The Ole Miss football team is finally getting a break this week after a grueling beginning to the season and a chance to self-scout and diagnose what improvements the team needs to make and get healthy for their game against the Arkansas Razorbacks in two weeks.
Chad Kelly throws a pass during a game against Memphis. (Photo by Ariel Cobbert)
One of the key players missing for the Rebels against Memphis was freshman running back D’Vaughn Pennamon, who stepped up to be a big part of the running game against Georgia.
The Rebels were already thin before losing Pennamon, who showed good potential in his limited number of touches this season.
“I do expect to have him for Arkansas. It’s a hamstring (injury),” Head Coach Hugh Freeze said. “(Head Athletic Trainer Pat Jernigan) said he ran in the pool yesterday and did well. I think he’s holding him out today in hopes that he can go by the end of the week, either tomorrow or Thursday. But at worst case we think he’ll give it a go next week in practice.”
The team has also been without starting defensive end Fadol Brown after his foot injury has had complications and required multiple surgeries.
“The latest procedure that they did, they felt like Arkansas week would be the week he should try it, so we’re hopeful that he will,” Freeze said. “He won’t be out this week, but we’re hopeful he’ll try it this week.”
One of the focuses of the off week is figuring out what to do at the linebacker position, as the Rebels were without starter Demarquis Gates who was suspended for a violation of team standards.
“It’s really just moving people around and seeing if Willie Hibbler can maybe play the Stinger position,” Freeze said. “We have to continue to try and bring Bing-Dukes along at Mike and hopefully Gates will be ready to play in the next game, and he probably is going to have to play some of the Mike too. We’re tinkering with Shawn Curtis and Temario Strong, where they might fit in to, but we’re going to try several different things these next three days.”
Bing-Dukes was a welcome change at linebacker a few weeks ago, but the style of the Memphis Tigers caused some issues for the sophomore last week.
Zedrick Woods runs down field after an interception on Saturday. (Photo by: Ariel Cobbert)
“Bing-Dukes played really good against Georgia. This was a different offense that caused him to have to leave the box a lot. That’s really not his strength,” Freeze said. “So we might have to tinker a little bit with some of the structure of the defense that typically maybe play more to his strengths and maybe he needs to flip from certain formations from being the Mike to the Stinger, just some things that may help him.”
The cornerback position has also been strongly affected by injuries this season, but Freeze said he likes what he’s seen from redshirt freshman Jalen Julius and freshman Jaylon Jones, although he saw improvements they needed to make in their technique.
“I think they’re going to be really good players,” Freeze said. “I think each of them are coming on. We have to continue to work on the discipline, but I think those two are going to be two good corners for us for a long time.”
