SEC: Donte Moncrief
Freeze is taking Ole Miss on a 'Journey'
May, 16, 2012
May 16
11:59
AM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss’ football program is stuck in the wilderness -- a scary place, filled with a plethora of overgrown obstacles.
When coach Hugh Freeze arrived last December, he says the jungle was as thick as ever and it didn’t look like his new team was ready to cut its way out.
That was until Freeze offered a solution: his “Journey.” He told players that he didn’t know how long it would take for them to make it out or find some sort of salvation, but if they followed him, they’d find the light.
“The reasonable expectation for us in Year 1 is for us to compete passionately for this university for 60 minutes,” Freeze said. “And whatever that scoreboard says at the end of that 60 minutes we’ll have to live with.”
The Rebels will have to plod through this quagmire, but Freeze insists patience is the key to turning around a program that is less than three years removed from a second straight Cotton Bowl victory.
“It’s well-documented that we don’t have the talent level that people in the SEC West have right now at a lot of spots, at least not the depth,” Freeze said. “That’s not fixed overnight.”
And it’s just one of the handful of problems Freeze is looking to fix, as he replaces Houston Nutt, who was once heralded as Ole Miss' greatest hire. Academic and discipline issues are also on the agenda. As Freeze puts it, he has “a few mountains to climb” before he can shape things up, but since the journey began in December, progress has been made.
Freeze said probably 65-70 percent of the players have bought in, which might be a conservative number. It’s better than what he expected, considering the trust issues and players being set in their old ways of doing “what they’ve wanted to do for themselves for so long.”
“They think they like it the way they had it, even though, if they’re intelligent enough, they look at the results,” he said. “You’re will is something that’s hard to change once you get set.”
Freeze put the Rebels’ abysmal 6-18 two-year record and 14 straight SEC losses front and center as motivation, he made academics more of a priority, looked to adjust Ole Miss’ lenient drug policy, and created accountability groups.
Everything has helped, but the accountability groups really took off.
They were created to show players how much their actions affected everyone. Miss class? Your group runs at 5 a.m. Miss tutoring? Group run; 5 a.m. Late for anything? Welcome the sun with some running.
Rising junior linebacker Mike Marry said his group never ran – he made sure of it – but he saw other groups running as much as five times during a two-week span. The running cut down as the spring went on and there was hardly any toward the end.
“That’s what I like about him,” Marry said of Freeze, “he doesn’t let little things slide.
“The last coaches, they let certain things slide. Certain things were small, but eventually they start building up and turn into big things and people started feeling like they could get away with more and more things. Since he’s not letting little things slide, you’re seeing the team come together closer and closer and there are fewer problems.”
Freeze said eliminating off-field trouble is top priority. That’s why he’s so nervous about leaving his players in their own hands during the true offseason. Progress was made, but he worries guys will fall back on old habits when less supervised.
To ease his mind, Freeze turns to recruiting. With Ole Miss so thin at defensive tackle, offensive line, running back and safety, and needing walk-ons to fill three full teams in practice (on both sides), Freeze is stacking recruiting on recruiting.
He had some early success in his first class, grabbing three Under Armour All-Americans – DT Issac Gross, DE Channing Ware and DB Trae Elston -- and two junior college All-Americans – QB Bo Wallace and OT Pierce Burton – and his roll has continued with nine commitments in hand for 2013.
Recruiting at Ole Miss has hardly ever been easy with schools like Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia in such close proximity, but Freeze believes he’ll make it work. And he’ll do it by going after the top prospects, not by getting lax and offering whomever to fill space.
“We can make it easy in recruiting, now, and I think that’s what’s happened,” he said.
“I know you can recruit here. I’ve been here before when we did it and when we had 20 kids drafted in the NFL in those three classes that we brought in.
“Is it easy? No, but it is doable.”
Fixing Ole Miss is also doable, he said. It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of time, but it requires patience. Freeze’s mantra is “Winning the day,” not winning the week.
“The one thing that we have that’s constant and equal [to opponents] is time,” Freeze said. “So, what are we doing to prepare for that end goal -- whatever that is -- today?
“We’re a fragile state of mind right now and when you start talking about things that are so far out there, I don’t think that will be beneficial to us. Let’s just talk about today.”
Freeze might be preaching about today, but you can sense the confidence growing inside players, especially wide receiver Donte Moncrief, who took things a step further.
“Everybody keeps putting us under the radar, but once we learn this offense and the defense keeps playing like it’s playing, we’re going to shock a lot of teams,” he said.
What a journey that’d be.
When coach Hugh Freeze arrived last December, he says the jungle was as thick as ever and it didn’t look like his new team was ready to cut its way out.
[+] Enlarge
Shelby Daniel/Icon SMINew coach Hugh Freeze has set out an agenda for all Ole Miss players: "winning the day."
Shelby Daniel/Icon SMINew coach Hugh Freeze has set out an agenda for all Ole Miss players: "winning the day."“The reasonable expectation for us in Year 1 is for us to compete passionately for this university for 60 minutes,” Freeze said. “And whatever that scoreboard says at the end of that 60 minutes we’ll have to live with.”
The Rebels will have to plod through this quagmire, but Freeze insists patience is the key to turning around a program that is less than three years removed from a second straight Cotton Bowl victory.
“It’s well-documented that we don’t have the talent level that people in the SEC West have right now at a lot of spots, at least not the depth,” Freeze said. “That’s not fixed overnight.”
And it’s just one of the handful of problems Freeze is looking to fix, as he replaces Houston Nutt, who was once heralded as Ole Miss' greatest hire. Academic and discipline issues are also on the agenda. As Freeze puts it, he has “a few mountains to climb” before he can shape things up, but since the journey began in December, progress has been made.
Freeze said probably 65-70 percent of the players have bought in, which might be a conservative number. It’s better than what he expected, considering the trust issues and players being set in their old ways of doing “what they’ve wanted to do for themselves for so long.”
“They think they like it the way they had it, even though, if they’re intelligent enough, they look at the results,” he said. “You’re will is something that’s hard to change once you get set.”
Freeze put the Rebels’ abysmal 6-18 two-year record and 14 straight SEC losses front and center as motivation, he made academics more of a priority, looked to adjust Ole Miss’ lenient drug policy, and created accountability groups.
Everything has helped, but the accountability groups really took off.
They were created to show players how much their actions affected everyone. Miss class? Your group runs at 5 a.m. Miss tutoring? Group run; 5 a.m. Late for anything? Welcome the sun with some running.
Rising junior linebacker Mike Marry said his group never ran – he made sure of it – but he saw other groups running as much as five times during a two-week span. The running cut down as the spring went on and there was hardly any toward the end.
“That’s what I like about him,” Marry said of Freeze, “he doesn’t let little things slide.
“The last coaches, they let certain things slide. Certain things were small, but eventually they start building up and turn into big things and people started feeling like they could get away with more and more things. Since he’s not letting little things slide, you’re seeing the team come together closer and closer and there are fewer problems.”
Freeze said eliminating off-field trouble is top priority. That’s why he’s so nervous about leaving his players in their own hands during the true offseason. Progress was made, but he worries guys will fall back on old habits when less supervised.
To ease his mind, Freeze turns to recruiting. With Ole Miss so thin at defensive tackle, offensive line, running back and safety, and needing walk-ons to fill three full teams in practice (on both sides), Freeze is stacking recruiting on recruiting.
He had some early success in his first class, grabbing three Under Armour All-Americans – DT Issac Gross, DE Channing Ware and DB Trae Elston -- and two junior college All-Americans – QB Bo Wallace and OT Pierce Burton – and his roll has continued with nine commitments in hand for 2013.
Recruiting at Ole Miss has hardly ever been easy with schools like Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia in such close proximity, but Freeze believes he’ll make it work. And he’ll do it by going after the top prospects, not by getting lax and offering whomever to fill space.
“We can make it easy in recruiting, now, and I think that’s what’s happened,” he said.
“I know you can recruit here. I’ve been here before when we did it and when we had 20 kids drafted in the NFL in those three classes that we brought in.
“Is it easy? No, but it is doable.”
Fixing Ole Miss is also doable, he said. It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of time, but it requires patience. Freeze’s mantra is “Winning the day,” not winning the week.
“The one thing that we have that’s constant and equal [to opponents] is time,” Freeze said. “So, what are we doing to prepare for that end goal -- whatever that is -- today?
“We’re a fragile state of mind right now and when you start talking about things that are so far out there, I don’t think that will be beneficial to us. Let’s just talk about today.”
Freeze might be preaching about today, but you can sense the confidence growing inside players, especially wide receiver Donte Moncrief, who took things a step further.
“Everybody keeps putting us under the radar, but once we learn this offense and the defense keeps playing like it’s playing, we’re going to shock a lot of teams,” he said.
What a journey that’d be.
2011 overall record: 2-10
2011 conference record: 0-8
Returning starters: Offense: 8; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 2
Top returners
RB Jeff Scott, WR Ja-Mes Logan, WR Donte Moncrief, WR Randall Mackey, C Evan Swindall, DE C.J. Johnson, LB Mike Marry, S Charles Sawyer, P Tyler Campbell
Key losses
RB Brandon Bolden, OT Bobby Massie, OT Bradley Sowell, DE Kentrell Lockett, DE Wayne Dorsey, S Damien Jackson
2011 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: Jeff Scott* (529 yards)
Passing: Randall Mackey* (1,112 yards)
Receiving: Donte Moncrief* (454 yards)
Tackles: Mike Marry* (81)
Sacks: Wayne Dorsey (3)
Interceptions: Charles Sawyer* (4)
Spring answers
1. Secondary strength: With questions swirling surrounding Nickolas Brassell’s eligibility, some of the best news this spring for the Rebels centered around the play of cornerbacks Dehendret Collins and Wesley Pendleton. They were junior college teammates and look like they will be manning the starting corner positions this fall for Ole Miss. Add junior safety Charles Sawyer to the mix, and it’s a unit that should be much improved, especially if Brassell makes it academically and heralded true freshman Trae Elston is everything the Rebels think he is.
2. Kicking and screaming: It’s hard to find a team in the SEC that kicks it much better than the Rebels do with their combination of senior place-kicker Bryson Rose and senior punter Tyler Campbell. Rose was 9-of-11 on field goals last season and made 17 straight field goal attempts between 2010 and 2011, which was one shy of the SEC record. Campbell averaged 43.6 yards per punt and was second in the league with 28 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
3. Freezing them out: First-year Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze spent much of the spring and offseason putting his stamp on the program. Not only do the Rebels have a new spread offense, but several of the players said there’s a new mindset, specifically when it comes to discipline and accountability. The players split into accountability groups, and they policed themselves. If one member of that group did something wrong or ran astray, they all were punished. Freeze exited the spring feeling as if everyone were on the same page in terms of knowing what the expectations were.
Fall questions
1. Making the grade: Junior running back Jeff Scott and Brassell are on the border academically and still have work to do to be eligible. Both players played in the spring game, but missed some practice time. The Rebels are in need of big-play guys on offense. Scott provides that with his speed. Brassell will play cornerback, but the Rebels also plan to use him situationally on offense. Tobias Singleton has moved from receiver to running back. If Scott and Brassell aren’t around this fall, that’s going to put a lot of pressure on Singleton in the backfield.
2. Shackelford’s health: The Rebels could desperately use D.T. Shackelford’s production and leadership on defense in 2012, but there’s no guarantee that he will be fully recovered from a second knee surgery this past March. He missed all of last season after tearing his ACL two springs ago. His knee didn’t respond to that first surgery, and he had to undergo a second procedure just prior to the start of this spring practice. Shackelford, a junior linebacker, led the Rebels with five sacks in 2010. More importantly, he’s the kind of player everybody rallies around. Getting him back would be huge for the Rebels.
3. Offensive line development: It doesn’t matter who’s playing quarterback or who’s running the ball if the offensive line doesn’t jell and play with more consistency than it did a year ago. The anchor is junior center Evan Swindall, but the Rebels need guys such as senior A.J. Hawkins and junior Emmanuel McCray to keep progressing. They moved some players around this spring up front, and several of them have starting experience. But they were still adjusting to the new spread offense, so finding the right combination will be critical in the fall.
2011 conference record: 0-8
Returning starters: Offense: 8; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 2
Top returners
RB Jeff Scott, WR Ja-Mes Logan, WR Donte Moncrief, WR Randall Mackey, C Evan Swindall, DE C.J. Johnson, LB Mike Marry, S Charles Sawyer, P Tyler Campbell
Key losses
RB Brandon Bolden, OT Bobby Massie, OT Bradley Sowell, DE Kentrell Lockett, DE Wayne Dorsey, S Damien Jackson
2011 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: Jeff Scott* (529 yards)
Passing: Randall Mackey* (1,112 yards)
Receiving: Donte Moncrief* (454 yards)
Tackles: Mike Marry* (81)
Sacks: Wayne Dorsey (3)
Interceptions: Charles Sawyer* (4)
Spring answers
1. Secondary strength: With questions swirling surrounding Nickolas Brassell’s eligibility, some of the best news this spring for the Rebels centered around the play of cornerbacks Dehendret Collins and Wesley Pendleton. They were junior college teammates and look like they will be manning the starting corner positions this fall for Ole Miss. Add junior safety Charles Sawyer to the mix, and it’s a unit that should be much improved, especially if Brassell makes it academically and heralded true freshman Trae Elston is everything the Rebels think he is.
2. Kicking and screaming: It’s hard to find a team in the SEC that kicks it much better than the Rebels do with their combination of senior place-kicker Bryson Rose and senior punter Tyler Campbell. Rose was 9-of-11 on field goals last season and made 17 straight field goal attempts between 2010 and 2011, which was one shy of the SEC record. Campbell averaged 43.6 yards per punt and was second in the league with 28 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
3. Freezing them out: First-year Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze spent much of the spring and offseason putting his stamp on the program. Not only do the Rebels have a new spread offense, but several of the players said there’s a new mindset, specifically when it comes to discipline and accountability. The players split into accountability groups, and they policed themselves. If one member of that group did something wrong or ran astray, they all were punished. Freeze exited the spring feeling as if everyone were on the same page in terms of knowing what the expectations were.
Fall questions
1. Making the grade: Junior running back Jeff Scott and Brassell are on the border academically and still have work to do to be eligible. Both players played in the spring game, but missed some practice time. The Rebels are in need of big-play guys on offense. Scott provides that with his speed. Brassell will play cornerback, but the Rebels also plan to use him situationally on offense. Tobias Singleton has moved from receiver to running back. If Scott and Brassell aren’t around this fall, that’s going to put a lot of pressure on Singleton in the backfield.
2. Shackelford’s health: The Rebels could desperately use D.T. Shackelford’s production and leadership on defense in 2012, but there’s no guarantee that he will be fully recovered from a second knee surgery this past March. He missed all of last season after tearing his ACL two springs ago. His knee didn’t respond to that first surgery, and he had to undergo a second procedure just prior to the start of this spring practice. Shackelford, a junior linebacker, led the Rebels with five sacks in 2010. More importantly, he’s the kind of player everybody rallies around. Getting him back would be huge for the Rebels.
3. Offensive line development: It doesn’t matter who’s playing quarterback or who’s running the ball if the offensive line doesn’t jell and play with more consistency than it did a year ago. The anchor is junior center Evan Swindall, but the Rebels need guys such as senior A.J. Hawkins and junior Emmanuel McCray to keep progressing. They moved some players around this spring up front, and several of them have starting experience. But they were still adjusting to the new spread offense, so finding the right combination will be critical in the fall.
Moncrief is ready to fly in Freeze's offense
May, 7, 2012
May 7
10:35
AM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
OXFORD, Miss. -- Donte Moncrief isn't afraid to be your typical wide receiver.
Ole Miss' sophomore-to-be craves glory like the next self-assured wideout, and he shouldn't be ashamed of it. Quarterbacks get all the love, but they'd be nothing without their receivers, and the good ones know that.
So, it's no shocker that Moncrief is enjoying coach Hugh Freeze's spread offense. While it took some time to adjust from last season's more pro-style attack, Moncrief said he's having more fun in a more wide open scheme because, well, he has the opportunity to get more touches.
"This offense is kind of better for a receiver, because you can get the ball a lot," said Moncrief, who, as a freshman, led the Rebels with 31 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns in 2011.
Regardless of the type of offense Ole Miss runs, there aren't many scenarios where Moncrief isn't the focal point of the passing game. He's easily Ole Miss' most talented receiving target, and at 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds, he isn't afraid to get physical and make the tougher catches.
Moncrief, the leader of a pretty raw and inexperienced receiving group, wants to be the star, and might have to be. However, for an Ole Miss team that ranked 11th in both passing and total offense in the SEC last season, there's still work to be done before fall arrives.
"Everybody expects me to be the big playmaker when we need a play," he said, "so I'm going to have to try a little harder this summer, get stronger, faster and catch more balls, and be ready to help my team.
"That's the stuff I'm going to work on and get better at so I can become one of the best to come through [Ole Miss' program]."
By try harder, Moncrief means studying his playbook a little more so he can memorize his routes better this season. It was easier to get away with freshman mistakes and botched routes at times in last season's offense, but Moncrief said that with so much going on in the spread, those mistakes won't fly.
Outside of learning new terminology, Moncrief said the toughest thing for him was memorization. Instead of always looking to the quarterback, hand signals from the sidelines, especially when the Rebels crank up the tempo, dictate plays.
He also has to get used to the quickness of this offense. Freeze and offensive coordinator Dan Werner want plays to operate as quickly as possible. Five-step quarterback drops are a thing of the past for the Rebels. As soon as the quarterback has the ball, Moncrief said the play is nearly over.
"It's some fast plays, so you want to get the defense on its heels so you can score real quick," he said.
Outside of the mental part, Moncrief still has some fine-tuning to do physically. He shed some pounds to get faster, but is putting in more time with strength coach Paul Jackson to up his on-field physicality. Fortunately for Moncrief, he craves physical play and actually likes to block, so taking on defenders is rewarding. He thinks it'll benefit him more, because he believes defenders grow wary of seeing receivers that can deliver a bone-rattling block out of nowhere to spring a running back.
"I like it. I love contact," Moncrief said with a sinister smile beaming off his face.
While Moncrief's rambunctious demeanor toward opposing defenders is probably adored by his coaches, Moncrief knows that his first job is to catch passes -- lots of them. Even though he's improving his blocking ability, Moncrief still says he's still the most dangerous in-stride, and he believes he'll be even tougher for defenders to keep up with in 2012.
"Hopefully, there will be a lot of deep balls this year," he said.
Ole Miss' sophomore-to-be craves glory like the next self-assured wideout, and he shouldn't be ashamed of it. Quarterbacks get all the love, but they'd be nothing without their receivers, and the good ones know that.
So, it's no shocker that Moncrief is enjoying coach Hugh Freeze's spread offense. While it took some time to adjust from last season's more pro-style attack, Moncrief said he's having more fun in a more wide open scheme because, well, he has the opportunity to get more touches.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Gary KazanjianDonte Moncrief led the Rebels with 31 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns last season.
AP Photo/Gary KazanjianDonte Moncrief led the Rebels with 31 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns last season.Regardless of the type of offense Ole Miss runs, there aren't many scenarios where Moncrief isn't the focal point of the passing game. He's easily Ole Miss' most talented receiving target, and at 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds, he isn't afraid to get physical and make the tougher catches.
Moncrief, the leader of a pretty raw and inexperienced receiving group, wants to be the star, and might have to be. However, for an Ole Miss team that ranked 11th in both passing and total offense in the SEC last season, there's still work to be done before fall arrives.
"Everybody expects me to be the big playmaker when we need a play," he said, "so I'm going to have to try a little harder this summer, get stronger, faster and catch more balls, and be ready to help my team.
"That's the stuff I'm going to work on and get better at so I can become one of the best to come through [Ole Miss' program]."
By try harder, Moncrief means studying his playbook a little more so he can memorize his routes better this season. It was easier to get away with freshman mistakes and botched routes at times in last season's offense, but Moncrief said that with so much going on in the spread, those mistakes won't fly.
Outside of learning new terminology, Moncrief said the toughest thing for him was memorization. Instead of always looking to the quarterback, hand signals from the sidelines, especially when the Rebels crank up the tempo, dictate plays.
He also has to get used to the quickness of this offense. Freeze and offensive coordinator Dan Werner want plays to operate as quickly as possible. Five-step quarterback drops are a thing of the past for the Rebels. As soon as the quarterback has the ball, Moncrief said the play is nearly over.
"It's some fast plays, so you want to get the defense on its heels so you can score real quick," he said.
Outside of the mental part, Moncrief still has some fine-tuning to do physically. He shed some pounds to get faster, but is putting in more time with strength coach Paul Jackson to up his on-field physicality. Fortunately for Moncrief, he craves physical play and actually likes to block, so taking on defenders is rewarding. He thinks it'll benefit him more, because he believes defenders grow wary of seeing receivers that can deliver a bone-rattling block out of nowhere to spring a running back.
"I like it. I love contact," Moncrief said with a sinister smile beaming off his face.
While Moncrief's rambunctious demeanor toward opposing defenders is probably adored by his coaches, Moncrief knows that his first job is to catch passes -- lots of them. Even though he's improving his blocking ability, Moncrief still says he's still the most dangerous in-stride, and he believes he'll be even tougher for defenders to keep up with in 2012.
"Hopefully, there will be a lot of deep balls this year," he said.
Approximately 25,000 showed up in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Saturday, as Ole Miss' Red team needed overtime to top the Blue team 24-23 in the BancorpSouth Grove Bowl.
Both teams operated very differently Saturday, as the Red team came out throwing while the Blue team used its ground game. Junior college transfer quarterback Bo Wallace threw a game-high 240 passing yards (16-of-26) with two touchdowns and an interception for the Red squad. Blue team quarterback Barry Brunetti ran the ball 14 times for 109 yards, including a long of 78 yards that set up the Blue's game-tying touchdown that forced overtime.
Though Brunetti only threw for 62 yards on 4 of 10 passing, it sounds like Ole Miss' quarterback job won't be settled until the fall.
Wallace got things started for the Red team when he capped an 80-yard drive early in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Donte Moncrief, who finished the game with three catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
The Blue later tied the game at 10 in the third quarter when quarterback Randall Mackey connected with receiver Ja-Mes Logan on a 19-yard pass. These two hooked up again for a 25-yard touchdown in overtime as well, as Logan finished the game with 88 receiving yards.
Wallace's 13-yard touchdown run in the third put the Red back up 17-10, but the Blue tied it late in the fourth on a 2-yard run by running back Devin Thomas.
Wallace hit Moncrief for a 23-yard touchdown to start overtime before Mackey's touchdown strike to Logan. The Blue team went for the win with a two-point conversion attempt, but Mackey's run was stopped short.
Blue linebacker C.J. Johnson had a game-high eight tackles and recorded a sack, while Red defensive linemen Carlos Thompson and Carlton Martin both registered two sacks. Junior college transfer cornerback Dehendret Collins recorded two interceptions.
You can check out more on Ole Miss' spring game on the school's official website.
Both teams operated very differently Saturday, as the Red team came out throwing while the Blue team used its ground game. Junior college transfer quarterback Bo Wallace threw a game-high 240 passing yards (16-of-26) with two touchdowns and an interception for the Red squad. Blue team quarterback Barry Brunetti ran the ball 14 times for 109 yards, including a long of 78 yards that set up the Blue's game-tying touchdown that forced overtime.
Though Brunetti only threw for 62 yards on 4 of 10 passing, it sounds like Ole Miss' quarterback job won't be settled until the fall.
Wallace got things started for the Red team when he capped an 80-yard drive early in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Donte Moncrief, who finished the game with three catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
The Blue later tied the game at 10 in the third quarter when quarterback Randall Mackey connected with receiver Ja-Mes Logan on a 19-yard pass. These two hooked up again for a 25-yard touchdown in overtime as well, as Logan finished the game with 88 receiving yards.
Wallace's 13-yard touchdown run in the third put the Red back up 17-10, but the Blue tied it late in the fourth on a 2-yard run by running back Devin Thomas.
Wallace hit Moncrief for a 23-yard touchdown to start overtime before Mackey's touchdown strike to Logan. The Blue team went for the win with a two-point conversion attempt, but Mackey's run was stopped short.
Blue linebacker C.J. Johnson had a game-high eight tackles and recorded a sack, while Red defensive linemen Carlos Thompson and Carlton Martin both registered two sacks. Junior college transfer cornerback Dehendret Collins recorded two interceptions.
You can check out more on Ole Miss' spring game on the school's official website.
Some end-of-the-week links just before the most wonderful postseason continues!
- Sources tell the Knoxville News Sentinel that Tennessee wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers received a two-week ban in the offseason because of an incident involving a strength coach.
- Athlon Sports provides us with its spring preview for Texas A&M and Tennessee.
- Missouri has found a home in the SEC.
- Arkansas is ready for its first scrimmage of the spring.
- Les Miles says LSU's final spring practice was productive and fun.
- Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was on the mark during Texas A&M's Pro Day.
- Auburn linemen Greg Robinson and Christian Westerman are raring to go after their redshirt seasons.
- Wide receiver Donte Moncrief is shining for an Ole Miss offense that is under construction.
- Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun takes a closer look at each of Florida's positions as spring practice enters its final week.
- After impressing at Alabama's Pro Day, Trent Richardson is hoping April's NFL draft is even better.
- Mississippi State doesn't have a problem with depth at linebacker this spring.
- Off-field issues continue to plague Georgia's football team.
Schedule: Ole Miss opens spring practice on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET. Four of the Rebels’ workouts this spring will be open to the public, including the ones on Friday and Saturday. Other open practices are on March 31 and April 14. The BancorpSouth Grove Bowl spring game is scheduled for April 21 at 2 p.m. ET at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. CSS will televise the game live.
What’s new: Just about everything. Running backs coach Derrick Nix is the lone holdover from the previous staff. Hugh Freeze takes over as head coach after leading Arkansas State to a 10-2 record and Sun Belt Conference championship last season. Dave Wommack is the Rebels’ associate head coach. He’s also the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Wesley McGriff, who was at Vanderbilt last season, will serve as co-defensive coordinator and coach the cornerbacks. Chris Kiffin is the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for the defense. Tom Allen is the special-teams coordinator and linebackers coach. Dan Werner and Matt Luke are the two co-offensive coordinators. Werner will coach the quarterbacks, while Luke will coach the offensive line. Both Werner and Luke served previous stints on the Ole Miss staff, and Luke played at Ole Miss. Grant Heard, who also played at Ole Miss, will coach the receivers. Maurice Harris will coach the tight ends and serve as recruiting coordinator for the offense.
On the mend: Linebacker D.T. Shackelford (knee), offensive lineman Darone Bailey (knee) and linebacker Keith Lewis (shoulder) will all miss the spring. Shackelford had a second surgery on his left knee in January. He missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in the spring. Freeze said a few players would miss this first weekend for academic reasons, including sophomore receiver/cornerback Nickolas Brassell.
On the move: Sophomore Aaron Morris will open the spring at offensive tackle. He started five games at left guard last season as a true freshman. Junior Charles Sawyer could see action at both cornerback and safety again this season, while Brassell factors in as both a receiver and cornerback.
Key battle: After what the Rebels went through last season, settling on a quarterback has to be at the top of their agenda. Junior college newcomer Bo Wallace is the guy to beat, but he also has to go out there and earn the job. He already knows Freeze’s offense, which should give him an advantage. Seniors Randall Mackey and Zack Stoudt split up most of the starts last season, although they combined for nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Junior Barry Brunetti, who transferred from West Virginia, will also be vying for the starting job. He started the opener last season for the Rebels, but didn’t play much after that.
New faces: Wallace is the obvious one after setting all sorts of passing records last season at East Mississippi Community College. It would probably be an upset if he’s not the Rebels’ starting quarterback in the fall. Three other junior college newcomers are also on campus. Pierce Burton of City College of San Francisco was highly rated among junior college offensive tackles and will be one to watch at left tackle. Dehendret Collins of Copiah-Lincoln (Kan.) Community College will push for playing time at cornerback, and Bailey could crack the offensive line rotation once he fully recovers from his torn ACL. He played at Coahoma (Miss.) Community College, but hurt his knee in the second game last season.
Breaking out: Sawyer was a very good player last season for Ole Miss. He has what it takes next season to develop into an All-SEC player and maybe even an All-American. He has excellent speed. He’s versatile, and he has a knack for making the big play. Look for Sawyer to also take on more of a leadership role.
Don’t forget about: Junior running back Jeff Scott was eighth in the SEC last season in all-purpose yardage with an average of 101.4 yards per game. But he was suspended for the last two games and may miss some practice time this spring because of academics. The 5-foot-7, 175-pound Scott is one of only three scholarship running backs on the roster and figures to play a key role in the fall, but he’s going to need some help. Senior Devin Thomas returns, and sophomore Nicholas Parker has dropped 20 pounds. Freshman I’Tavius Mathers of Murfreesboro, Tenn., will be on campus this summer and won’t have to wait long to show what he can do.
All eyes on: Sophomore receiver Donte Moncrief was one of the more dynamic true freshmen in the league last season. He led the Rebels in catches (31), receiving yards (454) and touchdown catches (four). The 6-2, 214-pound Moncrief averaged 14.6 yards per catch and should make even more big plays his second time through the league. The Rebels are going to need him to, especially with such an unproven running game.
What’s new: Just about everything. Running backs coach Derrick Nix is the lone holdover from the previous staff. Hugh Freeze takes over as head coach after leading Arkansas State to a 10-2 record and Sun Belt Conference championship last season. Dave Wommack is the Rebels’ associate head coach. He’s also the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Wesley McGriff, who was at Vanderbilt last season, will serve as co-defensive coordinator and coach the cornerbacks. Chris Kiffin is the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for the defense. Tom Allen is the special-teams coordinator and linebackers coach. Dan Werner and Matt Luke are the two co-offensive coordinators. Werner will coach the quarterbacks, while Luke will coach the offensive line. Both Werner and Luke served previous stints on the Ole Miss staff, and Luke played at Ole Miss. Grant Heard, who also played at Ole Miss, will coach the receivers. Maurice Harris will coach the tight ends and serve as recruiting coordinator for the offense.
On the mend: Linebacker D.T. Shackelford (knee), offensive lineman Darone Bailey (knee) and linebacker Keith Lewis (shoulder) will all miss the spring. Shackelford had a second surgery on his left knee in January. He missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in the spring. Freeze said a few players would miss this first weekend for academic reasons, including sophomore receiver/cornerback Nickolas Brassell.
On the move: Sophomore Aaron Morris will open the spring at offensive tackle. He started five games at left guard last season as a true freshman. Junior Charles Sawyer could see action at both cornerback and safety again this season, while Brassell factors in as both a receiver and cornerback.
Key battle: After what the Rebels went through last season, settling on a quarterback has to be at the top of their agenda. Junior college newcomer Bo Wallace is the guy to beat, but he also has to go out there and earn the job. He already knows Freeze’s offense, which should give him an advantage. Seniors Randall Mackey and Zack Stoudt split up most of the starts last season, although they combined for nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Junior Barry Brunetti, who transferred from West Virginia, will also be vying for the starting job. He started the opener last season for the Rebels, but didn’t play much after that.
New faces: Wallace is the obvious one after setting all sorts of passing records last season at East Mississippi Community College. It would probably be an upset if he’s not the Rebels’ starting quarterback in the fall. Three other junior college newcomers are also on campus. Pierce Burton of City College of San Francisco was highly rated among junior college offensive tackles and will be one to watch at left tackle. Dehendret Collins of Copiah-Lincoln (Kan.) Community College will push for playing time at cornerback, and Bailey could crack the offensive line rotation once he fully recovers from his torn ACL. He played at Coahoma (Miss.) Community College, but hurt his knee in the second game last season.
Breaking out: Sawyer was a very good player last season for Ole Miss. He has what it takes next season to develop into an All-SEC player and maybe even an All-American. He has excellent speed. He’s versatile, and he has a knack for making the big play. Look for Sawyer to also take on more of a leadership role.
Don’t forget about: Junior running back Jeff Scott was eighth in the SEC last season in all-purpose yardage with an average of 101.4 yards per game. But he was suspended for the last two games and may miss some practice time this spring because of academics. The 5-foot-7, 175-pound Scott is one of only three scholarship running backs on the roster and figures to play a key role in the fall, but he’s going to need some help. Senior Devin Thomas returns, and sophomore Nicholas Parker has dropped 20 pounds. Freshman I’Tavius Mathers of Murfreesboro, Tenn., will be on campus this summer and won’t have to wait long to show what he can do.
All eyes on: Sophomore receiver Donte Moncrief was one of the more dynamic true freshmen in the league last season. He led the Rebels in catches (31), receiving yards (454) and touchdown catches (four). The 6-2, 214-pound Moncrief averaged 14.6 yards per catch and should make even more big plays his second time through the league. The Rebels are going to need him to, especially with such an unproven running game.
Will DGB make an instant impact at Mizzou?
February, 15, 2012
Feb 15
1:00
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
From the moment Dorial Green-Beckham put that black-and-yellow Missouri ball cap on his head, the expectations for him at Missouri went through the roof.
Actually, the former Springfield, Mo., Hillcrest High star probably would have had relatively high expectations no matter where he signed. He's a special talent, who caught 119 passes for 2,233 yards and 24 touchdowns as a high school senior. The No. 1 receiver prospect stands 6 feet 6 inches and weighs 220 pounds, making him an ideal target for any quarterback in any type of offense. And even with his size, he still has the speed to be a legit deep threat at the college level.
Stop drooling James Franklin. You'll get to start working with him before you know it.
But will DGB be a star on the field from the word "go?" Will he immediately be that top-flight receiving threat that Missouri is still searching for in its offense? Will he take the SEC East by storm and help propel the Tigers toward the top of the division?
The hype machine says yes and he should benefit from having Franklin as his quarterback and being able to learn from vets, like T.J. Moe, who was Missouri's leading receiver last year, and Marcus Lucas, who emerged as a top receiving threat for the Tigers in 2011. However, he's never played on the level of the SEC or seen anything like what he'll see from SEC defenses.
Still, if DGB can nail Missouri's playbook down early and get pretty comfy in the Tigers' offense during the offseason, he could move from watcher to doer very quickly next season.
With his measurables and skill set, DGB could be a very special player in this league and if recent history is an indicator, he could very well make that immediate impact that Mizzou fans expect him to.
We don't have to go far to see success from rookie receivers in this league. Just last season Georgia's Malcolm Mitchell proved to be the Bulldogs' most talented pass catcher. He led Georgia, and was fourth in the SEC, in receiving, hauling in 45 passes for 665 yards and four touchdowns. He did that only playing 11 games, as a hamstring injury cut into his playing time during the middle part of the season.
There was also LSU's Odell Beckham Jr., who was second on the team in receiving and grabbed 41 catches as a frosh. Ole Miss' Donte Moncrief and Vanderbilt's Chris Boyd also made big impacts in their respective offenses, as Moncrief led the Rebels in receiving and Boyd led the Commodores with eight touchdown receptions.
Over the years, we've seen other freshmen come in and make their presences well known in passing games. Percy Harvin was one of the most exciting players to watch in 2006 at both a wide receiver and a running back, as he registered 855 total yards of offense and five touchdowns for Florida. In 2009, SEC All-Freshman mates Alshon Jeffery and Chad Bumphis led their schools in receptions and yards.
And who could forget what A.J. Green did at Georgia and what Julio Jones did at Alabama in their first seasons? Both could have just jumped to the NFL at the end of the seasons if they were allowed to. Coincidentally, DGB is being compared to both, so that's nice.
We've only seen a glimpse of what DGB can do as a football player and if the experts are correct, he has a bright future ahead of him. And Mizzou's faithful is hoping he can have the early success of some of those receivers who have come before him in this league.
Actually, the former Springfield, Mo., Hillcrest High star probably would have had relatively high expectations no matter where he signed. He's a special talent, who caught 119 passes for 2,233 yards and 24 touchdowns as a high school senior. The No. 1 receiver prospect stands 6 feet 6 inches and weighs 220 pounds, making him an ideal target for any quarterback in any type of offense. And even with his size, he still has the speed to be a legit deep threat at the college level.
Stop drooling James Franklin. You'll get to start working with him before you know it.
But will DGB be a star on the field from the word "go?" Will he immediately be that top-flight receiving threat that Missouri is still searching for in its offense? Will he take the SEC East by storm and help propel the Tigers toward the top of the division?
The hype machine says yes and he should benefit from having Franklin as his quarterback and being able to learn from vets, like T.J. Moe, who was Missouri's leading receiver last year, and Marcus Lucas, who emerged as a top receiving threat for the Tigers in 2011. However, he's never played on the level of the SEC or seen anything like what he'll see from SEC defenses.
Still, if DGB can nail Missouri's playbook down early and get pretty comfy in the Tigers' offense during the offseason, he could move from watcher to doer very quickly next season.
With his measurables and skill set, DGB could be a very special player in this league and if recent history is an indicator, he could very well make that immediate impact that Mizzou fans expect him to.
We don't have to go far to see success from rookie receivers in this league. Just last season Georgia's Malcolm Mitchell proved to be the Bulldogs' most talented pass catcher. He led Georgia, and was fourth in the SEC, in receiving, hauling in 45 passes for 665 yards and four touchdowns. He did that only playing 11 games, as a hamstring injury cut into his playing time during the middle part of the season.
There was also LSU's Odell Beckham Jr., who was second on the team in receiving and grabbed 41 catches as a frosh. Ole Miss' Donte Moncrief and Vanderbilt's Chris Boyd also made big impacts in their respective offenses, as Moncrief led the Rebels in receiving and Boyd led the Commodores with eight touchdown receptions.
Over the years, we've seen other freshmen come in and make their presences well known in passing games. Percy Harvin was one of the most exciting players to watch in 2006 at both a wide receiver and a running back, as he registered 855 total yards of offense and five touchdowns for Florida. In 2009, SEC All-Freshman mates Alshon Jeffery and Chad Bumphis led their schools in receptions and yards.
And who could forget what A.J. Green did at Georgia and what Julio Jones did at Alabama in their first seasons? Both could have just jumped to the NFL at the end of the seasons if they were allowed to. Coincidentally, DGB is being compared to both, so that's nice.
We've only seen a glimpse of what DGB can do as a football player and if the experts are correct, he has a bright future ahead of him. And Mizzou's faithful is hoping he can have the early success of some of those receivers who have come before him in this league.
The receivers/tight ends are on the docket Friday in our SEC postseason position rankings. The top two spots were easy. But after that, it gets a lot harder.
You can see our preseason rankings here.
Here's what we came up with for the postseason:
1. Arkansas: An easy call here for the top spot. Even though Greg Childs was unable to return to his pre-injury form, the duo of Jarius Wright and Joe Adams was outstanding. Wright set school records with 66 catches for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns. Don’t forget about Cobi Hamilton, either, or tight end Chris Gragg, who was third on the team behind Wright and Adams with 41 catches. There’s younger talent on the roster coming, too.
2. Georgia: One of the reasons Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray spread it around so much this season was because of the depth of his receiving corps, and it’s always nice to have the top pass-catching tight end in the league. Orson Charles caught 45 passes, including five touchdowns. The Bulldogs had five different players with at least four touchdown catches. Tavarres King led the way with eight, and freshman Malcolm Mitchell is a budding star in this league.
3. Alabama: The Alabama pass-catchers didn’t rack up a bunch of touchdown catches, but they made plays when they had to. It was a deeper unit than given credit for as evidenced by the play of Kevin Norwood and Kenny Bell in the BCS National Championship Game. Marquis Maze was Alabama’s top playmaker at receiver and one of the more underrated players in the league, and the Tide had two good tight ends in Brad Smelley and Michael Williams.
4. LSU: Rueben Randle is the reason the Tigers are this high. He led the SEC in league games with an average of 78.6 receiving yards per game and also averaged 19.1 yards per catch. Odell Beckham, Jr. was one of the league’s best freshman receivers, and even though Russell Shepard only caught 14 passes, four went for touchdowns. Look for Jarvis Landry to play a much bigger role next season.
5. Tennessee: The Vols should really be loaded at receiver in 2012 if Justin Hunter comes back healthy. He was off to a great start this season, but injured his knee in the third game. Da'Rick Rogers led the SEC with 67 catches, including nine touchdowns, and tight end Mychal Rivera was second on the team with 29 catches. The Vols added top junior college receiver Cordarrelle Patterson on signing day.
6. South Carolina: Alshon Jeffery alone puts the Gamecocks in the top half of the league. His numbers were down from his fabulous 2011 season, but he still caught eight touchdown passes. Ace Sanders provided some help underneath, but the Gamecocks didn’t have enough depth at the position to keep teams from shadowing Jeffery.
7. Vanderbilt: The Commodores made a big jump from where they were ranked in the preseason (11th). Sophomore Jordan Matthews was one of the most improved receivers in the league and gave the Commodores that big-play threat down the field they’d been missing. He had five touchdown catches and averaged 19 yards per catch. Redshirt freshman Chris Boyd also had a big season with a team-leading eight touchdown catches, and Brandon Barden was a nice target at tight end.
8. Auburn: Injuries killed the Tigers, especially with Emory Blake and Trovon Reed being out at the same time during one stretch. When healthy, Blake is one of the most dependable receivers in the league. Reed has yet to prove he can stay healthy, and there was really nobody else to provide any firepower in the deep passing game. The Tigers get bonus points here for Philip Lutzenkirchen, who had seven touchdown catches and is a terrific pass-catching tight end.
9. Florida: The Gators would appear to more talented than they’ve played at receiver the last couple of years. Andre Debose did come on this season and catch a few deep passes for touchdowns, and Jordan Reed has the tools to be one of the best tight ends in the league. The bottom line is that the Gators simply didn’t make much happen in the passing game all season long. In fact, none of the wide receivers on the roster caught more than 21 passes.
10. Mississippi State: The receiver position is an area that Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is still looking to bolster. Chad Bumphis hasn’t been the kind of difference-maker most predicted when he signed with the Bulldogs. Perhaps 2012 will be the season he changes that. Freshman tight end Malcolm Johnson showed a lot of promise and caught three touchdown passes, while Arceto Clark and Chris Smith each hauled in 30 or more receptions.
11. Ole Miss: Granted, the Rebels had issues at quarterback, which was a big reason they never established much of a passing game. But here’s the most telling stat: Ole Miss finished the season with nine touchdown passes, and six of those went to true freshmen Donte Moncrief and Nickolas Brassell. Opposing defenses are bound to see even more of those two youngsters next season.
12. Kentucky: Everybody beats up on the quarterback when the passing game is ineffective, but the Wildcats simply didn’t have a lot of guys consistently making plays at the receiver position. There were too many drops across the board, and even though La'Rod King did catch seven touchdown passes, he was quiet in SEC games.
You can see our preseason rankings here.
Here's what we came up with for the postseason:
[+] Enlarge
Nelson Chenault/US PresswireJarius Wright's 12 touchdowns and 1,117 yards led Arkansas' talented receiving corps.
Nelson Chenault/US PresswireJarius Wright's 12 touchdowns and 1,117 yards led Arkansas' talented receiving corps.2. Georgia: One of the reasons Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray spread it around so much this season was because of the depth of his receiving corps, and it’s always nice to have the top pass-catching tight end in the league. Orson Charles caught 45 passes, including five touchdowns. The Bulldogs had five different players with at least four touchdown catches. Tavarres King led the way with eight, and freshman Malcolm Mitchell is a budding star in this league.
3. Alabama: The Alabama pass-catchers didn’t rack up a bunch of touchdown catches, but they made plays when they had to. It was a deeper unit than given credit for as evidenced by the play of Kevin Norwood and Kenny Bell in the BCS National Championship Game. Marquis Maze was Alabama’s top playmaker at receiver and one of the more underrated players in the league, and the Tide had two good tight ends in Brad Smelley and Michael Williams.
4. LSU: Rueben Randle is the reason the Tigers are this high. He led the SEC in league games with an average of 78.6 receiving yards per game and also averaged 19.1 yards per catch. Odell Beckham, Jr. was one of the league’s best freshman receivers, and even though Russell Shepard only caught 14 passes, four went for touchdowns. Look for Jarvis Landry to play a much bigger role next season.
5. Tennessee: The Vols should really be loaded at receiver in 2012 if Justin Hunter comes back healthy. He was off to a great start this season, but injured his knee in the third game. Da'Rick Rogers led the SEC with 67 catches, including nine touchdowns, and tight end Mychal Rivera was second on the team with 29 catches. The Vols added top junior college receiver Cordarrelle Patterson on signing day.
6. South Carolina: Alshon Jeffery alone puts the Gamecocks in the top half of the league. His numbers were down from his fabulous 2011 season, but he still caught eight touchdown passes. Ace Sanders provided some help underneath, but the Gamecocks didn’t have enough depth at the position to keep teams from shadowing Jeffery.
7. Vanderbilt: The Commodores made a big jump from where they were ranked in the preseason (11th). Sophomore Jordan Matthews was one of the most improved receivers in the league and gave the Commodores that big-play threat down the field they’d been missing. He had five touchdown catches and averaged 19 yards per catch. Redshirt freshman Chris Boyd also had a big season with a team-leading eight touchdown catches, and Brandon Barden was a nice target at tight end.
8. Auburn: Injuries killed the Tigers, especially with Emory Blake and Trovon Reed being out at the same time during one stretch. When healthy, Blake is one of the most dependable receivers in the league. Reed has yet to prove he can stay healthy, and there was really nobody else to provide any firepower in the deep passing game. The Tigers get bonus points here for Philip Lutzenkirchen, who had seven touchdown catches and is a terrific pass-catching tight end.
9. Florida: The Gators would appear to more talented than they’ve played at receiver the last couple of years. Andre Debose did come on this season and catch a few deep passes for touchdowns, and Jordan Reed has the tools to be one of the best tight ends in the league. The bottom line is that the Gators simply didn’t make much happen in the passing game all season long. In fact, none of the wide receivers on the roster caught more than 21 passes.
10. Mississippi State: The receiver position is an area that Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is still looking to bolster. Chad Bumphis hasn’t been the kind of difference-maker most predicted when he signed with the Bulldogs. Perhaps 2012 will be the season he changes that. Freshman tight end Malcolm Johnson showed a lot of promise and caught three touchdown passes, while Arceto Clark and Chris Smith each hauled in 30 or more receptions.
11. Ole Miss: Granted, the Rebels had issues at quarterback, which was a big reason they never established much of a passing game. But here’s the most telling stat: Ole Miss finished the season with nine touchdown passes, and six of those went to true freshmen Donte Moncrief and Nickolas Brassell. Opposing defenses are bound to see even more of those two youngsters next season.
12. Kentucky: Everybody beats up on the quarterback when the passing game is ineffective, but the Wildcats simply didn’t have a lot of guys consistently making plays at the receiver position. There were too many drops across the board, and even though La'Rod King did catch seven touchdown passes, he was quiet in SEC games.
We officially said goodbye to the 2011 season Monday night and crowned the Alabama Crimson Tide as college football's new champions. Now, it's time to shift our focus to 2012. Here's to hoping the Mayans were wrong:
1. Alabama: The defense will get hit the hardest by graduation and the NFL draft, but Alabama's offense should be better. While it's almost a forgone conclusion that junior running back Trent Richardson will declare for the NFL draft, Alabama returns a veteran offensive line, has a good set of up-and-coming receivers and has some pretty talented running backs to work with, including pounder Eddie Lacy. Oh, and that quarterback ain't too bad, either.
2. LSU: The Tigers might have come up short in the big one, but it's not like LSU is going anywhere. That defense that ranked second nationally was made up by a slew of youngsters. LSU returns double-digit starters next year, including most of its front seven. A major bright spot for this team is that former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger will now get his chance, and has skill that Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee lacked.
3. Georgia: The Bulldogs might return more starters next year than LSU. After surpassing expectations and challenging LSU for the SEC title, the Bulldogs should enter next fall as the favorites in the SEC East. Stud quarterback Aaron Murray returns and so do most of his weapons. With arguably the easiest schedule (again) in the SEC, Mark Richt will be expected to take his Dawgs back to Atlanta.
4. South Carolina: There won't be any sleeping on the Gamecocks in 2012. After getting 11 wins for only the second time in school history, South Carolina should compete for the SEC East for the third straight year. The Gamecocks return a slew of talent, especially on defense, and saw tremendous improvement in quarterback Connor Shaw. Also, running back Marcus Lattimore should be back and healthy after his devastating season-ending knee injury.
5. Arkansas: The Razorbacks will lose a lot of key players that have helped Arkansas get to where it is under Bobby Petrino. Defensively, five seniors will say goodbye, while the offense will lose three NFL wide receivers. However, that offensive line, which grew up as the season progressed, will be much better and star running back Knile Davis should be back and healthy. Quarterback Tyler Wilson is back, so there shouldn't be much dip in the passing game even with some new faces at receiver.
6. Auburn: Those youngsters on the Plains will be more mature and much improved in 2012. That has to be a scary thought for other SEC members. Auburn doesn't lose much from its 2011 team and gets a great addition to the defensive side of the ball in new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. Offensively, there are weapons everywhere, but the key will be finding the right quarterback ... again.
7. Florida: Will Muschamp's first year as the Gators' head coach didn't go as planned, but there is still a lot of talent in Gainesville, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Florida loses just one starter on defense and should have one of the fastest, most aggressive defensive units around the SEC. Getting that offense going will be key to Muschamp's second year, but with all that turnover, it should be a fresh start for this unit.
8. Missouri: This new group of Tigers enters 2012 as a factor in the SEC East. Missouri returns nearly everyone from 2011, including quarterback James Franklin and running back Henry Josey, who both put up solid numbers in 2011. The Tigers will no doubt hit some snags as they transition into their new home, but with all the talent that returns, Missouri won't be a pushover in its first year in the SEC.
9. Tennessee: Derek Dooley has the pieces in place on both sides of the ball to compete in the SEC East. That young defense won't be so young in 2012 and quarterback Tyler Bray returns with his deep-threat sidekicks at wide receiver. With a solid offensive line, the next step for Tennessee is to find a consistent running back to help take the pressure off of the passing game. There's a lot of pressure on Dooley to get things done, and he has the talent to in 2012.
10. Texas A&M: The Aggies have the pleasure of entering the SEC as a Western Division team. That's not exactly a warm welcome. It doesn't help that Texas A&M is losing a ton from its 2011 team. There could be six NFL draft picks who won't be back in College Station next season. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill and top safety Trent Hunter are gone, and so is receiver Jeff Fuller. Christine Michael should do well as Cyrus Gray's replacement at running back, but the core of this team will be gone.
11. Vanderbilt: Year 1 of the James Franklin era was a success and there shouldn't be a lot of drop-off for the Commodores next season. Vandy loses top defenders Chris Marve, Tim Fugger and Casey Hayward, but a lot of veterans return on that side of the ball. Jordan Rodgers is back at quarterback, Zac Stacy returns at running back and wide receivers Chris Boyd and Jordan Matthews will be back. Running back and specialist Warren Norman should be back too and the offensive line returns four starters.
12. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs lose a lot on both sides of the ball in 2012, but should have a top cornerback combo in Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield. Losing Fletcher Cox up front will leave a hole on the defensive line and saying goodbye to linebacker Brandon Wilson won't be easy. Tyler Russell will probably get the first crack at quarterback for the Bulldogs, but he will be without his safety net in running back Vick Ballard. The good thing is that the receivers are back, but this team will have to grow up in a hurry.
13. Kentucky: The offensive line will have some missing pieces in 2012 and the defense loses six starters, including star linebacker Danny Trevathan. Maxwell Smith and Morgan Newton will battle at quarterback, but with how 2011 ended, Smith might have the advantage. This team struggled mightily on offense and the problem was that there wasn't a lot of improvement throughout the year. The offseason should be dedicated to find ways to get this offense moving.
14. Ole Miss: Hugh Freeze steps into a tough situation at Ole Miss. His first order of business needs to be improving the discipline on this team. It was awful in 2011, and if Ole Miss wants to improve it has to clean that up. The defense should get a boost with leader D.T. Shackelford returning from his season-ending knee injury and offensive playmakers Jeff Scott, Donte Moncrief and Nickolas Brassell are back. The offensive line loses some key components, and the quarterback situation is far from figured out.
1. Alabama: The defense will get hit the hardest by graduation and the NFL draft, but Alabama's offense should be better. While it's almost a forgone conclusion that junior running back Trent Richardson will declare for the NFL draft, Alabama returns a veteran offensive line, has a good set of up-and-coming receivers and has some pretty talented running backs to work with, including pounder Eddie Lacy. Oh, and that quarterback ain't too bad, either.
2. LSU: The Tigers might have come up short in the big one, but it's not like LSU is going anywhere. That defense that ranked second nationally was made up by a slew of youngsters. LSU returns double-digit starters next year, including most of its front seven. A major bright spot for this team is that former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger will now get his chance, and has skill that Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee lacked.
3. Georgia: The Bulldogs might return more starters next year than LSU. After surpassing expectations and challenging LSU for the SEC title, the Bulldogs should enter next fall as the favorites in the SEC East. Stud quarterback Aaron Murray returns and so do most of his weapons. With arguably the easiest schedule (again) in the SEC, Mark Richt will be expected to take his Dawgs back to Atlanta.
4. South Carolina: There won't be any sleeping on the Gamecocks in 2012. After getting 11 wins for only the second time in school history, South Carolina should compete for the SEC East for the third straight year. The Gamecocks return a slew of talent, especially on defense, and saw tremendous improvement in quarterback Connor Shaw. Also, running back Marcus Lattimore should be back and healthy after his devastating season-ending knee injury.
5. Arkansas: The Razorbacks will lose a lot of key players that have helped Arkansas get to where it is under Bobby Petrino. Defensively, five seniors will say goodbye, while the offense will lose three NFL wide receivers. However, that offensive line, which grew up as the season progressed, will be much better and star running back Knile Davis should be back and healthy. Quarterback Tyler Wilson is back, so there shouldn't be much dip in the passing game even with some new faces at receiver.
6. Auburn: Those youngsters on the Plains will be more mature and much improved in 2012. That has to be a scary thought for other SEC members. Auburn doesn't lose much from its 2011 team and gets a great addition to the defensive side of the ball in new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. Offensively, there are weapons everywhere, but the key will be finding the right quarterback ... again.
7. Florida: Will Muschamp's first year as the Gators' head coach didn't go as planned, but there is still a lot of talent in Gainesville, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Florida loses just one starter on defense and should have one of the fastest, most aggressive defensive units around the SEC. Getting that offense going will be key to Muschamp's second year, but with all that turnover, it should be a fresh start for this unit.
8. Missouri: This new group of Tigers enters 2012 as a factor in the SEC East. Missouri returns nearly everyone from 2011, including quarterback James Franklin and running back Henry Josey, who both put up solid numbers in 2011. The Tigers will no doubt hit some snags as they transition into their new home, but with all the talent that returns, Missouri won't be a pushover in its first year in the SEC.
9. Tennessee: Derek Dooley has the pieces in place on both sides of the ball to compete in the SEC East. That young defense won't be so young in 2012 and quarterback Tyler Bray returns with his deep-threat sidekicks at wide receiver. With a solid offensive line, the next step for Tennessee is to find a consistent running back to help take the pressure off of the passing game. There's a lot of pressure on Dooley to get things done, and he has the talent to in 2012.
10. Texas A&M: The Aggies have the pleasure of entering the SEC as a Western Division team. That's not exactly a warm welcome. It doesn't help that Texas A&M is losing a ton from its 2011 team. There could be six NFL draft picks who won't be back in College Station next season. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill and top safety Trent Hunter are gone, and so is receiver Jeff Fuller. Christine Michael should do well as Cyrus Gray's replacement at running back, but the core of this team will be gone.
11. Vanderbilt: Year 1 of the James Franklin era was a success and there shouldn't be a lot of drop-off for the Commodores next season. Vandy loses top defenders Chris Marve, Tim Fugger and Casey Hayward, but a lot of veterans return on that side of the ball. Jordan Rodgers is back at quarterback, Zac Stacy returns at running back and wide receivers Chris Boyd and Jordan Matthews will be back. Running back and specialist Warren Norman should be back too and the offensive line returns four starters.
12. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs lose a lot on both sides of the ball in 2012, but should have a top cornerback combo in Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield. Losing Fletcher Cox up front will leave a hole on the defensive line and saying goodbye to linebacker Brandon Wilson won't be easy. Tyler Russell will probably get the first crack at quarterback for the Bulldogs, but he will be without his safety net in running back Vick Ballard. The good thing is that the receivers are back, but this team will have to grow up in a hurry.
13. Kentucky: The offensive line will have some missing pieces in 2012 and the defense loses six starters, including star linebacker Danny Trevathan. Maxwell Smith and Morgan Newton will battle at quarterback, but with how 2011 ended, Smith might have the advantage. This team struggled mightily on offense and the problem was that there wasn't a lot of improvement throughout the year. The offseason should be dedicated to find ways to get this offense moving.
14. Ole Miss: Hugh Freeze steps into a tough situation at Ole Miss. His first order of business needs to be improving the discipline on this team. It was awful in 2011, and if Ole Miss wants to improve it has to clean that up. The defense should get a boost with leader D.T. Shackelford returning from his season-ending knee injury and offensive playmakers Jeff Scott, Donte Moncrief and Nickolas Brassell are back. The offensive line loses some key components, and the quarterback situation is far from figured out.
We kick off our season report cards today with the Ole Miss Rebels, one of three SEC teams that didn't qualify for a bowl game. Instead of the postseason, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Tennessee get summer school.
OFFENSE: F
Nothing went as planned for Ole Miss offensively this season. The Rebels had hoped to lean on their offensive line and pound away in the running game, but senior running back Brandon Bolden broke his foot in the opener. An even bigger problem was the quarterback position. Barry Brunetti opened the season as the starter and was replaced in the first game by Zack Stoudt, who was more of a pocket passer. Then it was Randall Mackey, who showed a few flashes before he was suspended at the end of the season. The three quarterbacks combined to throw nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, and the Rebels averaged just 16.1 points per game. It was even worse in the eight SEC games, as Ole Miss averaged just 11.6 points per game. The bright spots were true freshmen receivers Donte Moncrief and Nickolas Brassell. Moncrief led the team with 31 catches, including four touchdowns, while Brassell was second with 24 catches, including two touchdowns. There's some young talent returning, but the bottom line is that Ole Miss was held to a single offensive touchdown (or less) in six of its eight SEC games this season. In this league, that's a 2-10 season waiting to happen.
DEFENSE: D
Losing top linebacker and team leader D.T. Shackelford in the spring to a knee injury was a killer for the Rebels. Not only did it hurt them on defense, but it was a huge blow in the locker room. More injuries followed during the season, and defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix was left with a frighteningly young and inexperienced defense. The Rebels simply wore down after starting the season with an excellent defensive effort against BYU in a bitter 14-13 loss at home. Ole Miss finished last in the SEC in scoring defense and total defense. The Rebels gave up an average of 32.1 points per game, but were hung out to dry more times than not by an offense that couldn't score points and couldn't move the ball. Most of the Rebels' best players on defense were their youngest players. Sophomore cornerback Charles Sawyer had a team-leading four interceptions and was second on the team with 70 tackles. True freshman linebacker Serderius Bryant was an SEC all-freshman selection and tied for fourth with 61 tackles. Redshirt freshman linebacker Ralph Williams and true freshman linebacker C.J. Johnson also played key roles. Where the Rebels really struggled was up front. They had an SEC-low 13 sacks and simply couldn't stop anybody from running the ball, finishing 111th nationally in rushing defense and giving up 224.9 yards per game on the ground.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
If not for the kicking game, it could have been even worse for the Rebels. They had two different players return punts for touchdowns (Jeff Scott and Brassell) and finished second in the league in kickoff coverage. What's more, they didn't give up a touchdown on a kickoff return or punt return. Punter Tyler Campbell is lucky his leg didn't fall off during the season. He punted it 72 times, but averaged 43.6 yards per kick and had 28 downed inside the 20. Place-kicker Bryson Rose was 9-of-11 on field goals. One of his two misses was from 52 yards.
COACHING: F
In 14 seasons as a head coach in the SEC, Houston Nutt has certainly had his share of success. It's fair to say, though, that he won't look back on either of his final two seasons with much fondness. The Ole Miss program hit bottom this season, and Nutt was fired two days after the loss to Kentucky on Nov. 5. While Nutt deserves credit for leading the Rebels to back-to-back nine-win seasons and Cotton Bowl victories his first two years on the job, he simply didn't recruit well enough and had too many misses on the recruiting trail those first couple of years to make it long term in Oxford. Several player suspensions only made it worse this season, and the Rebels weren't a very disciplined team. They were 11th in the league in penalty yards and 11th in turnover margin. Hugh Freeze takes over an Ole Miss program that has lost 14 straight SEC games. He does inherit some promising young talent, but the climb in the Western Division will be a steep one.
OFFENSE: F
Nothing went as planned for Ole Miss offensively this season. The Rebels had hoped to lean on their offensive line and pound away in the running game, but senior running back Brandon Bolden broke his foot in the opener. An even bigger problem was the quarterback position. Barry Brunetti opened the season as the starter and was replaced in the first game by Zack Stoudt, who was more of a pocket passer. Then it was Randall Mackey, who showed a few flashes before he was suspended at the end of the season. The three quarterbacks combined to throw nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, and the Rebels averaged just 16.1 points per game. It was even worse in the eight SEC games, as Ole Miss averaged just 11.6 points per game. The bright spots were true freshmen receivers Donte Moncrief and Nickolas Brassell. Moncrief led the team with 31 catches, including four touchdowns, while Brassell was second with 24 catches, including two touchdowns. There's some young talent returning, but the bottom line is that Ole Miss was held to a single offensive touchdown (or less) in six of its eight SEC games this season. In this league, that's a 2-10 season waiting to happen.
DEFENSE: D
Losing top linebacker and team leader D.T. Shackelford in the spring to a knee injury was a killer for the Rebels. Not only did it hurt them on defense, but it was a huge blow in the locker room. More injuries followed during the season, and defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix was left with a frighteningly young and inexperienced defense. The Rebels simply wore down after starting the season with an excellent defensive effort against BYU in a bitter 14-13 loss at home. Ole Miss finished last in the SEC in scoring defense and total defense. The Rebels gave up an average of 32.1 points per game, but were hung out to dry more times than not by an offense that couldn't score points and couldn't move the ball. Most of the Rebels' best players on defense were their youngest players. Sophomore cornerback Charles Sawyer had a team-leading four interceptions and was second on the team with 70 tackles. True freshman linebacker Serderius Bryant was an SEC all-freshman selection and tied for fourth with 61 tackles. Redshirt freshman linebacker Ralph Williams and true freshman linebacker C.J. Johnson also played key roles. Where the Rebels really struggled was up front. They had an SEC-low 13 sacks and simply couldn't stop anybody from running the ball, finishing 111th nationally in rushing defense and giving up 224.9 yards per game on the ground.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
If not for the kicking game, it could have been even worse for the Rebels. They had two different players return punts for touchdowns (Jeff Scott and Brassell) and finished second in the league in kickoff coverage. What's more, they didn't give up a touchdown on a kickoff return or punt return. Punter Tyler Campbell is lucky his leg didn't fall off during the season. He punted it 72 times, but averaged 43.6 yards per kick and had 28 downed inside the 20. Place-kicker Bryson Rose was 9-of-11 on field goals. One of his two misses was from 52 yards.
COACHING: F
In 14 seasons as a head coach in the SEC, Houston Nutt has certainly had his share of success. It's fair to say, though, that he won't look back on either of his final two seasons with much fondness. The Ole Miss program hit bottom this season, and Nutt was fired two days after the loss to Kentucky on Nov. 5. While Nutt deserves credit for leading the Rebels to back-to-back nine-win seasons and Cotton Bowl victories his first two years on the job, he simply didn't recruit well enough and had too many misses on the recruiting trail those first couple of years to make it long term in Oxford. Several player suspensions only made it worse this season, and the Rebels weren't a very disciplined team. They were 11th in the league in penalty yards and 11th in turnover margin. Hugh Freeze takes over an Ole Miss program that has lost 14 straight SEC games. He does inherit some promising young talent, but the climb in the Western Division will be a steep one.
It was a big year for freshmen in the SEC, and some of the most hyped newcomers turned out to be the most productive.
Here’s our ranking of the top 15 true freshmen this season based on their productivity and overall impact on their teams:
1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina: The nation's No. 1 prospect coming into the season made a big splash with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss, leading all SEC freshmen in both categories. His five forced fumbles tied him for second in the league among all players.
2. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia: Had it not been for injuries and durability issues, Crowell was on his way to a 1,000-yard season. He had only 36 carries in his past five games but still managed 837 rushing yards and had 100-yard games against four SEC opponents -- Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and South Carolina.
3. A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee: He started in 10 of the Vols’ 12 games and led all SEC freshmen with 80 tackles, which was second on Tennessee’s team. He had his best games against the best teams with 11 tackles against LSU, 12 against South Carolina and 13 against Alabama.
4. Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia: One of the most explosive players on Georgia's team, Mitchell emerged as the Bulldogs' top deep threat, catching 38 passes for 614 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch.
5. Reese Dismukes, C, Auburn: A mainstay on Auburn's offensive line, Dismukes started all 12 games at center and helped pave the way for the Tigers to rush for 2,097 yards this season, ranking them fourth in the SEC.
6. Curt Maggitt, LB, Tennessee: One of the more promising big-play defenders in the league, Maggitt tied for third on Tennessee’s team with 56 total tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss. He started in eight games.
7. Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU: His numbers weren't eye-popping, but part of that is because the Tigers rotate so many defensive linemen. Johnson was a force in the middle and has three tackles for loss heading into the national title game.
8. Brian Randolph, S, Tennessee: He started in eight games and led all Tennessee defensive backs with 55 total tackles. Randolph was a safety for most of the season but started at cornerback against Alabama.
9. Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss: One of the Rebels' top playmakers, Moncrief led the team in catches (31), receiving yards (454) and touchdown receptions (4). He averaged 14.6 yards per catch.
10. Kenny Hilliard, RB, LSU: The Tigers didn't really unleash Hilliard until the Auburn game on Oct. 22, but he's been LSU's best power back since. He has nine touchdowns and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
11. Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas: With Jake Bequette and Tenarius Wright both suffering through injuries, Flowers stepped up in a big way with 5.5 tackles for loss, including a sack.
12. Vinnie Sunseri, DB, Alabama: He jumped right in as a valuable cog in an Alabama secondary that was one of the best in the country. Sunseri ranks eighth overall on the team with 31 total tackles.
13. Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida: He suffered an injury late in the season but held down one of the Gators' starting cornerback jobs up until that point. Roberson has all the tools to be a great one in this league.
14. Tevin Mitchel, CB, Arkansas: He emerged as one of the Hogs’ starters at cornerback late in the season and wound up sixth on the team with 53 total tackles. He had 13 in the comeback win over Texas A&M.
15. De'Ante Saunders, S, Florida: One of two true freshmen in the Gators' starting secondary, Saunders intercepted two passes and broke up two passes this season from his safety position.
Here’s our ranking of the top 15 true freshmen this season based on their productivity and overall impact on their teams:
1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina: The nation's No. 1 prospect coming into the season made a big splash with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss, leading all SEC freshmen in both categories. His five forced fumbles tied him for second in the league among all players.
2. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia: Had it not been for injuries and durability issues, Crowell was on his way to a 1,000-yard season. He had only 36 carries in his past five games but still managed 837 rushing yards and had 100-yard games against four SEC opponents -- Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and South Carolina.
3. A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee: He started in 10 of the Vols’ 12 games and led all SEC freshmen with 80 tackles, which was second on Tennessee’s team. He had his best games against the best teams with 11 tackles against LSU, 12 against South Carolina and 13 against Alabama.
4. Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia: One of the most explosive players on Georgia's team, Mitchell emerged as the Bulldogs' top deep threat, catching 38 passes for 614 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch.
5. Reese Dismukes, C, Auburn: A mainstay on Auburn's offensive line, Dismukes started all 12 games at center and helped pave the way for the Tigers to rush for 2,097 yards this season, ranking them fourth in the SEC.
6. Curt Maggitt, LB, Tennessee: One of the more promising big-play defenders in the league, Maggitt tied for third on Tennessee’s team with 56 total tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss. He started in eight games.
7. Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU: His numbers weren't eye-popping, but part of that is because the Tigers rotate so many defensive linemen. Johnson was a force in the middle and has three tackles for loss heading into the national title game.
8. Brian Randolph, S, Tennessee: He started in eight games and led all Tennessee defensive backs with 55 total tackles. Randolph was a safety for most of the season but started at cornerback against Alabama.
9. Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss: One of the Rebels' top playmakers, Moncrief led the team in catches (31), receiving yards (454) and touchdown receptions (4). He averaged 14.6 yards per catch.
10. Kenny Hilliard, RB, LSU: The Tigers didn't really unleash Hilliard until the Auburn game on Oct. 22, but he's been LSU's best power back since. He has nine touchdowns and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
11. Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas: With Jake Bequette and Tenarius Wright both suffering through injuries, Flowers stepped up in a big way with 5.5 tackles for loss, including a sack.
12. Vinnie Sunseri, DB, Alabama: He jumped right in as a valuable cog in an Alabama secondary that was one of the best in the country. Sunseri ranks eighth overall on the team with 31 total tackles.
13. Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida: He suffered an injury late in the season but held down one of the Gators' starting cornerback jobs up until that point. Roberson has all the tools to be a great one in this league.
14. Tevin Mitchel, CB, Arkansas: He emerged as one of the Hogs’ starters at cornerback late in the season and wound up sixth on the team with 53 total tackles. He had 13 in the comeback win over Texas A&M.
15. De'Ante Saunders, S, Florida: One of two true freshmen in the Gators' starting secondary, Saunders intercepted two passes and broke up two passes this season from his safety position.
OLE MISS
Record: 2-10, 0-8 SEC
The 2011 season looked like it was going to start with such promise for Ole Miss.
The Rebels led 13-0 over BYU in the early minutes of the fourth quarter in the season opener. They were playing great defense and had Vaught-Hemingway Stadium rocking. But the bottom fell out in the fourth quarter, and BYU came storming back to win 14-13.
It was a microcosm of the entire season for Ole Miss, which hit rock bottom. The Rebels limped to a 2-10 finish, their worst record since 1946, and saw their SEC losing streak reach 14 consecutive games dating back to the 2010 season.
Following the 30-13 loss to Kentucky on Nov. 5, coach Houston Nutt was fired, although he was allowed to finish out the season. The Rebels never won again, scoring a total of 13 points in their final three games.
It was offensive nightmare for the Rebels all season. They played three different quarterbacks and finished with nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Top running back Brandon Bolden broke his foot in the opener. He was able to return later in season, but the senior captain was one of four players suspended for the Alabama game.
There were multiple suspensions throughout the year, and the Rebels ended the season on a seven-game losing streak.
Defensively, Ole Miss showed signs of improvement early on, but was decimated by key injuries. It actually started in the spring when top linebacker D.T. Shackelford tore his ACL and was lost for the season. The Rebels sorely missed his productivity and leadership.
Offensive MVP: Receiver Donte Moncrief. There’s some young talent returning next season, and Moncrief is right there at the top of the list. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound freshman led the Rebels with 31 receptions, and he was also the team leader with four touchdown catches. Already mature beyond his years, Moncrief’s best days are ahead of him.
Defensive MVP: Cornerback Charles Sawyer. Even though he was just a sophomore, Sawyer was forced to take on a leadership role for the Rebels on defense and turned in a solid season all the way around. He finished second on the team with 70 total tackles and also had a team-leading four interceptions.
Turning point: The season-opening loss to BYU was disappointing, but the 30-7 loss to Vanderbilt two weeks later was the beginning of the end for Nutt. The Rebels were thoroughly outplayed and outcoached and were never the same again.
What’s next: Earlier this week, Ole Miss announced Hugh Freeze as Nutt’s successor. Freeze spent this season as the head coach at Arkansas State and guided the Red Wolves to a 10-2 record and Sun Belt Conference championship. He’s a native of Senatobia, Miss., and worked as an assistant on the Ole Miss staff from 2005-07. He has his work cut out, particularly in the rigorous Western Division. But his most pressing task is catching up with archrival Mississippi State, which has won three consecutive Egg Bowls.
Record: 2-10, 0-8 SEC
The 2011 season looked like it was going to start with such promise for Ole Miss.
The Rebels led 13-0 over BYU in the early minutes of the fourth quarter in the season opener. They were playing great defense and had Vaught-Hemingway Stadium rocking. But the bottom fell out in the fourth quarter, and BYU came storming back to win 14-13.
It was a microcosm of the entire season for Ole Miss, which hit rock bottom. The Rebels limped to a 2-10 finish, their worst record since 1946, and saw their SEC losing streak reach 14 consecutive games dating back to the 2010 season.
Following the 30-13 loss to Kentucky on Nov. 5, coach Houston Nutt was fired, although he was allowed to finish out the season. The Rebels never won again, scoring a total of 13 points in their final three games.
It was offensive nightmare for the Rebels all season. They played three different quarterbacks and finished with nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Top running back Brandon Bolden broke his foot in the opener. He was able to return later in season, but the senior captain was one of four players suspended for the Alabama game.
There were multiple suspensions throughout the year, and the Rebels ended the season on a seven-game losing streak.
Defensively, Ole Miss showed signs of improvement early on, but was decimated by key injuries. It actually started in the spring when top linebacker D.T. Shackelford tore his ACL and was lost for the season. The Rebels sorely missed his productivity and leadership.
Offensive MVP: Receiver Donte Moncrief. There’s some young talent returning next season, and Moncrief is right there at the top of the list. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound freshman led the Rebels with 31 receptions, and he was also the team leader with four touchdown catches. Already mature beyond his years, Moncrief’s best days are ahead of him.
Defensive MVP: Cornerback Charles Sawyer. Even though he was just a sophomore, Sawyer was forced to take on a leadership role for the Rebels on defense and turned in a solid season all the way around. He finished second on the team with 70 total tackles and also had a team-leading four interceptions.
Turning point: The season-opening loss to BYU was disappointing, but the 30-7 loss to Vanderbilt two weeks later was the beginning of the end for Nutt. The Rebels were thoroughly outplayed and outcoached and were never the same again.
What’s next: Earlier this week, Ole Miss announced Hugh Freeze as Nutt’s successor. Freeze spent this season as the head coach at Arkansas State and guided the Red Wolves to a 10-2 record and Sun Belt Conference championship. He’s a native of Senatobia, Miss., and worked as an assistant on the Ole Miss staff from 2005-07. He has his work cut out, particularly in the rigorous Western Division. But his most pressing task is catching up with archrival Mississippi State, which has won three consecutive Egg Bowls.
Some notes about the SEC that you might not have known heading into Week 10:
- This season, the SEC has had eight teams ranked in the AP top-25 poll a total of 59 times after the first 10 weeks — above the league's average for the past five seasons.
- Using the latest published depth charts from the 12 SEC teams, South Carolina has the youngest offensive starting lineup and the most experienced defensive starting lineup in the league.
- Using a numerical formula of 1 point for freshmen, 2 points for sophomores, 3 points for juniors and 4 points for freshman, the Gamecocks average 2.33 on offense and 3.45 on defense.
- The most experienced offense is Kentucky at 3.25, the least experienced defense Florida at 2.36.
- On defense, there are just eight freshman starters in the SEC, three of them at Tennessee. On offense, South Carolina starts four freshmen and Ole Miss three.
- Mississippi State starts six seniors on offense, followed by Alabama, Kentucky and LSU with five each. On defense, Arkansas, Kentucky and South Carolina start five freshmen each.
- Alabama has started slowly in the first quarter this season, but has quickly turned things around and finished strong. The Crimson Tide have outscored its opponents 243-25 in the final three quarters of games this season after holding just a 72-30 edge in the first quarter. The disparity has grown even wider over the past six games, when Alabama owns a 44-27 scoring edge in the first quarter and a 196-10 edge in the final three quarters. Alabama has outscored its opposition in the second half of the past six games by a score of 142-7, but has not allowed a second-half point in the past four. Arkansas, in Week 4, was the last team to score against Alabama after halftime.
- Arkansas has won five consecutive games against opponents from the SEC Eastern Division, the longest winning streak against Eastern Division foes in school history and the third-longest current interdivision win streak in the SEC. Arkansas’ previous record for consecutive games won against the Eastern Division was three (1992-93 and 2006). Arkansas is off to its best start under Bobby Petrino and is 7-1 for just the third time since joining the SEC in 1992.
- With its victory over Ole Miss, Auburn has extended its Jordan-Hare Stadium winning streak to 13 games, its longest at home since winning 13 in a row from 1993-94. It is tied for the sixth-longest home winning streak in school history. The Tigers are 25-4 in night games (5 p.m. or later) at Jordan-Hare dating back to the 2000 season.
- Florida quarterback John Brantley returned from injury to start last week against Georgia, throwing for 245 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 20.4 yards per completion, the highest of his career as a starting quarterback. The mark is the highest in the SEC and eighth-best in the country this season for quarterbacks with a minimum of 10 completions). In his career, the fifth-year senior has completed 332 of 541 passes (61.4 percent) for 3,893 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 14 interceptions and a passer rating of 131.9.
- Georgia senior Brandon Boykin and junior Branden Smith are seeing action on defense, offense and special teams this season. Boykin has four career kickoff returns for touchdowns, and against No. 5 Boise State, he had an 80-yard rushing touchdowns on his first career carry. He had a school-record seven kickoff returns and tallied 198 all-purpose yards against No. 12 South Carolina. Smith and Boykin split time as punt returners while Boykin is one of the top kickoff returners in the nation.
- Kentucky seniors Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy are the SEC’s top two tacklers. Trevathan charted a career-high-tying 17 tackles last weekend and is now the league’s top tackler with 94 to Guy 's 83. The duo are tied for fifth and 16th, respectively, in the nation with 11.75 and 10.38 tackles per game.
- LSU went the entire month of October without a turnover. The Tigers have turned the ball over just three times this season (two fumbles, one interception), with their most recent turnover coming in the fourth quarter against Mississippi State in Week 3. LSU has gone 336 offensive snaps, 59 possessions and 174 minutes and 52 seconds of possession time since its last turnover. LSU has given up just 41 points in the first five SEC games, the fewest since 1985, when the Tigers also allowed 41 points in their first five league games. LSU has won 17 consecutive games when winning the turnover battle. Under Les Miles, LSU is 33-4 when forcing more turnovers than it gives up.
- Six true freshmen and three redshirt freshmen have started for Ole Miss this season. True freshmen have made a combined 18 starts, while redshirt freshmen have made a combined 10. Freshman wide receiver Donte Moncrief is tied for fifth in the nation among true freshmen with four touchdown receptions.
- Mississippi State has won nine consecutive non-conference games dating back to head coach Dan Mullen’s first season in 2009. Mullen’s teams have posted a 10-2 non-conference mark, with a pair of losses in 2009 to nationally ranked Georgia Tech and a Houston team that received votes in both polls the week of the game. The Bulldogs’ 10 consecutive out-of-league wins marks the longest such streak since an 11-game run from 1989-91.
- Junior wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (167 receptions for 2,748 yards) needs just 33 yards to match Kenny McKinley (2,781) as South Carolina’s all-time leader in receiving yards. He needs three catches to pass Sterling Sharpe (169) for second all-time in career receptions. He also needs three touchdown catches to tie Sidney Rice on the school’s all-time list for touchdown receptions at 23. Jeffery is also tied for first at South Carolina with 11 100-yard receiving games and is sixth in school history with 16.5 yards per reception.
- Three of Tennessee’s six leading tacklers are freshmen in A.J. Johnson (1st with 57), Curt Maggitt (fourth with 34) and Brian Randolph (sixth with 31), making the Vols the only team in the country with freshmen as three of its top six tacklers. Tennessee is the only team in the country with two true freshmen among its top four tacklers. In fact, there are only a pair of schools – Miami (Fla.) and Army – that even have two in their top six.
- Vanderbilt’s Casey Hayward knocked down six Arkansas passes last weekend – tied for most in any one game in the country this season with Duke’s Matt Daniels, who did it against Richmond. Hayward was named this week as one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back. Hayward is tied for fourth nationally with five interceptions and is the SEC active leader in career picks with 13.
- Mississippi State is 27-16 against non-conference foes since 2000 and has a nine-game win streak against out-of-SEC competition.
- South Carolina and Arkansas are 1-2 in the SEC in non-offensive touchdowns scored this season. Carolina has five (four defense/one punt return) while Arkansas has four (one defense/one kickoff return/two punt return) and tied with LSU and Vanderbilt.
- Florida leads the SEC with 291-game scoring streak. The last time Florida was shut out was Oct. 29, 1988, when it lost 16-0 to Auburn.
- South Carolina is 3-0 in SEC road games this season. The Gamecocks have never gone 4-0.
- Vanderbilt’s scoring drives average 6.77 plays, fewest in the SEC.
- South Carolina is 21-37 against the Western Division and Arkansas is 24-34 against the Eastern Division. Arkansas has won five in a row against the Eastern Division.
- Ole Miss’ Brandon Bolden is the SEC’s second active leading rusher with 2,426 yards, trailing active leader Trent Richardson of Alabama by only 14 yards (2,440).
- Georgia leads SEC with 21 scoring drives of less than two minutes.
- South Carolina is second in the SEC in holding opponents to three-downs-and-out at 42.5 percent (45 of 106).
- Georgia sophomore QB Aaron Murray is already SEC’s leading active player in total offensive yards (5,077), completions (344), TD responsibility (48), TD passe (42) and passing yards (4,871).
- Tennessee is one of four SEC teams not to allow a non-offensive touchdown this season (Alabama, LSU and South Carolina).
- Georgia has scored first in seven of its eight games this season, second in the league to LSU, which has scored first in all eight.
Halftime: Ole Miss 17, Arkansas 7
October, 22, 2011
10/22/11
2:09
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
You never want to make the mistake of overlooking a team in this conference.
Arkansas might be guilty of that as Ole Miss is up 17-7 at the half against the Razorbacks. The Rebels rushed out to a 17-0 lead until Dennis Johnson went 52 yards on a run. Johnson has been the only bright spot in Arkansas' offense, but outside of his touchdown run he has netted just 14 yards on three carries.
Tyler Wilson has just 72 yards at the half, as Ole Miss' secondary has really stepped up. We haven't seen this sort of fire out of the Rebels' secondary all season, and the Rebels are without top defensive backs Marcus Temple and Wayne Dorsey.
If not for that long run by Johnson, the SEC's top offense might not have anything to show through the first two quarters. Arkansas has just 128 offensive yards at the half.
As for Ole Miss, the Rebels' offense has racked up 250 yards at the half, which is two yards less than what it averages each game. Quarterback Randall Mackey has completed 10-of-12 passes for 122 yards and a 31-yard touchdown to Donte Moncrief. The Rebels have also rushed for 128 yards.
Ole Miss' offense looks more like what we expected Arkansas' to look like today. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino looked upset at the end of the half, so expect his Hogs to come out a little more focused in the second half.
Arkansas might be guilty of that as Ole Miss is up 17-7 at the half against the Razorbacks. The Rebels rushed out to a 17-0 lead until Dennis Johnson went 52 yards on a run. Johnson has been the only bright spot in Arkansas' offense, but outside of his touchdown run he has netted just 14 yards on three carries.
Tyler Wilson has just 72 yards at the half, as Ole Miss' secondary has really stepped up. We haven't seen this sort of fire out of the Rebels' secondary all season, and the Rebels are without top defensive backs Marcus Temple and Wayne Dorsey.
If not for that long run by Johnson, the SEC's top offense might not have anything to show through the first two quarters. Arkansas has just 128 offensive yards at the half.
As for Ole Miss, the Rebels' offense has racked up 250 yards at the half, which is two yards less than what it averages each game. Quarterback Randall Mackey has completed 10-of-12 passes for 122 yards and a 31-yard touchdown to Donte Moncrief. The Rebels have also rushed for 128 yards.
Ole Miss' offense looks more like what we expected Arkansas' to look like today. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino looked upset at the end of the half, so expect his Hogs to come out a little more focused in the second half.
Some Wednesday linkage. We assume everybody took a late lunch today:
- The SEC needs Missouri more for image than football, writes Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier says Connor Shaw won't need to be looking over his shoulder on Saturday.
- Vanderbilt is looking for a bigger impact from receiver Jordan Matthews this week.
- Alabama coach Nick Saban says emotional teams have severe ups and downs.
- Auburn's Gus Malzahn, Mike Dyer and Kiehl Frazier are going back home to Arkansas.
- Once a Georgia commitment, Da'Rick Rogers wanted to build a new face at Tennessee.
- LSU's "second line" is still dancing, writes Glenn Guilbeau of Gannett Louisiana News.
- Ole Miss freshman receiver Donte Moncrief is catching on fast.
- Mississippi State's assistant recruiting coordinator resigns following his arrest on DUI charges.
- Broderick Green's early return sparks Arkansas' running game.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Chris Low
Low joined ESPN.com in 2007 after 10 years with The (Nashville) Tennessean covering the University of Tennessee and SEC. The Rock Hill, S.C., native lives with his wife in Knoxville and has three sons.
Edward Aschoff
Aschoff joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending four years covering the University of Florida for The Gainesville Sun. He grew up in Oxford, Miss., before attending UF, graduating with a B.S. in journalism.
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