AUSTIN, Texas — Saturday’s 44-23 victory for No. 25 Ole Miss over former national powerhouse Texas in Austin has head coach Hugh Freeze’s program taking a step in the right direction. However, Freeze believes there is a lot more in store for his team and the program as a whole.
“I think it’s too early,” Freeze said concerning where the program is after the game as opposed to before. “We’re better than we were when I got here. We’ve won five games in a row right now. Our kids have some confidence, but we still make a lot of mistakes. We’re playing a lot of young kids. On a national stage like tonight, when you’re playing at The University of Texas, one of the nation’s best programs, and great respect for Texas head coach Mack Brown and the job they do, and they had great-looking kids. To come in and stand toe to toe with them, I do think, nationally, it’s going to help us in recruiting.
“It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s just one step. We didn’t take six tonight. We just took one step, but it is a step in the right direction.”
The Rebels moved to 3-0 on the season with the win, but the win itself meant more than keeping the record unblemished; it also meant getting a bit of revenge against a Texas team who went into Oxford and took it to the Rebels last season, winning 66-31.
“This win means something here,” sophomore defensive back Mike Hilton said. “We came in with the mindset like, `This is our win, we got to get it,’ because of what happened last year; that was just embarrassing. With the right mindset, we knew we could win.”
Junior quarterback Bo Wallace agreed. He finished the game 17-for-25 for 177 yards and had three total touchdowns, two passing and one rushing.
“It’s a great win for our program, the way we wanted it to be,” Wallace said. “To come in and knock down a traditional power, it’s something to be excited about.”
A key factor for Freeze and his staff that they have preached is buying into the program, and in year two, it appears this team has.
“I don’t even know how to put it into words right now,” offensive coordinator Dan Werner said. “Just to be 3-0 and beat a program like this, this is why we play this game. Our guys have bought in. I just see in the locker room guys want to be here and want to be a part of this thing, and it’s so much fun.”
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