BeeDee
06-16-2005, 08:20 AM
From CFBNews (http://www.collegefootballnews.com/sec/2005_Previews/Mississippi_FA.htm) :
With a fresh set of downs ...
1st and Ten – Wild Boys – When most people think of the south and perhaps southern football, they probably have this impression of distinguished, slow talking and pristine people and coaches. The Bear Bryant mentality if you will. And, if there was a place that has embraced the values and traditions of the deep south, it’d have to be Ole Miss. Well, Scarlett, this ain’t Tara any more (now, I don’t know all that much about Gone with the Wind, but it’s a movie about the south, so just go with it already). Let’s just say that Hurricane Ed has come to town. New head coach Ed Orgeron is perhaps as far from being a southern aristocrat as any one person could be (although he is from Louisiana), and that may be the best thing that could happen to this university and its football program. David Cutcliffe was more successful than you’d think a coach that got fired would have been, but this program needed a shot in the arm. It got a shotgun blast in the face. To say that Orgeron is fiery might end up being the understatement of the year. Allegedly, the first team meeting of the year at Ole Miss was the, shall we say, ‘introduction’ to the new way of doing things at Ole Miss, and the niceties were thrown out the window in a major way. Coach O isn’t going to sit back and take a bowl trip to the Independence Bowl; he wants it all. He wants Ole Miss to be THE team in the SEC West, top ten in the nation on an annual basis and a team that just plain kicks tail. Not only does he ‘want’, but he’s going to demand it of his Rebels. At Miami and USC, Oregeron molded defensive lines and linemen into the best in the nation. Sure, the talent level at Ole Miss might not be the similar to what he’s used to at those places, but the man can recruit, so in due time it will. Suffice it to say, when he nabbed all-world recruit DT Jerrell Powe out from under the other so-called SEC powers, the conference let out a collective ‘uh-oh’ under its breath. Give him a few years to recruit the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana (his homestate) and Florida and this could be a scary program. Coach O was ready for his shot to be the leader at Ole Miss, but is the rest of the SEC ready for his ‘Wild Boys’? Not sure, but we do know it’ll be explosive, to say the least.
2nd and Seven – A Triple Play just won’t work – After watching Eli Manning for two plus years at Ole Miss, it must have been torture for Ole Miss fans to watch the Rebel quarterback carousel last season. Micheal Spurlock started the season, but Ethan Flatt got the majority of the starts. However, Flatt threw almost twice as many picks as touchdowns. Former hot shot recruit Robert Lane got into the mix as well, but he threw three picks and only one TD. However, Lane did show his running ability against Mississippi State as he piled up 97 yards on 16 carries to help the Rebels to an Egg Bowl win. Now, the trio has a new staff and a new Noel Mazzone scheme (i.e more ‘active and mobile’ QB play) to learn, which can make things that much more complicated. But, what is definite is the fact that this rotation has to go, and one guy has to be the consistent number one guy. Who that is or who that’s going to be is anyone’s guess at this point.
3rd and Three – What’s Old is New Again – A guy who was third on the team in tackles, but didn’t start a game. A converted strong safety. A rookie. Those are the three soon-to-be starters at the linebacker position at Ole Miss. Patrick Willis should start in the middle, although he didn’t start one game last year. He finished last season with 70 tackles, 11 TFL and five sacks and should have a strong season on the inside. Former strong safety Kelvin Robinson moves from strong safety to will linebacker (the ‘Miami’ speed method – move SS to LB, move LB to DE, etc) after starting ten games at SS and registering 52 tackles on the year. The Sam backer position is not seemingly set in stone, but no matter whether it’s Garry Pack or Dontae Reed, it’s going to be a guy that didn’t start a game last year – a rookie, if you will. As defensive coordinator, Orgeron will ensure that his linebackers have free run to the football, with excellent play up front. Thus, this trio has a great deal of pressure to produce in 2005.
4th and One – Following in the Footsteps? – Ole Miss has produced NFL quality linemen the past two years. Chris Spencer was a number one pick of the Seattle Seahawks. Melvin Johnson was a hot commodity as well. Doug Buckles had a fantastic career as a Rebel. But, now it’s Tre Stallings’ turn. The senior has started 37 consecutive games and will be looked to as the leader of a line with some holes to fill. With more of an emphasis on QB mobility, QB runs and the running game, Stallings will be a great fit in this new offensive scheme, as he’s a solid run blocker. Could he follow in the footsteps of the great linemen that have come out of Ole Miss lately? With a strong senior season, most definitely.
With a fresh set of downs ...
1st and Ten – Wild Boys – When most people think of the south and perhaps southern football, they probably have this impression of distinguished, slow talking and pristine people and coaches. The Bear Bryant mentality if you will. And, if there was a place that has embraced the values and traditions of the deep south, it’d have to be Ole Miss. Well, Scarlett, this ain’t Tara any more (now, I don’t know all that much about Gone with the Wind, but it’s a movie about the south, so just go with it already). Let’s just say that Hurricane Ed has come to town. New head coach Ed Orgeron is perhaps as far from being a southern aristocrat as any one person could be (although he is from Louisiana), and that may be the best thing that could happen to this university and its football program. David Cutcliffe was more successful than you’d think a coach that got fired would have been, but this program needed a shot in the arm. It got a shotgun blast in the face. To say that Orgeron is fiery might end up being the understatement of the year. Allegedly, the first team meeting of the year at Ole Miss was the, shall we say, ‘introduction’ to the new way of doing things at Ole Miss, and the niceties were thrown out the window in a major way. Coach O isn’t going to sit back and take a bowl trip to the Independence Bowl; he wants it all. He wants Ole Miss to be THE team in the SEC West, top ten in the nation on an annual basis and a team that just plain kicks tail. Not only does he ‘want’, but he’s going to demand it of his Rebels. At Miami and USC, Oregeron molded defensive lines and linemen into the best in the nation. Sure, the talent level at Ole Miss might not be the similar to what he’s used to at those places, but the man can recruit, so in due time it will. Suffice it to say, when he nabbed all-world recruit DT Jerrell Powe out from under the other so-called SEC powers, the conference let out a collective ‘uh-oh’ under its breath. Give him a few years to recruit the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana (his homestate) and Florida and this could be a scary program. Coach O was ready for his shot to be the leader at Ole Miss, but is the rest of the SEC ready for his ‘Wild Boys’? Not sure, but we do know it’ll be explosive, to say the least.
2nd and Seven – A Triple Play just won’t work – After watching Eli Manning for two plus years at Ole Miss, it must have been torture for Ole Miss fans to watch the Rebel quarterback carousel last season. Micheal Spurlock started the season, but Ethan Flatt got the majority of the starts. However, Flatt threw almost twice as many picks as touchdowns. Former hot shot recruit Robert Lane got into the mix as well, but he threw three picks and only one TD. However, Lane did show his running ability against Mississippi State as he piled up 97 yards on 16 carries to help the Rebels to an Egg Bowl win. Now, the trio has a new staff and a new Noel Mazzone scheme (i.e more ‘active and mobile’ QB play) to learn, which can make things that much more complicated. But, what is definite is the fact that this rotation has to go, and one guy has to be the consistent number one guy. Who that is or who that’s going to be is anyone’s guess at this point.
3rd and Three – What’s Old is New Again – A guy who was third on the team in tackles, but didn’t start a game. A converted strong safety. A rookie. Those are the three soon-to-be starters at the linebacker position at Ole Miss. Patrick Willis should start in the middle, although he didn’t start one game last year. He finished last season with 70 tackles, 11 TFL and five sacks and should have a strong season on the inside. Former strong safety Kelvin Robinson moves from strong safety to will linebacker (the ‘Miami’ speed method – move SS to LB, move LB to DE, etc) after starting ten games at SS and registering 52 tackles on the year. The Sam backer position is not seemingly set in stone, but no matter whether it’s Garry Pack or Dontae Reed, it’s going to be a guy that didn’t start a game last year – a rookie, if you will. As defensive coordinator, Orgeron will ensure that his linebackers have free run to the football, with excellent play up front. Thus, this trio has a great deal of pressure to produce in 2005.
4th and One – Following in the Footsteps? – Ole Miss has produced NFL quality linemen the past two years. Chris Spencer was a number one pick of the Seattle Seahawks. Melvin Johnson was a hot commodity as well. Doug Buckles had a fantastic career as a Rebel. But, now it’s Tre Stallings’ turn. The senior has started 37 consecutive games and will be looked to as the leader of a line with some holes to fill. With more of an emphasis on QB mobility, QB runs and the running game, Stallings will be a great fit in this new offensive scheme, as he’s a solid run blocker. Could he follow in the footsteps of the great linemen that have come out of Ole Miss lately? With a strong senior season, most definitely.