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With just three games remaining in the regular season, Ole Miss is very much alive in the race for the SEC crown. Should they win out, they would find themselves playing for the conference title in Atlanta for the first time ever.
“The only promise I would make is that we would be competitive and be relevant in the Southeastern Conference, and we are,” said Coach Hugh Freeze at Monday morning’s press conference. “We’re not going away. Would I like to have some games over? Absolutely. But we’re right in the thick of things, which I think is what the Ole Miss people wanted a few years back.”
“If we’re flying under the radar, that’s great. I like that better, probably.”
After a couple of mid-season hiccups against Florida and Memphis, Hugh Freeze credits a couple of coaching adjustments with getting the Rebs back on the right track. Namely, he has spent more time with the defense, choosing to simplify the defensive playbook while Co-Offensive Coordinator Dan Werner handles most of the offense’s playcalling.
“Schematically, we really just cut down a lot,” explained Freeze. “We really started cutting down, and making sure our kids understood exactly what we want to run. It’s not complicated. Focus on your task. We’ve played really good defense for the past two games. “
This defense was particularly effective last week at Auburn. The Tigers did have seven “explosive plays” which padded their stats with another 240 yards. However, Freeze was pleased with his team’s defensive effort on critical 3rd-and-4th downs, holding Auburn to 2-for-17 in converting those chances. On offense, Freeze recognized the need for “more production on the scoreboard,” saying that the Rebels’ 560 yards “didn’t equate to the points [they] should have had.”
Both units will be tested by an Arkansas team that Freeze described as “playing their best football of the year.”
“[Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema] does something right in building his team as the year goes on,” said Freeze. “Losing some difficult games early on, sometimes, can rattle you. It doesn’t seem to have fazed them.”
Offensively, the Razorbacks employ an unusually heavy set, making defenses commit to guarding the traditional box. Of particular note this year is the success of Razorback QB Brandon Allen, who has accumulated 2034 yards through the air, and whose 157.6 QBR leads all conference starters. Defensively, Freeze described the Razorbacks as “not a big mystery,” but that they are “super well-coached in their technique.”
“Their defense makes you go the length of the field without making a mistake,” Freeze noted. “They’ve given up very few explosive plays. That’s just the way they’re built.”
The Rebels will be tasked with playing their tenth consecutive game without a bye week. Despite employing a more physical approach to weekly practices midway through the season, Coach Freeze acknowledged that his team is “about as healthy as [they’ve] been in a long time right now.”
“Love being back home,” he added. “We need our fans to show up in a big way. We need a little extra energy from Rebel Nation.”
“It’ll be an SEC fistfight.”
Ole Miss will host Arkansas at 2:30 pm on Saturday, November 7. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
Derrick Jones and Chad Kelly connected for a 45 yard TD in the 3rd quarter against Auburn on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/LiVCu048rS
— The Local Voice (@TheLocalVoice) November 2, 2015
