DEFENSIVE EFFORT LEADS WAY!!!!! HOTTY TODDY!!!!! When Hugh Freeze woke up Thursday morning he had four defensive starters out for the LSU game -- defensive linemen Robert Nkemdiche and CJ Johnson, linebacker Serderius Bryant and cornerback Mike Hilton. The Then things got worse. Ole Miss pieced together a defensive effort with five starters missing. Senquez Golson broke team rules, and Freeze suspended his best cornerback, making the decision around 11 p.m. Thursday and telling Golson Friday morning. That left Sawyer and freshmen Derrick Jones and Bobby Hill to handle potentially the SECs best receiving duo -- Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry. The Ole Miss secondary picked off Zack Mettenberger three times, and while Landry picked up 122 yards on seven catches and Beckham added 75 on five, the Rebels limited the deep tosses and helped get an early lead that held up. Two difficult games we could have won the previous two weeks but didnt and a lot of guys missing, guys were warriors tonight and played their hearts out, defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said. I was so proud of them and what they did. The second half we had a couple breaks against us but won the game. Jones got second team reps during practice this past week, but Hill was thrown into the game plan a good bit more after the Golson situation occurred. (Jones is) getting reps and is growing up the hard way, Wommack said. Its funny because midway through the season we thought wed redshirt him, and Hugh stepped in and said he could play corner. We moved him and there we go. Bobby didnt get many reps because we thought wed have Senquez for the game. We didnt so he didnt get many reps. Mettenberger finished 19-of-33 for 274 yards, one touchdown and the three picks. Ole Miss corners and safeties combined for great effort, and the front four pressured Mettenberger with a patchwork unit. Our guys executed the plan, Wommack said. We bracketed both wide receivers. Mettenberger had made great throws but we did a good job of clamping, and when he under threw or overthrew we were there. I was proud of (the safeties). Chief showed up and had a great week of practice. Its nice to have three guys to handle two spots. We dont have that in a lot of places. Our guys just keep competing. (Defensive line coach Chris) Kiffin did great job moving people around, and he got pressure up front with a four-man rush. Despite the absences and three-game losing streak, Ole Miss found 60 minutes of quality football to get back the Magnolia Bowl trophy. Wommack credited his boss. Hugh does an unbelievable job motivating this team, Wommack said. I think the assistants take after this lead and the kids believe in us and we believe in them. Even though were not healthy and not where were going to be in the near future with depth, everybody believes in each others, and thats a huge part of it.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 12:35:16 +0000
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