A few things to kick things off with….
1. Based on conversations with multiple sources on Thursday, the expectations for junior quarterback David Ash are fairly low, although the injury is technically a day-to-day deal. While the school has been careful not to specify the extent of the injury, a source with knowledge of the situation told me that it was concussion-related, but that there have not been serious side-effects from Saturday. Still, it sounds like everyone is treating this cautiously, which is why he likely won't play on Saturday.
2. For those wondering, it's been tough sledding in terms of getting a definitive word on the status of Daje Johnson. There are whispers that we might be talking early-to mid-October before he returns. The goal might be to have him back by the Oklahoma game, but that does not appear to be a given.
3. The continued infusion of Desmond Harrison into the line-up will continue this week, but a source I spoke with on Sunday told me not to be focused on the line-up discussions pre-game. "There's been a lot of talk about finding the five best guys, no matter whose five guys are. It's a point of emphasis, but the answers seem to change. Look for them to tinker with the line-up and if they find something that works; that might just become the line-up."
4. I'm not sure what to expect on the defensive side of the ball this weekend, but I can tell you that the dismissal of Manny Diaz hit a lot of the defensive players really hard. Playing hard for Greg Robinson won't be an issue per a couple of people because he has the respect of the locker room, but Diaz was a popular person in the locker room and there's some hurt that isn't going to go away. "That's a group of young men that really need something good to happen early on Saturday," one source said.
5. I had someone that I trust tell me on Thursday that Stanford's David Shaw is viewed as a very attractive possible head coaching candidate. The same source that the future AD hire could tell us a lot about the direction of a coaching search and there was even a hint that some behind the scenes really like someone that has ties to Shaw. I'm not predicting anything, but file this little note away for the future.
6. A separate source told me that the vibe he is hearing behind the scenes if a change takes place at the end of the season, there also might be a preference to lean towards a defensive-minded coach, but a lot of the defensive-first guys that are on the radar don't project as perfect candidates because of baggage or inexperience. (Ketch)
*************************************************
Five-hundred and fifty yards rushing allowed later, the Texas football program - and athletic department in general - looks a whole lot different than it did after a 56-7 whipping of New Mexico State.
But 550 yards rushing allowed will do that.
Thus, Manny Diaz was let go by Mack Brown and replaced by Greg Robinson in a move seemingly only loved by Mack Brown. Players were initially mixed on Brown's decision to fire Diaz.
Later, they said they had no choice but to support Brown's decision. If the players show their support on the field, and the Longhorns win against Ole Miss on Saturday, Mack Brown buys himself another week.
If the players don't buy in, and they give up on Saturday, leading to a lopsided loss, Mack Brown's 16-year tenure at Texas becomes a lot more complicated.
If there reaches a point when the team gives up on Mack Brown, there have been indications Brown would walk away to spare his bosses, AD DeLoss Dodds and president Bill Powers, more negativity.
Would Brown possibly step down during the season? Or announce the Baylor game would be his last? That answer isn't clear at this point.
But there are indications Dodds may be stepping down as athletic director sooner rather than later. (His contract expires in August of 2015. But Dodds may not even make it to 2014.)
Multiple sources have said Dodds wants his successor to be the one to hire new coaches for football, men's basketball and baseball, if necessary.
The hiring of a new athletic director would be the call of Powers. As I've reported several times in the War Room, Dodds has recommended to Powers Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick as potential AD candidates.
Powers is a Cal graduate and has an affinity for the Pac-12. So Bowlsby, a former Stanford athletic director who hired Jim Harbaugh, would most likely be an attractive candidate to Powers.
But I'm told Powers has not settled on a lead candidate to replace Dodds at this point.
Powers has the biggest decisions to make if the football season goes south. His AD selection would spearhead the search for a new coach. And if Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby were to become the AD, you'd have to think Stanford coach David Shaw would get strong consideration.
Other coaches whose names I've heard who would get consideration to replace Brown would include: Shaw, Will Muschamp, Charlie Strong,
The name everyone assumes Texas would put at the top of the list - Nick Saban - wouldn't be the top choice of Bill Powers, according to sources. It would take a strong big-money-donor push to change Powers' mind, I'm told.
And the dynamics of the big money donors is changing, because so many are up in years, such as Joe Jamail, 87, and Red McCombs, 86. The fire of those boosters to have a say in the direction of everything isn't what it used to be.
Of course, everything starts Saturday night against Ole Miss. With every victory Mack Brown can collect at this point, it's another week he buys for Greg Robinson to get up to speed and for David Ash and Daje Johnson to get healthy.
But there's a very good chance Texas will have a new athletic director before the end of the school year, I'm told.
(Brown)
****
Look for the Bev Kearney lawsuit to flare up again in the first week of October. That's when it appears Kearney's lawyers will file their discrimination lawsuit against Texas. (Brown)
****************
We reached out to a number of different sources this week to touch on a variety of team topics. Some things I heard during the week.
--- The defensive players were "a bit in a daze" early in the week in working with new defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, which is too be expected.
--- Robinson had the Texas defense running a lot of 4-3 this week, with two DTs lined up over the center's shoulders.
"There is a staunch commitment to stop the run. I know, I know. How many times have we heard this? But Greg is schematically committed to stopping the run and he's trusting that Akina's boys will hold up on the back end," one source said.
--- Robinson is also trusting that his linebackers can play much better assignment football in his scheme. As one person said: "If (Texas loses), it won't be because of scheme. It will be because (UT's) athletes couldn't match theirs."
--- More from the same source: "The advantage of having Greg come in now is that he is not attached to certain players starting or not. He will play whomever is best at his scheme. Period. There is no tomorrow."
--- One person I spoke with said there's some definite pressure being felt in the football program. Not from the fans (that's a given after a loss), but from inside the program itself.
"It'll be interesting to see where this goes. Hopefully not in the way it went down in 2010," the source said. (Suchomel)
******
We talked to another source this week, this one a person who has worked very closely with Greg Robinson during Robinson's coaching career, including some knowledge of Robinson's workings during his first stint at Texas.
A miracle immediate turnaround isn't expected, but the reviews of Robinson were extremely positive. Some comments:
"I think it's a smart move. From what I know about him, Greg's attention to detail is second to none. That's my favorite thing. He teaches fundamentals better than any coach I've ever known.
"Greg Robinson, in my opinion, for what Texas has, is the best catch for this sinking ship defensively. I don't know the players personally, but if they have brains and can understand what they're supposed to do, they'll at least be in the right position," the source said.
I asked the source if Robinson would essentially "dumb it down" with the defense and simply the players' assignments.
"He does keep it more basic. He learned really fast back in '04 that college kids, they're not professionals, they don't act like professionals. It's not about money so they don't take it as seriously. They're 18 year old kids who are out chasing women," the source said. "He does dumb it down, he gets it down to a level where it's fundamentally sound. This linebacker leverage this gap, this linebacker fills this gap, if all the linemen do their job, you're going to be successful. It reminds me a lot of a Bo Pelini defense. And you can't argue with his defense."
The person I talked to wasn't convinced that Texas would immediately turn things around, on either side of the ball, because he thinks there are fundamental problems in other areas of the program, including the way Texas prepares in the off-season both physically and mentally. But in talking about Robinson, with whom has first-hand working experience, the reviews were positive. In fact, this person said Robinson's leadership rubbed off on none other than Vince Young.
"I believe, to this day, the reason Texas won in '05 is because of Greg Robison in '04. He has one of the most magnetic, energetic personalities you've ever been around. Failure is not an option for him and he gets the players believing that failure is not an option. He can single-handedly get that defense to believe it's good again," the source said. "Coach Robinson loves coaching and kids can tell that he loves coaching. His energy is infectious. I think it rubbed off on Vince Young. I think Vince Young, he learned some of his leadership abilities from Greg Robinson. I believe that.
"Back in '04, halftime of the (Oklahoma State) game was 35-14. The first thing Robison says when he comes into the locker room - 'We are going to whip their ass!' He's great at halftime adjustments. Texas went out and the rest is history. He didn't have to rip anyone's ass. He had confidence in the kids. It was amazing. And nobody doubted that Texas was going to win that game (coming out of halftime).
"He works so hard. The hours he puts in preparing - it doesn't matter the team. He prepares the same for North Texas that he does for OU. You can't substitute the attitude he brings to the team. Texas has talent. Everyone knows Texas recruits talent. There's question of the development, but the motivation of that talent, I think he does better than anyone I've been around."
The source said Robinson stresses "mass pursue," meaning it won't be a couple guys chasing the ball, but the majority of the defense. Robinson is obsessed with his players being in the right position, taking proper angles, taking ball carriers to the ground and stripping the football.
"I do believe Texas will tackle better. He emphasizes tackling. I do think they will have better technique, especially at the linebacker position. They go over technique, how to shed blocks, at every practice, without fail. He leaves no stone unturned," the source said. "He's very particular and pays great attention to detail. If Texas loses, it's because they're not physically prepared to play the game."
"One thing Greg does, he coaches mass pursue. He harps on it and he harps on it and he harps on it. I don't know what he's going to have time to install, he doesn't have spring ball and summer. He has a week. But I guarantee by the end of the season, Texas will be tackling better and instead of having one or two in on the tackle, they'll have five or six in on the tackle. They will hustle and they will tackle, I promise you. And they will try to strip the football." (Suchomel)
******
We caught up with our friend Chase Parham, editor of RebelGrove.com to get some thoughts on this week's game.
Parham's answers to five questions ..
1. The feeling in Austin is this is a much better team than Texas handled last year. What has Ole Miss done to improve?
Well, Ole Miss signed three of the top 14 players, including two of the top five, nationally in February, so that doesn't hurt. Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell and Laremy Tunsil are already playing major roles at profile positions, and the 2013 class was an extremely deep one with other players helping all over the field.
The biggest difference is Hugh Freeze's remarkable turnaround with his team mentally. It's a confident group that plays all-out for the coaching staff and has fully shaken off the winless SEC season in 2008. The Texas game last year was a noteworthy moment for the Rebels. Ole Miss players admit they were overwhelmed by that stage in Oxford and didn't handle it well at all. It served as a moment to learn from, as the Rebels beat Auburn a couple weeks later and handled games against Texas A&M, LSU and Alabama well the rest of the way, including providing huge scares to the Aggies and Tigers. Ole Miss grew up against Texas, even though it was a beatdown provided by the Longhorns.
2. What can Texas expect to see from the Ole Miss offense and who are the key players that Longhorn fans should know about?
Ole Miss will be an offense that looks like it belongs in the Big XII. The Rebels currently lead the SEC in plays per game and haven't gone 100 percent tempo to this point.
Quarterback Bo Wallace is fully healthy after playing most of last season with a separated shoulder, and he appears to be more mature and able to limit turnovers and bad decisions. Those killed him against Texas last season. Running back Jeff Scott has breakaway speed, as shown by his 75-yard touchdown with a minute left to beat Vanderbilt two weeks ago. Ole Miss is most dangerous at wide receiver. Donte Moncrief is an all-America candidate and was able to beat the Longhorns several times last season. Treadwell is already showing signs of being a complete freak. He caught nine passes in the win over Vanderbilt, the first Rebel to do so since Mike Espy caught nine against Auburn in 2005.
And true freshman tight end Evan Engram is a viable threat in the seam. He wasn't a highly sought after recruit, and he needs to gain weight to be a complete tight end, but he has great hands and can be dangerous in the passing game.
Of note, Ole Miss' offense is based on zone reads and read options, so that might make Texas cringe after last week. Wallace is extremely good at hiding the ball on the read and is a threat to pick up 10-15 yards on the keeper. He doesn't seem overly fast, but he ran away from the LSU secondary for a touchdown last season. Ole Miss' offensive line is good but not dominant. Tunsil and fellow true freshman Austin Golson, a 2013 Rivals250 member, are playing considerable snaps at left tackle and right guard, respectively.
3. Same question, but flip it to defense (and a quick summary of special teams strengths/weaknesses if possible) ...
Ole Miss is solid in the front seven defensively, with defensive end C.J. Johnson being the biggest pass rush threat. The Rebels rotate five players at defensive tackle, and Nkemdiche is still learning technique at end, but his sheer size-speed ratio -- 6-foot-4, 295 pounds and very quick -- is an issue for most tackles. Ole Miss is thin at linebacker but should be serviceable against the run.
The secondary is the issue, as the Rebels' best corner, Charles Sawyer, is out due to a DUI arrest last weekend, and depth at cornerback is non-existent. Senquez Golson missed most of fall camp with a hamstring injury and is Ole Miss' best at the position. The Rebels recently moved a safety to corner in Mike Hilton, and Quintavius Burdette is a sophomore in his first year at the position. Antonio Conner, a Rivals100 signee in February, Cody Prewitt and Trae Elston are very athletic safeties, but pass mid-range and down-field pass defense isn't their strong suits, so that's where Texas can attack. Ole Miss' base defense is a 4-2-5, but it can shift into a 4-3 easily.
Scott returns punts, and Jaylen Walton is the kick returner. He took one back for a touchdown against Texas last season. Ole Miss did an unorthodox thing and redshirted its All-America punter and senior kicker last season. Andrew Ritter is the placekicker and in his first year of that duty as a redshirt senior. He's been the kickoff guy for several seasons. He has a strong leg but consistency remains an issue. Punter Tyler Campbell was the NCAA statistical punting champion as a sophomore and has a cannon of a leg. He can flip the field easily but pinning opponents deep is sometimes an issue, as he gets a bit much on it often.
4. Any injuries of note that could impact Ole Miss this week?
Starting left guard Aaron Morris tore his ACL against Vanderbilt and is out for the season, leaving the Rebels with a by-committee approach at times along the offensive line. All-SEC linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche had meniscus surgery the day after Vanderbilt and is out a few more weeks. Starting receiver Vince Sanders broke his collarbone the first day of practice but has been back out there this week and could play this weekend. With the Rebels' depth at the position, Sanders' absence hasn't been a huge hindrance to this point.
5. What's the mindset of the Ole Miss team and fan base? Do you get the sense that they're expecting to win this game or is there trepidation after last year's outcome?
The team is confident and seems to have had this game circled for close to a year. The players admitted they were out-classed a season ago against Texas and have used that as motivation. The fan base seems to be battling confidence. Freeze has the program on an upward trend, but he admits this is still an early point of that process, and the depth and talent aren't top-tier SEC across the board. Texas' turmoil and injury situation has made Ole Miss fans more optimistic, but a decent percentage of supporters still expect bad to happen with a big opportunity like this. I guess I can relate. I'm a Saints fan and even after a Super Bowl and another NFC title game appearance in the last 7 years, I always expect the worst to happen. (Suchomel)
******
The Longhorns will host a couple key official visitors this week, headlined by Rivals100 running back Dalvin Cook
The Miami Central product remains committed to Florida, but this will be his second visit to Texas in the last two months (Cook took an unofficial visit in July).
Cook doesn't tip his hand much, and although he says he's planning to take his official visits, he maintains that he's 100 percent committed to Florida. Anyone buying that? This is an uphill battle for Texas, but Cook has been pretty open about his hope that UT continues to recruit him.
Get him on campus, pick up a good win and the door remains open. We'll touch base with Cook after his visit for a full report. (Suchomel)
******
Longhorn linebacker commitment Andrew Beck will be in Austin this weekend for his official visit.
Beck, out of Tampa (Fl.) Plant, said he remains firmly committed to Texas despite Manny Diaz's reassignment (Diaz was Becks's primary recruiter). As Beck put it, he committed to the University of Texas itself, and to head coach Mack Brown.
What happens if there is further staff shake-up?
"I committed to Mack Brown. As far as I'm concerned, I don't kneed to worry about it right now," Beck said. (Suchomel)
This post was edited on 9/12 11:59 PM by Suchomel
This post was edited on 9/13 12:00 AM by Suchomel
1. Based on conversations with multiple sources on Thursday, the expectations for junior quarterback David Ash are fairly low, although the injury is technically a day-to-day deal. While the school has been careful not to specify the extent of the injury, a source with knowledge of the situation told me that it was concussion-related, but that there have not been serious side-effects from Saturday. Still, it sounds like everyone is treating this cautiously, which is why he likely won't play on Saturday.
2. For those wondering, it's been tough sledding in terms of getting a definitive word on the status of Daje Johnson. There are whispers that we might be talking early-to mid-October before he returns. The goal might be to have him back by the Oklahoma game, but that does not appear to be a given.
3. The continued infusion of Desmond Harrison into the line-up will continue this week, but a source I spoke with on Sunday told me not to be focused on the line-up discussions pre-game. "There's been a lot of talk about finding the five best guys, no matter whose five guys are. It's a point of emphasis, but the answers seem to change. Look for them to tinker with the line-up and if they find something that works; that might just become the line-up."
4. I'm not sure what to expect on the defensive side of the ball this weekend, but I can tell you that the dismissal of Manny Diaz hit a lot of the defensive players really hard. Playing hard for Greg Robinson won't be an issue per a couple of people because he has the respect of the locker room, but Diaz was a popular person in the locker room and there's some hurt that isn't going to go away. "That's a group of young men that really need something good to happen early on Saturday," one source said.
5. I had someone that I trust tell me on Thursday that Stanford's David Shaw is viewed as a very attractive possible head coaching candidate. The same source that the future AD hire could tell us a lot about the direction of a coaching search and there was even a hint that some behind the scenes really like someone that has ties to Shaw. I'm not predicting anything, but file this little note away for the future.
6. A separate source told me that the vibe he is hearing behind the scenes if a change takes place at the end of the season, there also might be a preference to lean towards a defensive-minded coach, but a lot of the defensive-first guys that are on the radar don't project as perfect candidates because of baggage or inexperience. (Ketch)
*************************************************
Five-hundred and fifty yards rushing allowed later, the Texas football program - and athletic department in general - looks a whole lot different than it did after a 56-7 whipping of New Mexico State.
But 550 yards rushing allowed will do that.
Thus, Manny Diaz was let go by Mack Brown and replaced by Greg Robinson in a move seemingly only loved by Mack Brown. Players were initially mixed on Brown's decision to fire Diaz.
Later, they said they had no choice but to support Brown's decision. If the players show their support on the field, and the Longhorns win against Ole Miss on Saturday, Mack Brown buys himself another week.
If the players don't buy in, and they give up on Saturday, leading to a lopsided loss, Mack Brown's 16-year tenure at Texas becomes a lot more complicated.
If there reaches a point when the team gives up on Mack Brown, there have been indications Brown would walk away to spare his bosses, AD DeLoss Dodds and president Bill Powers, more negativity.
Would Brown possibly step down during the season? Or announce the Baylor game would be his last? That answer isn't clear at this point.
But there are indications Dodds may be stepping down as athletic director sooner rather than later. (His contract expires in August of 2015. But Dodds may not even make it to 2014.)
Multiple sources have said Dodds wants his successor to be the one to hire new coaches for football, men's basketball and baseball, if necessary.
The hiring of a new athletic director would be the call of Powers. As I've reported several times in the War Room, Dodds has recommended to Powers Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick as potential AD candidates.
Powers is a Cal graduate and has an affinity for the Pac-12. So Bowlsby, a former Stanford athletic director who hired Jim Harbaugh, would most likely be an attractive candidate to Powers.
But I'm told Powers has not settled on a lead candidate to replace Dodds at this point.
Powers has the biggest decisions to make if the football season goes south. His AD selection would spearhead the search for a new coach. And if Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby were to become the AD, you'd have to think Stanford coach David Shaw would get strong consideration.
Other coaches whose names I've heard who would get consideration to replace Brown would include: Shaw, Will Muschamp, Charlie Strong,
The name everyone assumes Texas would put at the top of the list - Nick Saban - wouldn't be the top choice of Bill Powers, according to sources. It would take a strong big-money-donor push to change Powers' mind, I'm told.
And the dynamics of the big money donors is changing, because so many are up in years, such as Joe Jamail, 87, and Red McCombs, 86. The fire of those boosters to have a say in the direction of everything isn't what it used to be.
Of course, everything starts Saturday night against Ole Miss. With every victory Mack Brown can collect at this point, it's another week he buys for Greg Robinson to get up to speed and for David Ash and Daje Johnson to get healthy.
But there's a very good chance Texas will have a new athletic director before the end of the school year, I'm told.
(Brown)
****
Look for the Bev Kearney lawsuit to flare up again in the first week of October. That's when it appears Kearney's lawyers will file their discrimination lawsuit against Texas. (Brown)
****************
We reached out to a number of different sources this week to touch on a variety of team topics. Some things I heard during the week.
--- The defensive players were "a bit in a daze" early in the week in working with new defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, which is too be expected.
--- Robinson had the Texas defense running a lot of 4-3 this week, with two DTs lined up over the center's shoulders.
"There is a staunch commitment to stop the run. I know, I know. How many times have we heard this? But Greg is schematically committed to stopping the run and he's trusting that Akina's boys will hold up on the back end," one source said.
--- Robinson is also trusting that his linebackers can play much better assignment football in his scheme. As one person said: "If (Texas loses), it won't be because of scheme. It will be because (UT's) athletes couldn't match theirs."
--- More from the same source: "The advantage of having Greg come in now is that he is not attached to certain players starting or not. He will play whomever is best at his scheme. Period. There is no tomorrow."
--- One person I spoke with said there's some definite pressure being felt in the football program. Not from the fans (that's a given after a loss), but from inside the program itself.
"It'll be interesting to see where this goes. Hopefully not in the way it went down in 2010," the source said. (Suchomel)
******
We talked to another source this week, this one a person who has worked very closely with Greg Robinson during Robinson's coaching career, including some knowledge of Robinson's workings during his first stint at Texas.
A miracle immediate turnaround isn't expected, but the reviews of Robinson were extremely positive. Some comments:
"I think it's a smart move. From what I know about him, Greg's attention to detail is second to none. That's my favorite thing. He teaches fundamentals better than any coach I've ever known.
"Greg Robinson, in my opinion, for what Texas has, is the best catch for this sinking ship defensively. I don't know the players personally, but if they have brains and can understand what they're supposed to do, they'll at least be in the right position," the source said.
I asked the source if Robinson would essentially "dumb it down" with the defense and simply the players' assignments.
"He does keep it more basic. He learned really fast back in '04 that college kids, they're not professionals, they don't act like professionals. It's not about money so they don't take it as seriously. They're 18 year old kids who are out chasing women," the source said. "He does dumb it down, he gets it down to a level where it's fundamentally sound. This linebacker leverage this gap, this linebacker fills this gap, if all the linemen do their job, you're going to be successful. It reminds me a lot of a Bo Pelini defense. And you can't argue with his defense."
The person I talked to wasn't convinced that Texas would immediately turn things around, on either side of the ball, because he thinks there are fundamental problems in other areas of the program, including the way Texas prepares in the off-season both physically and mentally. But in talking about Robinson, with whom has first-hand working experience, the reviews were positive. In fact, this person said Robinson's leadership rubbed off on none other than Vince Young.
"I believe, to this day, the reason Texas won in '05 is because of Greg Robison in '04. He has one of the most magnetic, energetic personalities you've ever been around. Failure is not an option for him and he gets the players believing that failure is not an option. He can single-handedly get that defense to believe it's good again," the source said. "Coach Robinson loves coaching and kids can tell that he loves coaching. His energy is infectious. I think it rubbed off on Vince Young. I think Vince Young, he learned some of his leadership abilities from Greg Robinson. I believe that.
"Back in '04, halftime of the (Oklahoma State) game was 35-14. The first thing Robison says when he comes into the locker room - 'We are going to whip their ass!' He's great at halftime adjustments. Texas went out and the rest is history. He didn't have to rip anyone's ass. He had confidence in the kids. It was amazing. And nobody doubted that Texas was going to win that game (coming out of halftime).
"He works so hard. The hours he puts in preparing - it doesn't matter the team. He prepares the same for North Texas that he does for OU. You can't substitute the attitude he brings to the team. Texas has talent. Everyone knows Texas recruits talent. There's question of the development, but the motivation of that talent, I think he does better than anyone I've been around."
The source said Robinson stresses "mass pursue," meaning it won't be a couple guys chasing the ball, but the majority of the defense. Robinson is obsessed with his players being in the right position, taking proper angles, taking ball carriers to the ground and stripping the football.
"I do believe Texas will tackle better. He emphasizes tackling. I do think they will have better technique, especially at the linebacker position. They go over technique, how to shed blocks, at every practice, without fail. He leaves no stone unturned," the source said. "He's very particular and pays great attention to detail. If Texas loses, it's because they're not physically prepared to play the game."
"One thing Greg does, he coaches mass pursue. He harps on it and he harps on it and he harps on it. I don't know what he's going to have time to install, he doesn't have spring ball and summer. He has a week. But I guarantee by the end of the season, Texas will be tackling better and instead of having one or two in on the tackle, they'll have five or six in on the tackle. They will hustle and they will tackle, I promise you. And they will try to strip the football." (Suchomel)
******
We caught up with our friend Chase Parham, editor of RebelGrove.com to get some thoughts on this week's game.
Parham's answers to five questions ..
1. The feeling in Austin is this is a much better team than Texas handled last year. What has Ole Miss done to improve?
Well, Ole Miss signed three of the top 14 players, including two of the top five, nationally in February, so that doesn't hurt. Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell and Laremy Tunsil are already playing major roles at profile positions, and the 2013 class was an extremely deep one with other players helping all over the field.
The biggest difference is Hugh Freeze's remarkable turnaround with his team mentally. It's a confident group that plays all-out for the coaching staff and has fully shaken off the winless SEC season in 2008. The Texas game last year was a noteworthy moment for the Rebels. Ole Miss players admit they were overwhelmed by that stage in Oxford and didn't handle it well at all. It served as a moment to learn from, as the Rebels beat Auburn a couple weeks later and handled games against Texas A&M, LSU and Alabama well the rest of the way, including providing huge scares to the Aggies and Tigers. Ole Miss grew up against Texas, even though it was a beatdown provided by the Longhorns.
2. What can Texas expect to see from the Ole Miss offense and who are the key players that Longhorn fans should know about?
Ole Miss will be an offense that looks like it belongs in the Big XII. The Rebels currently lead the SEC in plays per game and haven't gone 100 percent tempo to this point.
Quarterback Bo Wallace is fully healthy after playing most of last season with a separated shoulder, and he appears to be more mature and able to limit turnovers and bad decisions. Those killed him against Texas last season. Running back Jeff Scott has breakaway speed, as shown by his 75-yard touchdown with a minute left to beat Vanderbilt two weeks ago. Ole Miss is most dangerous at wide receiver. Donte Moncrief is an all-America candidate and was able to beat the Longhorns several times last season. Treadwell is already showing signs of being a complete freak. He caught nine passes in the win over Vanderbilt, the first Rebel to do so since Mike Espy caught nine against Auburn in 2005.
And true freshman tight end Evan Engram is a viable threat in the seam. He wasn't a highly sought after recruit, and he needs to gain weight to be a complete tight end, but he has great hands and can be dangerous in the passing game.
Of note, Ole Miss' offense is based on zone reads and read options, so that might make Texas cringe after last week. Wallace is extremely good at hiding the ball on the read and is a threat to pick up 10-15 yards on the keeper. He doesn't seem overly fast, but he ran away from the LSU secondary for a touchdown last season. Ole Miss' offensive line is good but not dominant. Tunsil and fellow true freshman Austin Golson, a 2013 Rivals250 member, are playing considerable snaps at left tackle and right guard, respectively.
3. Same question, but flip it to defense (and a quick summary of special teams strengths/weaknesses if possible) ...
Ole Miss is solid in the front seven defensively, with defensive end C.J. Johnson being the biggest pass rush threat. The Rebels rotate five players at defensive tackle, and Nkemdiche is still learning technique at end, but his sheer size-speed ratio -- 6-foot-4, 295 pounds and very quick -- is an issue for most tackles. Ole Miss is thin at linebacker but should be serviceable against the run.
The secondary is the issue, as the Rebels' best corner, Charles Sawyer, is out due to a DUI arrest last weekend, and depth at cornerback is non-existent. Senquez Golson missed most of fall camp with a hamstring injury and is Ole Miss' best at the position. The Rebels recently moved a safety to corner in Mike Hilton, and Quintavius Burdette is a sophomore in his first year at the position. Antonio Conner, a Rivals100 signee in February, Cody Prewitt and Trae Elston are very athletic safeties, but pass mid-range and down-field pass defense isn't their strong suits, so that's where Texas can attack. Ole Miss' base defense is a 4-2-5, but it can shift into a 4-3 easily.
Scott returns punts, and Jaylen Walton is the kick returner. He took one back for a touchdown against Texas last season. Ole Miss did an unorthodox thing and redshirted its All-America punter and senior kicker last season. Andrew Ritter is the placekicker and in his first year of that duty as a redshirt senior. He's been the kickoff guy for several seasons. He has a strong leg but consistency remains an issue. Punter Tyler Campbell was the NCAA statistical punting champion as a sophomore and has a cannon of a leg. He can flip the field easily but pinning opponents deep is sometimes an issue, as he gets a bit much on it often.
4. Any injuries of note that could impact Ole Miss this week?
Starting left guard Aaron Morris tore his ACL against Vanderbilt and is out for the season, leaving the Rebels with a by-committee approach at times along the offensive line. All-SEC linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche had meniscus surgery the day after Vanderbilt and is out a few more weeks. Starting receiver Vince Sanders broke his collarbone the first day of practice but has been back out there this week and could play this weekend. With the Rebels' depth at the position, Sanders' absence hasn't been a huge hindrance to this point.
5. What's the mindset of the Ole Miss team and fan base? Do you get the sense that they're expecting to win this game or is there trepidation after last year's outcome?
The team is confident and seems to have had this game circled for close to a year. The players admitted they were out-classed a season ago against Texas and have used that as motivation. The fan base seems to be battling confidence. Freeze has the program on an upward trend, but he admits this is still an early point of that process, and the depth and talent aren't top-tier SEC across the board. Texas' turmoil and injury situation has made Ole Miss fans more optimistic, but a decent percentage of supporters still expect bad to happen with a big opportunity like this. I guess I can relate. I'm a Saints fan and even after a Super Bowl and another NFC title game appearance in the last 7 years, I always expect the worst to happen. (Suchomel)
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The Longhorns will host a couple key official visitors this week, headlined by Rivals100 running back Dalvin Cook
The Miami Central product remains committed to Florida, but this will be his second visit to Texas in the last two months (Cook took an unofficial visit in July).
Cook doesn't tip his hand much, and although he says he's planning to take his official visits, he maintains that he's 100 percent committed to Florida. Anyone buying that? This is an uphill battle for Texas, but Cook has been pretty open about his hope that UT continues to recruit him.
Get him on campus, pick up a good win and the door remains open. We'll touch base with Cook after his visit for a full report. (Suchomel)
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Longhorn linebacker commitment Andrew Beck will be in Austin this weekend for his official visit.
Beck, out of Tampa (Fl.) Plant, said he remains firmly committed to Texas despite Manny Diaz's reassignment (Diaz was Becks's primary recruiter). As Beck put it, he committed to the University of Texas itself, and to head coach Mack Brown.
What happens if there is further staff shake-up?
"I committed to Mack Brown. As far as I'm concerned, I don't kneed to worry about it right now," Beck said. (Suchomel)
This post was edited on 9/12 11:59 PM by Suchomel
This post was edited on 9/13 12:00 AM by Suchomel
