{"id":17949,"date":"2014-10-30T15:07:32","date_gmt":"2014-10-30T20:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=17949"},"modified":"2015-11-12T17:23:12","modified_gmt":"2015-11-12T22:23:12","slug":"if-they-dont-score-they-cant-beat-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/if-they-dont-score-they-cant-beat-you\/","title":{"rendered":"If They Don’t Score, They Can’t Beat You"},"content":{"rendered":"

W\"CarverRayburnLocalAthleticsColHdr\"<\/a>hile standing on the LSU<\/strong> sideline as a high school sophomore in 1956, Louis Guy<\/strong> found himself pulling for the visiting team to win. That\u2019s when he knew.<\/span><\/p>\n

The visiting team? Johnny Vaught<\/strong>\u2019s Ole Miss Rebels<\/strong>. The Rebels won that game, 46\u201317. Guy would eventually sign with Ole Miss in 1959.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Guy0002\"<\/a>Over the next four years, Ole Miss would lose just three games. The McComb, Mississippi<\/strong> native was co-captain of the 1962 10\u20130 Ole Miss Rebels\u2014the last team to achieve an undefeated season. The team was named National Champions by three different polling services and still remains the only team in the school\u2019s history to achieve an undefeated and untied season.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf they can\u2019t score they can\u2019t beat you,\u201d Guy said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Very simple. Straight forward. Very true.<\/span><\/p>\n

That 1962 squad yielded an average of just 5.2 points per game. The 2014 team is holding opponents to just 10 points per game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vaught\u2019s philosophy during the stretch of Ole Miss dominance was to beat them with your defense. Don\u2019t turn the ball over, and take few risks on offense. He would even punt on third down if he was inside his own 50, believing he minimized the chances for the other team to score by not turning the ball over in their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Guy_Louis_ActionMSU1962\"<\/a>While punting on third down may not fly with Head Coach Hugh Freeze<\/strong> and staff, the sentiments of the idea are echoed in this year\u2019s Landshark Defense<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can tell from our play calling that we\u2019re comfortable as long as the defense is playing like they are,\u201d Freeze said after the recent game against Tennessee. \u201cWe\u2019re very cautious at times. You have to figure if we can score 17\u201320 points then we have a chance to win a lot of games with the way we\u2019re playing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Guy still holds the record for the longest interception return for a touchdown with a 100 yard score against Tennessee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was watching their quarterback and he was looking for me before that play,\u201d the retired orthodontist said. \u201cHe made a fake hand off and tried to throw to the flat. I was waiting and just jumped on the chance. There was no way they were going to catch me. After the touchdown, Vaught grabbed me and said, \u2018God Bless You, Son.\u2019 We went up 14\u20130 after that touchdown.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Damn the Torpedoes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"meredithstatue\"<\/a>What was so incredible about that 1962 squad was the way they won. The campus at Ole Miss was in chaos amid riots following the admittance of African-American James Meredith<\/strong>. Federal Troops had taken over the practice fields. Home games were moved to Jackson. Still, the Mighty Rebels marched on.<\/span><\/p>\n

ESPN talks about distractions for teams nowadays that are limited to media hype and disciplinary problems. Imagine a tear gassed campus in the midst of a war. Talk about overcoming adversity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI remember a crowd started to gather around the Lyceum, mostly out-of-towners and non-students that had heard on the radio what was going on,\u201d Guy said. \u201cThe troops came in, a tear gas canister was fired, and chaos ensued.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Guy_Louis_Mug\"<\/a>In the aftermath of the riots, rumors began to make their way back to the football team.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was speculation that the school might close, or that the season might be cancelled,\u201d Guy said. \u201cWe became a very close group, that football team. We pretty much stayed in the dorms if we were not in class or at practice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a testament to the times that the football team continued. The people rallied around Vaught\u2019s Rebels and Ole Miss began to heal. The troops remained on campus the rest of the semester, occupying the Rebels practice field.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe practiced in the stadium,\u201d Guy recalled. \u201cI don\u2019t ever remember that many people watching us practice. I would look up and see lots of troops in the stadium, watching us practice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"LewisGuy-ChampionshipRing-2\"<\/a>
Louis Guy\u2019s National Championship Rings. Photograph by Carver Rayburn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some 51 years later, the football gods are smiling on the Mighty Mississippi Rebels again. Ole Miss enters its next two games against SEC powers LSU and Auburn, while holding true to the defensive effort put forth by Guy and company in 1962.<\/span><\/p>\n

Guy is amazed at the job head coach Hugh Freeze has done with this group of Rebels.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you think about it, Freeze has only had two full years of recruiting to install his system,\u201d Guy said. \u201cIt\u2019s a trademark of excellence what they are doing. It\u2019s special. Not only the way he handles himself, but [his] focus on helping these kids become better players, students, and people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Guys said that Vaught surrounded himself with a relentless staff and Freeze has done the same. Vaught used a process that his entire staff believed in and bought into, much like Freeze, Guy said.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Ole Miss enters its final stretch of the 2014 season, Guy plans to be there to cheer on his alma mater.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Billy Ray (Adams) have a house just off the square in Oxford,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will be there for the Auburn game.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2014, the Ole Miss legends are still as enthusiastic about Ole Miss Football as they were on the sidelines at Tiger Stadium in 1956.<\/span><\/p>\n

If they don\u2019t score, they can\u2019t beat you. \"The<\/a>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"LewisGuy-ChampionshipRing-1\"<\/a>
Louis Guy\u2019s National Championship Ring. Photograph by Carver Rayburn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0–<\/span>
\nThis article was originally printed in The Local Voice #215 (published October 23, 2014).<\/span>
\nTo download the PDF of this issue, click here.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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