“The ball is on the 50 , the down is third and 10, he runs it down the sideline. Yeah, Archie takes it in. He plays for the Ole Miss Rebels, best dadburn quarterback to ever play the game…. “
That was the coronation of Archie Manning’s 1969 football season. Lamont Wilson, a postal clerk in Magnolia, Mississippi, took the tune of Johnny Cash’s "Folsom Prison Blues" and created "The Ballad of Archie Who." The record sold 35,000 copies in the first weeks, and that was the beginning of the love affair that has lasted 50 years between Archie Manning and the state of Mississippi. There was more as Archie Who? buttons, Archie’s Army buttons, and just plain Archie buttons sold like wildfire throughout the football-crazed state.
Archie’s journey to becoming a folk hero began in September of 1968. "I was very excited because I was going to be the first sophomore to ever start at quarterback for Coach (John) Vaught,” said Manning from his office in New Orleans. Vaught saw a gem in Manning and even said in sports articles written in 1968 that Manning was the best quarterback prospect he had ever had. Archie did not disappoint in 1968 as he led the Rebels over Alabama for the first time ever and also led Ole Miss to a thrilling last second win in Baton Rouge over LSU. The Rebels finished that season with a 7-3-1 record and a Liberty Bowl win over Virginia Tech.
THE 1969 SEASON
“We were picked to compete for the SEC title in 1969 because we had 16 starters returning,” Manning said. “We opened with a win over Memphis State (28-3), but then in consecutive weeks we lost two one-point games. We were upset by Kentucky (10-9) in week two, and then we lost a very emotional contest to Alabama (33-32). We should have won the Kentucky game, but Coach Vaught played it close to the vest. We ran power football that night, and that was not our game. We were saving everything for Alabama the next week, and it cost us,” said Manning. Kentucky won only two games that season.
NEXT UP BAMA AND THE BEAR
“The Alabama game was going to be the first college football game ever televised at night on national television,” Manning said. “We were so excited to be part of that TV game," stated Manning, who set four SEC records in that 33-32 loss to Alabama. He passed for 446 yards, which was an SEC record at the time, and ran for another 104 yards. Manning’s total offense of 540 yards that October night set a record that was not broken for 43 years. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel surpassed that total in 2012. "It was a high scoring game, which was unusual for the SEC in 1969. I would have to say that was the best game I ever had," said Manning.
Manning played so well that night against Alabama that he was named the National Offensive Player of the Week. The next week, Ole Miss received over 5,000 letters from across the country praising Archie and the Rebels.
DEFENDING SEC CHAMPS
The week after the Alabama loss, Ole Miss was facing defending SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs. Ole Miss was trailing No. 6 Georgia late in the second period, when Archie went down with an injury. He was gang tackled on the play and hit his head. He was taken to the dressing room, and had no recollection of the first half. He was iced down and came back midday through the third period and led Ole Miss to a comeback 25-17 win over the undefeated Bulldogs.
The following week, the Rebels ripped Southern Mississippi, 69-7, to up their mark to 3-2. The Houston Cougars, who would finish the season at 9-2, ran all over the Rebels the following week. “They may have been the best team I played against at Ole Miss. They were talented and fast,” said Manning. Houston whipped the Rebels, 25-11, in the Astrodome.
TIGERS SEASON RUINED
Ole Miss was then facing another Top 10 and undefeated team in sixth-ranked LSU in Jackson. Archie ran for three scores, passed for another and ran a two-point conversion as the Rebels came from behind to stun the LSU Tigers, 26-23. So the Rebels improved to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play. LSU ended the season (9-1) and was left out of the bowl picture.
Ole Miss tuned up for Tennessee with a 21-0 win over Chattanooga.
“JACKSON MASSACRE”
A revenge game against No. 3 Tennessee (7-0) was next on the schedule for the Rebels (5-3). Ole Miss jumped out to a 21-0 first period lead and never looked back in winning, 38-0. Tennessee linebacker Steve Kiner made some unflattering remarks about the Rebels' play the year before, and some how the remarks were posted in the Ole Miss locker room the week of the game. Kiner even referred to Archie as “Archie Who?” It was the worst loss for Tennessee in 46 years. “Everything we did was right that day. It was our day,” said Manning.
The Rebels were invited to the Sugar Bowl after the Tennessee game, but under one condition. They would have to beat rival Mississippi State. They rose to the challenge, defeating the Bulldogs, 48-22.
”Most of our guys were from Mississippi and we all grew up watching Ole Miss and Coach Vaught's teams going to the Sugar Bowl. Getting to go was a real thrill. We had a great time beating a very good Arkansas team, and I was lucky enough to win the MVP of the game,” added Manning. The 27-22 win over No. 2 Arkansas was the Rebels’ fourth win over a top-10 team that season. They ended the season ranked 8th in the final polls.
“That ‘69 season could very well have been my best year ever in football,” Manning said. "It was one of the most enjoyable years. It marked the 100th year of college football, which was pretty special,” added Manning.
