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Stone Woods, Braden Veronie and Cruise Roberts tossed a football on the tarmac near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport’s executive terminal Tuesday night, Jan. 6, then stood with a few dozen onlookers and Fiesta Bowl committee members in welcoming Mississippi’s football team to Arizona for the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Woods, Veronie and Roberts are all Ole Miss students, Woods and Roberts from the Phoenix area and Veronie from north of Dallas. They were some of the fortunate few who got to be at Sky Harbor when the Rebels football team and staff arrived.
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“It doesn't get any better than this," Woods said. "SEC out West."
Woods predicted a 10-point win for Ole Miss, if the Rebels can "win in the trenches" and run the ball well on Miami's defensive line.
"The magic's there. Offense, play caller, everything," he said. "This is the coolest thing ever."
The three Ole Miss fans held no ill will toward former head coach Lane Kiffin for his quick exit for LSU. They all have tickets to the Fiesta Bowl, and Roberts feels there will be more Mississippi fans at State Farm Stadium than those rooting for Miami.
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"I think it was the right decision for him (Kiffin), but how he left was not the right way," Veronie said.
"We got 'Pistol Pete,' man," Roberts said of new head coach, Pete Golding, who's been in charge of the program for just over a month. "Trinidad's taking us to the promised land."
As in Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
The plane carrying Ole Miss arrived about 45 minutes later than expected, touching down in Phoenix as the sun was going down around 5:15 p.m.
As players and coaches disembarked, they walked toward buses through a receiving line of people telling them “Welcome to Arizona” and the Ole Miss athletics rallying cry “Hotty Toddy!”
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Defensive coordinator Bryan Brown has been working on two to three hours of sleep every night in preparing for Thursday night’s Fiesta Bowl against Miami. Ole Miss held its media day less than an hour after arriving in Phoenix, where Brown sat at a table with a cup of Starbucks coffee on his right.
“It's been hectic trying to get prepared for this game as well as the (transfer) portal," Brown said. "Having guys coming in and out and meetings and things of that nature and trying to find time to game plan. ... I told somebody earlier (Tuesday) I was just happy to get on that plane and get me a couple of hours sleep."
Brown tried to watch game film, but dozed off in his seat.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ole Miss students on hand at Sky Harbor for Fiesta Bowl arrival
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