Vassallo: Worst Loss in Ole Miss Football History?

Football commentary by HottyToddy.com contributor Steve Vassallo.
I’m not referring to this past Saturday night, but I’m referring to another “L” that occurred in Baton Rouge some 55 years ago.
We all know what occurred that infamous evening, however, I never knew the “rest of the story” until Warner Alford shared it with me recently. Warner knew because he was in the locker room following the 1959 game.
Immediately after the upset by Billy Cannon and the Bengals (7-3) the Ole Miss team was quite dejected. However, the greatest coach in college football history (John H. Vaught) would have “none” of the despair that reigned in the room that night. “We’ll see these guys again in the Sugar Bowl”, said Coach Vaught, matter of factly! Indeed they did! The next meeting Ole Miss wore LSU out (21-0), a game Tiger fans would just as well forget. The 21-0 ass whuppin was important because it gave Ole Miss a National Championship!

The reason we just took that spin down memory lane is due to the 3-point loss we suffered Saturday night. Could history be repeating itself right in front of our blinding eyes? We will get the first hint Saturday night when Tigers II come calling. This time the deafening noise will be directed at the opposition, not our team!
I firmly believe that Hugh Freeze is the 2014 version of the great one….John H. Vaught.( Before anyone begins laughing as to how I described Coach Vaught above, they might want to postpone that response until they read “the story” following this season.) Coach Freeze now controls this team’s destiny which for the most part will be played out in Oxford, save Fayetteville. This Ole Miss team has both heart and talent galore, just like Warner and his 1959 teammates.
This has been the most exciting season in over 50 years and despite the Saturday loss in Baton Rouge, it continues to be! No one should get discouraged or depressed, at least not this week. The “best is yet to come” and it’s coming here in only five days. Stay thirsty my friends and Hotty Toddy to our Auburn friends!
Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. In addition, he is a certified economic and community developer and currently, a highly successful leader in the real estate business with Premier Properties of Oxford. Steve’s lifelong dream has been to live in Oxford full-time. “I am now living my dream daily as is my wife Rosie, who works with the Oxford Chamber of Commerce,” Steve said. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.