Ole Miss football great Kayo Dottley stole a line from Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom when he heard the news his alma mater had fired head coach Ed Orgeron Saturday morning.

“Christmas came early for me,” said Dottley, one of the most prolific running backs in Rebels’ history and only one of two Rebels to rush for at least 1,000 yards in two seasons. “I hate to say it, but I am so glad to get rid of that guy. I’m ecstatic.”

Despite believing he would return for a fourth season, Orgeron was fired after a three-year tenure that saw the Rebels win 10 games and lose 25. This season, the team went winless in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1982, capping the winless conference season with a shocking loss to Mississippi State on Friday.

One call in particular is what local Rebel supporters and former players will remember most.

The Rebels had dominated Mississippi State for more than three quarters, holding a 14-0 lead with 10 minutes, 5 seconds to play.

On a fourth down and 1 yard to go with 10 minutes, 5 seconds left in the game, Orgeron elected to go for it instead of punting. Mississippi State, which hadn’t been able to move the ball all day and whose fans were silenced for most of the game, stopped the play.

“I was screaming at the television,” said Bobby Bailess, an attorney in Vicksburg. “I could not believe it. We had the momentum and everything was going our way. We had everything to lose and nothing to gain. That will be the play people remember for a long, long time.”

Dottley added, “I sat there watching ,and I said if he goes for this it may cost us the egg and could cost him his job. It was as bad a call as I have ever seen.”

The Bulldogs got possession of the ball and began their comeback, eventually winning the game on a 49-yard field goal by Adam Carlson in the closing seconds to secure the 17-14 decision.

“It’s one of those plays where you make it, you’re a genius and miss it, you’re a dummy,” said Vicksburg attorney Bobby Robinson, a player for the Rebels under coach Johnny Vaught from 1962 until 1964. “It wasn’t just one play. It seemed like the whole season the talent wasn’t getting used.”

Orgeron said before Friday’s game that Ole Miss officials had guaranteed him of a fourth season, but Saturday morning he met with athletic director Pete Boone and Chancellor Robert Khayat.

“Chancellor Khayat and I thanked him for his tremendous work ethic, the energy and the commitment he gave Ole Miss,” Boone said at a morning news conference. “Coach Orgeron has made strides in many areas as a head coach, but after a total assessment of the year, we believe the program needs to move in a different direction to accomplish the goals of Ole Miss football.”

Through three seasons, Orgeron led the Rebels to 10 wins and 25 losses.

“I hate it for Ole Miss,” said Vicksburg resident Johnny Mims, who played baseball and graduated from the school a generation after his father, the late Crawford Mims, played football there. “It will be a setback for the program getting another coach in here, but in the long run they’ll be better off making the change.”

Orgeron came to Ole Miss in December 2004 after a seven-year stint as an assistant coach at Southern California. He brought unbridled enthusiasm and a promise to deliver a winning football team. It never happened.

“Coach Orgeron was a tireless worker and in spite of the poor results, I noticed his teams never quit,” Vicksburg businessman and Ole Miss alum Steven Haik said. “I believe that is a testament to his good character. I can see why some believe he should be terminated, however. I found myself pulling for him to personally succeed as much as I was pulling for Ole Miss to succeed.”

Ole Miss won three games his first year, then won four in 2006. This season, Ole Miss went 0-8 in the Southeastern Conference and the three wins came against teams with a combined record of 16 wins and 18 losses.

“I’m for Ole Miss, not Coach Orgeron, but for Ole Miss,” said Dottley, who played for Ole Miss from 1947 until 1950 and ranked third all-time in rushing yards with 2,654. “I gave him all the chances I could, but there was something really lacking in him. I didn’t think he was good with the alumni, not good for the players and not a very good football coach.

“I’m happy Ole Miss made the decision, and I back them 100 percent. Anything I can do to help, I will.”