Barry Brunetti calls out a play during the game against Texas A&M Saturday.
Alex Edwards | The Daily Mississippian
No one can deny the running ability of Ole Miss’ senior backup quarterback Barry Brunetti. This year he’s racked up 169 yards on 32 carries and, most importantly, he’s scored three rushing touchdowns. But when it comes to passing, Brunetti hasn’t been seen as much of a threat, completing only four of his 14 passes on the year. That changed Saturday.
While still having a productive day rushing the ball with 24 yards and a 4.8 yards per carry average, Brunetti really made his mark in the air, going 3-for-4 for 28 yards and two crucial touchdowns, after having only one passing touchdown in his previous two years with the team.
“I was so happy for Barry. I mean, he’s gone through a lot since he’s been here,” Ole Miss offensive coordinator Dan Werner said. “We’ve got a nice package for him, and he executed it. He had two touchdown passes on two great throws.”
Brunetti felt that the looks Texas A&M’s defense gave him are what allowed him to have such success in the air.
“They were trying to bring edge pressure, trying to make me go to clog up the middle,” Brunetti said. “Coach Freeze saw that and started calling more pass plays.
“My name was called, and, like, Coach Freeze said always be ready. I feel like I did my part.”
Junior quarterback Bo Wallace also praised Brunetti’s play.
“I think Barry had a great game tonight. He’s a great runner,” Wallace said. “He’s probably the best runner on our team, and he threw two touchdowns. I was proud of him, the way he stepped up, and he had a great game.”
Last year, the two quarterbacks competed against each other, but this year, they’ve learned to coexist and to complement each other, working together to make a more balanced offensive attack.
“Honestly, when I first came here you could cut the tension with a knife,” Wallace said of his relationship with Brunetti. “Now we’re each other’s biggest fans. You watch us on the sidelines, and we’re talking to each other and getting excited when the other person scores. I have a great relationship with him. We both bring strengths into this team, and where I’m weak at Barry comes in and he’s a strength for us.”
Brunetti also feels the connection between the two quarterbacks has gotten stronger, attributing this change to the rising maturity of both guys and getting to know each other better.
“This year we have a much better relationship, and you can kind of see it on the field,” Brunetti said. “I think that’s kind of helped both of us. We don’t have to look over each other’s shoulder. We help each other every time.”
But for now, Brunetti is focused on next week’s game against LSU and helping the team bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to Texas A&M two years in a row and a three-game losing streak.
“We gotta try to get these young guys to bounce back because they haven’t been through these things,” Brunetti said. “We just gotta get these young guys back up, get their heads back up and everything will be good. We got LSU. We know that that’s gonna be a tough game, but we have a long season and we have a lot to play for.”
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