No one can say it’s been an easy couple of weeks for the Rebels.
Injuries, a tough game against Vanderbilt and a loss to Florida have certainly taken a toll on the Rebels, making the New Mexico State game a relief.
The Ole Miss offense got back on track Saturday against New Mexico State and won 52-3.
The game was a chance for the Rebels to get healthy and try to fix some of their offensive and defensive struggles before heading into the second half of the season, which looks to be more difficult than the first.
“It was good to get back on the field and see our kids compete. It was good to play at home in front of our crowd in an early game,” Freeze said. “Hopefully we can use that time to rest and recover. There were some good individual efforts in this game.”
Junior quarterback Chad Kelly had a solid outing, completing 24 of 33 passes for 384 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
“There’s a lot of smiling going on around here. We just have to get better, and we did that today,” Kelly said. “The offensive line did great, receivers ran great routes and running backs ran hard. It was a good day.”
Junior receiver Laquon Treadwell also had a big day, catching eight passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns and looking a little more like the Treadwell of last season. However, Treadwell was modest about the day’s accomplishments.
“It feels great, but I don’t want to make this about me today. I just want to be humble about it, and I know we can get so much better,” Treadwell said. “I left a few plays on the field, and I just want to make it up.”
Treadwell’s second touchdown came on what had to the play of the game.
“I got pushed off my route and knew I couldn’t let it affect me, so I couldn’t get two hands on it,” Treadwell said. “I just stuck one out and was able to let out my passion I have for the game when I got in the end zone because I had dropped a lot of balls that I should be catching, and I just needed a stepping-stone.”
Freeze had some powerful words after the game, not holding back the admission that he needed to be more passionate for the team but also calling out some of the team’s biggest issues.
“Here’s the deal with this team and our coaching staff. We’ve got to understand the amount of energy and focus that it takes to put into every single play in order for each one to be successful,” Freeze said. “Every single play has a life of its own. You never know when a play is going to be a turning point in competitive football games, which is all we are about to see for the remainder of the year.”
What bothered Freeze wasn’t the other team being successful because of a good play; rather, it was when his team didn’t execute the game plan.
“It is a whole other thing for us to lineup and not execute the plan, and it causes us a negative play,” Freeze said. “Whether it is the punt return team, or the offense blowing a blocking assignment or the defense blowing their coverage, we still have these problems going on.”
“We have to come in tomorrow and look at every single player as a coach and ask if they are doing everything they can. We have to ask ourselves the same thing as coaches,” Freeze said. “We did a lot of good things today, and we are going to enjoy this victory.”
