After months of hearing about an ongoing NCAA investigation and weeks of hearing about former coach Hugh Freeze making calls to escort services, the Ole Miss Rebels finally have something to celebrate.
Kickoff.
Ole Miss opens its football season Saturday night by hosting South Alabama in a game that will be televised by ESPNU. It is the first contest for the Rebels since a disastrous 55-20 loss to Mississippi State closed their once-promising 2016 season with a 5-7 record, and it's their first game with interim coach Matt Luke.
"I think the energy in the building has been tangible," Luke said Wednesday. "It's all been building toward this first game. I'm just excited that the players are finally getting to focus on doing what they came here to do, which is to play football."
Luke joins Georgia's Kirby Smart and Missouri's Barry Odom as current Southeastern Conference football coaches guiding their alma maters, and his love for the Rebels occurred shortly after birth. His father, Tommy, was a defensive back for Johnny Vaught's standout teams of the 1960s, while older brother Tom quarterbacked Billy Brewer's Rebels from 1989 to 1991.
After his days attending Ole Miss games wearing his brother's No. 17 jersey, Matt Luke became a four-year center for Tommy Tuberville's Rebels from 1995 to 1998 and later an Ole Miss assistant for David Cutcliffe and Freeze. He had been co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach when he was tabbed to replace Freeze last month.
There is a third generation of Luke players at Ole Miss. Cale, a fifth-year senior receiver who also plays on special teams, is Tom's son.
"That's going to be one of my biggest challenges - keeping my emotions in check - because it will be very emotional, and it will be very exciting," Luke said. "This is something that I've been dreaming about my whole life, and to have a chance to lead the team that you played for and that you grew up watching is going to be special.
"The preparation that we have and me being an effective and efficient head coach is going to be more important than the emotions, so I'm going to have to keep my emotions in check and make quality in-game decisions."
South Alabama, which opened last season with a 21-20 upset of Mississippi State in Starkville, is the first of 12 opportunities for the Rebels, who are playing this season with a self-imposed bowl ban.
"I think the kids are locked in," Luke said.
Pasquali's Pix
» Florida vs. Michigan: Which coaching offseason would you rather experience - taking a trip to Italy or having to suspend 10 players and answering for some naked guy of adequate girth on top of a shark? Wolverines 26, Gators 17.
» Appalachian State at Georgia: And so it begins - year two of Smart "turning a battleship" that won 50 games in Mark Richt's final five years. Bulldogs 34, Mountaineers 13.
» Vanderbilt at MTSU: The Commodores lead the all-time series 14-3, but it feels closer than that. Commodores 37, Blue Raiders 32.
» Georgia Southern at Auburn: The once-potent Eagles plummeted late last season, losing to Georgia State and avoiding invitations to play Calhoun and Dalton. Tigers 45, Eagles 14.
» Alabama vs. Florida State: The Greatest Opener of All Time does include a team that has yielded 30 or more points seven times in its past 14 games. Crimson Tide 33, Seminoles 20.
» LSU vs. BYU: It was a decade ago when the Tigers won their second national championship in five seasons. I wonder if their fans knew then that their coach now would be Ed Orgeron. Tigers 20, Cougars 13.
» Texas A&M at UCLA: With Kevin Sumlin's Aggies having closed last year with five losses in seven games and with Jim Mora coming off a 4-8 debacle, has there ever been a Hot Seat Bowl so early in a season? Bruins 35, Aggies 28.
» Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee: There is clearly a shifting of power in the SEC, with Alabama having lost last season's national championship and Tennessee having won last season's life championship. Volunteers 31, Yellow Jackets 24.
Last season's recap:
Winners.....Lots
Bama OCs..2
Historical note: Pasquali's Pix made its debut in 1996 but was overshadowed by college football's implementation of overtime.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.