After a 25-0 loss to No. 1 Alabama this past weekend, No. 24 Ole Miss will get ready to face a rebuilding Auburn team looking to keep momentum going after a 3-1 start to the season.
“We’re excited to get back on the field after last week’s loss,” Rebel head coach Hugh Freeze. “We’re 5-1 in the last six games that we’ve played, which we think has provided a very good foundation in where we are headed with the program.
“Moving on to Auburn, they remind me a lot of us last year. They’re a very, very hungry team that plays with great emotion, energy and passion. It doesn’t surprise me at all with Gus’ (Malzahn) leadership. I know that they’re off to a great start. They have been very, very good at home, which we’ve got to go there. It’s another road trip in a hostile environment on a Saturday night.”
Freeze was also asked about the drama surrounding Alabama staffer Tyler Siskey, who was spotted during ESPN’s broadcast of Saturday’s game looking through binoculars and suspected to be stealing signals from the Ole Miss offense. Siskey was a staffer at Ole Miss last season.
“I don’t know where he typically is,” Freeze said. “Certainly, I’ll say that Alabama had a wonderful defensive plan for us. I give them a lot of credit for the work that they put in in preparing for us, whether it was in the summertime or just in the week. Nick (Saban) and Kirby (Smart) are two of the best in the business. Not that they need a lot of help in preparing a game plan, but I’m sure Siskey helped in some way.
“Tyler Siskey is a good man. I hate that it’s been quite the drama. Did I feel like they had an excellent plan? For whatever reason, I did. I’m sure Nick prepares just like any of us would. I’m ready to move on to Auburn.”
And the Rebels need that mindset to get a win this week in a hostile environment.
Freeze and Tiger head coach Gus Malzahn are good friends and share the same knowledge and belief of offenses, so the two schools should be able to simulate each other’s offenses in practice this week, according to Freeze. However, Freeze said their ability to do multiple things will present challenges to the Ole Miss defense.
“Both of us can change a lot during the course of the week,” Freeze said. He’s got two weeks to do whatever he’s going to do. I know that he’ll dress things up and have some wrinkles we haven’t seen. We are very, very similar in the things we do offensively. We can help prepare, but you never know exactly what to prepare for. We’ll show them everything that our defense wants to see. There will be something we don’t cover that we’ll see Saturday night.”
TV times set for Auburn, Texas A&M games
Ole Miss’ contest with Auburn this Saturday and Texas A&M on Oct. 12 have been set.
The Rebels and Tigers will kickoff at 6 p.m. on ESPNU from Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday, while Ole Miss plays host to the Aggies Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
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