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During the game, when much of the crowd moves to the stadium, police checked coolers that were left unattended and unlocked, pouring out gallons of beer and liquor.

"If it's unattended, it's open for anybody to drink," said one police officer who identified himself as Officer Lee. "We're trying to keep it out of kids' hands."

Some applauded the new measures.

"Everybody's nice today," said James H. Robinson, of Grenada. "Used to, you'd come in here and see all kinds of drunk people." He said in the past years he's often seen children and young adults stealing alcohol from unattended tents.

Some Mizzou fans learned that beer is illegal only after boarding the game day shuttle.

"I was just trying to be hospitable," said one.

A woman from Augusta, Ga., watched police confiscating other people's beer and said, "To me, that's going into someone's private property."

"They're going to go into some prominent alumnus' cooler, and all hell's going to break loose," her husband added.

Bubba Lindseay of Somerville, Tenn., took it in stride when he returned from the game and found his party's beer and liquor poured out.

"Whatever," he said with a shrug. "As long as they left our food, we're happy."

Ole Miss freshman Brooke Barnett of Tupelo said the county-imposed beer ban didn't necessarily make sense.

"We should be able to drink beer before we can drink harder stuff."

Smoking 'em out

Smoke was less evident among tailgaters Saturday, days after Ole Miss restricted tobacco use to 30 designated spots on campus, but it wasn't absent.

"I was surprised I couldn't smoke out here," said Rob Snell of St. Louis, who had been enjoying a cigar in the Grove before he was informed it was off-limits.

Others were defiant.

"I don't give a damn," said Chris Steiner of Oxford, who puffed a stogie in the Grove. "I just smoke on special occasions, and this is a special occasion."

Score not in

Ole Miss police can't release figures on Saturday's arrests and incidents until Monday or Tuesday, and Oxford's Saturday arrest figures were not available at press time. Oxford Police Chief Mike Martin said, however, that Friday night seemed fairly quiet for a home game weekend at Ole Miss.

"Friday nights are usually heavier than Saturday nights," he said after Saturday's game. "We'll hope for a peaceful night tonight, but we're ready."

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