Head Coach Hugh Freeze directs the offense led by quarterback Chad Kelly and running back Jaylen Walton during practice Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: ROYCE SWAYZE
After a Tuesday practice that wasn’t up to par in the eyes of Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze, Wednesday’s practice appeared to be an improvement as the 15th ranked Rebels prepare to travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the second ranked Alabama.
“Today was much better. I thought our attention to detail and our focus and preparation were much better today,” Freeze said.
Ole Miss will do a number of different things offensively to try to keep the Crimson Tide defense off balance, including mixing up the tempo of the offense and establishing a run game. In the end, execution will be of the utmost importance.
“You’ve still got to execute and win the one-on-ones,” Freeze said. “We’ll try to be who we are, but you’ve got to schematically have a good play against what they’ve called and have kids that will execute it.”
Establishing a running game will be a key factor in their success Saturday night. Ole Miss was only able to rush for 76 yards on 32 carries against Alabama in 2014 and that will need to improve if the Rebels wish to have success on Saturday night.
“We want to stay balanced. We’re much better when we can do that,” Freeze said. “It sure would be nice if we were having some success running. That benefits us all the way around.”
It all starts up front with the offensive line that could be left without its junior All-American left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Whether Tunsil will play remains to be seen, but the offensive line is getting it done as a group. The offensive line had 12 different guys taking snaps in the first two games and Freeze said he expects at least nine or 10 to play again on Saturday.
The Rebels will benefit from being able to play three different running backs that have seen significant game action this year. Senior running back Jaylon Walton will lead the rushing attack and will be complimented by sophomore Jordan Wilkins and junior Akeem Judd.
Ole Miss running backs coach Derreck Nix was pleased that he was able to assess all three backs in the first two games, but said experience is the biggest advantage of playing all three of them.
“Giving them all game experience, being able to let them know what it’s like to go out there and go against somebody other than our defense will be huge,” Nix said.
Saturday will be Ole Miss’s first road test and first exposure to a hostile environment, but feel they have the mentality to thrive on the road.
“I think as a coaching staff, you try to develop a road warriors mentality,” Nix said. “You try to instill more of a laser focus when you travel to enemy territory.”
“I think any time you go on the road with a group like ours with these upperclassmen, you can kind of have the feeling that it’s an us against the world type mentality,” Freeze said.
Kickoff on Saturday is set for 8:15 p.m. on ESPN.
