By Adam Zuvanich | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Jaylon and Jane Snead have traveled to Oxford, Miss., for every one of their son’s home games this season, and Jaylon has made it to every road game, too.

Mississippi quarterback Jevan Snead (4) looks over the LSU defense while attempting to pass in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. Ole Miss defeated LSU 31-13. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

The Sneads won’t have to travel nearly as far for their son’s last game of the season as Mississippi quarterback Jevan Snead will essentially be playing in the family’s backyard. The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, where the Rebels (8-4) will face Texas Tech (11-1) on Jan. 2, is a fairly short drive from the Sneads’ home in Stephenville.

“I’m happy for them, especially with Christmas rolling around and things like that,” Jevan Snead said in mid-December. “They don’t have to travel too far now. My dad might take some time off work before the game, and I know he’s extremely excited about it being in Dallas.”

So is Jevan Snead, who hasn’t played football in his home state in more than two years. The former Stephenville High School star played sparingly as a true freshman at Texas in 2006, and then he transferred to Ole Miss once it became apparent that then-redshirt freshman Colt McCoy had locked up the starting job for the Longhorns.

In the Cotton Bowl, Snead also will go head-to-head with another Dallas-area product, Tech quarterback Graham Harrell of Ennis.

“It’s an extremely good feeling to make it to a bowl this year, especially one so close to my home,” Snead said. “… It makes it that much better that (Harrell’s) from the same area. I’m excited about playing against him and looking forward to meeting him.”

Playing in the Cotton Bowl figures to be a rewarding experience for the Rebels – who endured losing, bowl-less seasons each of the last four years – and it’s especially gratifying for their sophomore quarterback. Snead had to sit out last season per NCAA transfer rules, but this year he emerged as one of the leading signal callers in the Southeastern Conference.

Snead passed for 2,470 yards and 23 touchdowns with only 12 interceptions during the regular season – ranking among the top three in the SEC in yards, TDs and passing efficiency – and he engineered road wins over then-No. 18 Louisiana State and then-No. 4 Florida, which will play for the BCS national championship.

“I think everything happens for a reason and everything works out in the end,” Snead said of leaving Texas. “I think, so far, things have worked out great for me.”

First-year Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Snead has “gotten better and better” as the season has progressed, and receiver/tailback Dexter McCluster said the rest of the Rebels’ offensive players “feed off him and his presence.”

“Without him,” All-American left tackle Michael Oher said, “we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Snead admits he was a little rusty after spending a year on the sideline, but Nutt said he’s gradually improved in terms of decision-making, passing accuracy and leadership. Snead threw 10 interceptions in the first seven games – including four in a home loss to Vanderbilt – but he was picked off only twice during the Rebels’ five-game winning streak to close the regular season.

Snead said he still has plenty to work on and plenty to learn, but according to Nutt, he’s already the SEC’s third-best quarterback behind 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida and Georgia’s Matthew Stafford.

When asked if he’s excited about having Snead for possibly two more years as he tries to build the Ole Miss program, Nutt said, “There’s no doubt about it.”

“He’s going to be something special in the future, a very special player,” Oher said. “I’m looking for him to be a Heisman candidate one day.”

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2009 Cotton Bowl – Ole Miss vs Texas Tech, Jan. 2., 1 p.m., Dallas