By David Collier
thedmsports@gmail.com
With just one week to go until the season opener, Ole Miss practiced under the lights of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Thursday night in preparation for next week’s contest with Vanderbilt.
Head coach Hugh Freeze said he put his squad in different situations they may face next week, and he’s anxious to look at the film to see how they executed.
“You come out and try to not go full speed and go through every situation,” Freeze said. “We certainly went over every situation. But it was kind of sluggish.
“I think we got something out of it, but when you tell them to take care of yourself and stay up, in kids minds, that sometimes means it’s a walk through. I wanted more than a walk through.”
As the season gets closer, the few position battles that are still ongoing will have to come to an end.
Both freshman quarterbacks Devante Kincade and Ryan Buchanan have taken reps with the second-team offense during fall camp, but Freeze said senior Barry Brunetti is the “solid No. 2” quarterback right now.
“Should an occasion arise where we have to go to our No. 2 to win a game, he’s going to have that option,” Freeze said of Brunetti. “What he does with that will determine where we go from there. Barry is a senior, and I certainly hope he’ll get the job done.”
Freeze likes the job both freshman have done. He said he’s not sure which one is ahead of the other right now, but will have to make that decision in the coming days. However, Freeze would obviously like to be able to redshirt both guys.
“I think both are going to be very good,” Freeze said. “Ryan has a great understanding of where the ball should go, the timing of it. Obviously, he’s young and his arm strength will improve as he gets older.
“Kincade is an athletic kid that has really good zip on his ball. Probably a little ahead athletically right now.”
Braynt looking to take step forward
Junior linebacker Serdarius Bryant has the tough task of backing up sophomore linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche. However, Bryant has devoted himself in the offseason and feels he is ready to take on a bigger role on the Ole Miss defense.
“I feel great. I feel like the coaches have prepared me in the right way to try to go out and do what I have to do to make this defense better,” Bryant said. “By playing behind Denzel, I feel like I can go out and give him a breather and still perform the same way he does.”
Bryant put more emphasis on getting in shape during summer workouts and said he even ran with the skill players to try to be the fastest guy he can be.
The biggest difference going into his second year in defensive co-ordinator Dave Wommack’s defense, however, will be mental.
“Last year I didn’t know the defense at all to tell you the truth,” Bryant said. “I feel like that was one of the reasons I didn’t play. (During the offseason), I feel like I sat down and buckled down and learned the playbook and watched film and do what I have to do. Now, it’s making me play a lot faster.”
Other Notes
Freeze said the familiarity the entire coaching staff has with the up-tempo offense makes things easier in putting the game plan together.
Sophomore running back I’Tavius Mathers remained out of action Thursday. Freeze said Mathers is coming along “slower than he had hoped,” but thinks he will ready to return to practice Monday.
Thursday’s practice was a “dress rehearsal” of sorts for next week’s season opener. The defense was wearing the traditional red jerseys and grey pants, but the offense was sporting the white tops with blue lettering with the blue pants. Is that a sneak peak of what they’ll have on next week? We’ll see.
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