got intercepted by Jeff Hipp. We took over with :19 seconds left in the half at our 42. And man, did I screw up here.

Haffner sent in the old throw it deep play…with the hope one of our guys could bring it down. But the rebels were playing prevent defense. The DBs were backed off and back-peddling at the snap. Stupid me tried to dump it off on a RB swing route. Rebel DE James Otis, who was an All-SEC player, was hidden behind Nat Hudson and he reached out, snagged it, and took off for the end zone. He took it to the house. Suddenly, it was 17-7 at the half. Haffner chewed me out at halftime, in front of the offense.

“What the ____ are you doing, Belue? That play is designed to be thrown downfield.” Haffner wasn’t done. “Quit playing your own game and do what you’re ____ supposed to do.”

I took it. I was thinking about responding with an explanation, but decided to keep my mouth shut. He was right. I should have hung it up deep. I was thinking Carnie could catch it and run for 30 yards, which would set up Rex for a FG attempt. Not. Stupid decision by me.

Fourcade drove them 72 yards for a 3rd quarter TD, which cut the lead to 17-14. And that’s where we stood heading into the 4th. Erk’s defense turned up the heat to put these guys away. Weaver got a kill shot on Fourcade, on a pass play where the Rebel O-line let “Meat Cleaver” come through unblocked. John went off, after Weaver drove him into the ground. Payne got to him next. The next play, Dale Williams stepped in front of a deep crossing route and picked it off.

“Poochie” was in at RB and he ripped off a few runs, as we drove to the Rebel 1. I jumped over and broke the plane and scored on a 1 yard sneak. We went for two, and I hit Charles Junior for the two-point conversion. We led 28-14, with 6:00 to go.

Ole Miss was in hurry up mode at this point. And our pass rush was about to bring some more heat. Payne got to Fourcade on a 3rd and 19 pass play and put him in a bear hug. The whistle blew about the same time Weaver grabbed him and body slammed him to the ground, which resulted in a 15 yard personal foul penalty and a Rebel 1st down. Fourcade was hurting, but he responded with some nice throws. He hit WR Ken Toler for a TD on 4th and 10, from our 13 yard line. It was 28-21, with 1:38 to go.

Ole Miss almost pulled off the on-sides kick. Their man caught it off the bounce in full stride and ended up on our 40 yard line. However, the officials ruled he caught it before the ball traveled 10 yards. It was close.

But we got the call and ran out the clock for a 28-21 win.

Fourcade and I got to talk for a few minutes after the game on the field. I told him that call I made earlier in the week was a joke. He refused to buy it. “Those 2 guys almost killed me out there today,” he said. I laughed again.

Erk’s Defense was awesome again in this one. They forced Ole Miss and Fourcade into 5 turnovers. Jimmy Payne finished with 9 tackles and a couple of sacks. Weaver had 5 tackles and 2 fumble recoveries. They were on Fourcade like white on rice.

We gashed them for 283 yards rushing. Carnie “Pooche” Norris finished with 15 carries for 150 yards. Herschel carried it 10 times for 48. I was 5-11 for 88 yards, with a TD and that embarrassing interception. Lindsay didn’t get his hands on the ball once. And I felt terrible about that.

But we got it to 5-0, with Vanderbilt and Homecoming up next.