OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi coach Houston Nutt allowed himself a few hours of anguish over Tuesday’s news that quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s waiver request to play immediately was denied by the NCAA.
But by Wednesday’s practice, there was no more time for despair. Ready or not, Nathan Stanley’s time has arrived.
“He knows the playbook, he’s got a spring under his belt and he’s played in the Cotton Bowl,” Nutt said. “He’s going to be all right.”
The lanky 6-foot-5, 215-pound sophomore from Tahlequah, Okla., completed 11 of 23 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception last season as Jevan Snead’s backup, but remains largely untested in game situations.
Most of Stanley’s playing time was during blowouts against lesser opponents, but he did see extended action against Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl after Snead left the game because of an injury.
Nutt said Stanley played well in both spring practice and preseason camp, leaving little worry about how he’ll perform on Saturday against Jacksonville State in Oxford.
Stanley, who is in his third year with the program after redshirting in 2008, isn’t the only one on the Mississippi offense who doesn’t have much experience. The Rebels’ will likely use eight new starters on Saturday while trying to replace their leading rusher and leading receiver from last season.
“I’ve become really comfortable making my reads and finding the open receiver,” Stanley said. “The game’s difference of course. Things move fast. But I’m ready.”
Another option is junior college transfer Randall Mackey, who threw for 3,122 yards, rushed for 579 yards and accounted for 37 touchdowns last season at East Mississippi Community College. He doesn’t know the offense as well as Stanley, but he’s able to make more plays with his running ability.
Mackey could be useful in the offense’s “Wild Rebel” formation, a Nutt concoction that features mostly option plays, reverses and misdirection. It relies on the quarterback’s ability to make good decisions and gain yardage on the ground.
Nutt expects Mackey to play against Jacksonville State, though he wasn’t sure how much.
“He can do just about everything,” Nutt said. “He’s really come on.”
Mackey said the NCAA’s ruling on Masoli was tough on the team, but there wasn’t any time to be upset with a game just days away. Stanley and Mackey are the only two scholarship quarterbacks left on the roster.
“It’s down to me and Nate so we’ve got to move on,” Mackey said. “That’s part of football. We know we’ve got the guys to do the job right.”
Masoli, who transferred from Oregon, was ruled ineligible for the 2010 season after his request to waive a one-year residency requirement was denied by the NCAA. The school appealed, with a decision due in the next week.
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Comments » 14
TommyJack writes:
Fact: Ole Miss got hosed by NCAA. I've got no dog in the fight, but a hosing is a hosing.
VOLliven2it writes:
One thought: Mazoli took a chance at playing around with the NCAA situation. We have seen time and again that the NCAA changes rules, uses different formulas for how they approach rules depending on who is in question. Part of me agrees with TommyJack. They set up a scenario and it appears Ole Miss and Mazoli played by the rules only to be deemed ineligible. Another part of me says the young man is about out of chances and maybe this, if it stands, will make him prove how badly he wants to play and make a difference for the Miss. team. Were they hosed? Probably so, but we have no impact on the decision, only opinions. I sure wish there was someone or some group who had legitimate say regarding the mighty NCAA.
VOLliven2it writes:
PS. I know his name is Masoli and meant no disrespect by putting a z in there.
MemphoVol writes:
I have no problem with the decision made by the NCAA, but to wait until 4 days before the first game to announce their decision is not fair to Masoli or Ole Miss.
CoverOrange writes:
The fact that he was not athletically eligible at Oregon may have been the key reason.
westennvol writes:
Masoli is a thug, that being said, Ole miss did get the shaft w/ NCAA. This organization changes the rules at any time to suit themselves....
CoverOrange writes:
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/p...
Excerpt: In its decision, the NCAA staff noted Masoli was unable to participate at Oregon based on his dismissal from the team, which is contrary to the intent of the waiver opportunity. The waiver process exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer to pursue graduate studies for academic reasons. The staff reasoned that the intent was not for student-athletes to avoid disciplinary measures at another university.
OwensboroVol writes:
The NCAA preaches that the sports players are "STUDENT-ATHLETES". Here is a kid who regardless of any other problems he has had, did graduate and receive his bachelor's degree. A Success story for the NCAA and their stated purpose of graduating athletes. One problem for them in this case, the kid has one year of eligibility remaining. Since he is no longer wanted at Oregon, He looks around to find a school which has a graduate program which Oregon does not offer. He decides on Ole Miss. No problem, the NCAA, from what I admit is limited research, has never really turned a Athlete down on this because he is a success story for them. Now I don't know what this kid has done, but he really upset either someone at Oregon or inside the NCAA who decided they were going to make an example of him. Well they did, the example to all you NCAA Athletes out there is don't waste your time going to class and eventually getting a Degree, because there will be some pencil pushing idiot out there who is going to excerpt what little power he has, or bask in his 15 minutes of fame, to screw you. THANK YOU NCAA for showing our student athletes the support you give them when they do things the right way.
JWilly writes:
I posted this earlier on another thread:
I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, it does not feel right that someone can get suspended from one program and then just transfer to another program and not miss a beat. On the other hand, as I understand it, the whole thing at Oregon was a team and institutional matter, not the NCAA's. Masoli got himself suspended for getting himself thrown in the clink and for lying to his coach, he did not break any NCAA rules. So fundamentally, what the NCAA is doing here is enforcing Oregon's rules. After all, Oregon could have suspended him for a game or two then allowed him back and the NCAA would have no problem with that. Happens all the time. Another thing to me is, if something is wrong, it is wrong, period. Players get booted from teams all the time (think of Periloux, NuKeese and Newton) and either transfer to a junior college or to a lower level school and play immediately. If the NCAA does not want a suspended player to be eligible immediately at a D1 school, then why is it OK to be eligible immediately at another NCAA level? Why do they not have to sit out a year there? I know I am a paranoid Southerner but I strongly suspect that if the roles had been reversed in this case; Masoli suspended form Ole Miss then transferred to Oregon...I think the NCAA might have been a bit more forgiving.
Volfantm writes:
The appeal may work because it looks like the NCAA is trying to use a rule that applies to getting dismissed from school and in this case, he was dismissed from the team but had graduated. We'll see. Interesting article on his arrest record on SI.com a little while back.
ThirdWeekNOct writes:
If it helps us get a W in November, I'm not complaining.
Stinks for them, great for us.
GBO
Lizardgrad89 writes:
Dont you have to be in good standing with your old university to transfer to a new university under this rule? It would only make sense, since this involves moving to a new school for the purpose of obtaining a Master's degree.
Masoli had been arrested multiple times, and so might not have been in good standing as a student, as well as tossed from the fball team.
JWilly writes:
Being in "good standing" involves academic and financial issues, not these issues (although, the other records would certainly be available to the new institution). Also, when you apply for and enter graduate school you are essentially starting the whole process over. It's not transferring from one undergrad institution to another undergrad institution.
SIMSVOL writes:
Masoli can't bypass his Oregon eviciton by going to Ole Miss without a year out of the game. NCAA made the right call - would've made a mockery of the rule had they gone the other way. Good call. and the replay will come out the same.
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