2
Friday, September 30, 2016
Ole Miss has fair warning from Tigers
I
f you read about Ole Miss’ practice Wednesday in Thursday’s paper or online at oxfordeagle.com, you know Hugh Freeze wasn’t happy about it. “Everything,” Freeze said, from energy to execution to attention to detail was a concern as the Rebels entered their final preparations Thursday for Saturday’s regional rivalry tilt against Memphis at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Wednesday is the last day Freeze and any players or coaches are made available to us media folks each week, so nobody really knows how Thursday’s practice went. Yet Freeze’s midweek frustration wasn’t all that surprising. Saturday will flip the calendar to October, leaving behind a
brutal September that saw the Rebels win some and lose some against No. 1 Alabama, No. 12 Florida State and DAVIS POTTER No. 25 Georgia (which was ranked 12th this time a week ago). Putting in the type of physical and mental preparation needed to be locked in for those kind of games one right after the other can be draining, and there’s only so many times over the course of a season a team can get up like that without being exhausted. But after the last two seasons, Ole Miss is well aware of what it’ll get from Memphis on Saturday. The Rebels’ stunning 37-24
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
loss to Memphis last season came after another fast start that the Rebels have continued to make a habit of this season. It was a game the Tigers dominated after Ole Miss jumped out to a 14-0 lead with Paxton Lynch, who eventually became the first-round pick of the Denver Broncos, shredding the Rebels’ secondary with darts all over the place. Ole Miss beat Memphis 24-3 at home in 2014, but it wasn’t easy. That was during a 10-3 campaign for the Tigers, one in which people around the country began to take notice of just how good of a coach Justin Fuente (who’s now at Virginia Tech) is. Ole Miss led Memphis just 7-3 SEE POTTER, 15
MEMPHIS AT OLE MISS Rank: Not ranked Record: 3-0 (0-0 AAC)
Rank: 17 coaches, 16 AP Record: 2-2 (1-1 SEC)
All-time series: Ole Miss leads 48-11-2 and has a 19-2 edge in games played in Oxford. Memphis won last year. Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium When: Saturday, 6 p.m. TV: ESPN2 or SEC Network alternate channel Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network (105.1 FM)
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 3 — Another ‘test’ coming from Memphis Page 4 — Know Your Opponent: Memphis Page 5 — Rosters Page 6 — Lookback: 2014 Memphis Page 7 — McDowell making most of opportunity Page 8 — More mobile Rawlings thriving up front Page 9 — Bing-Dukes’ leap of faith paying off Page 10 — Moore growing in Rebels’ defense Page 12 — SEC Notebook
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
Friday, September 30, 2016
3
Another ‘test’ from Memphis awaits Ole Miss JOE MURPHY
BY DAVIS POTTER davis.potter@oxfordeagle.com
Last year, it was Paxton Lynch steering a high-flying offense. This year, it appears to be more of the same from Memphis with Riley Ferguson under center. A year after falling in a 37-24 stunner against the Tigers, Ole Miss is expecting another test from the new-look Tigers as the teams prepare to renew their regional rivalry Saturday at 6 p.m. at VaughtHemingway Stadium. “It is going to be a great test for us,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “I am excited to have the first night game in our stadium. I expect it to take it up another level for our fans. We need them desperately to make it difficult for opponents to play here, particularly on a Saturday night.” Memphis (3-0) is not only breaking in a new signal caller with Lynch off to the NFL. Justin Fuente left to take the head coaching position at Virginia Tech in the offseason with former Arizona State offensive coordinator Mike Norvell being tabbed to replace Fuente. Norvell’s offense is clicking with Ferguson at the controls, ranking fifth nationally in scoring (51.7 points per game). The 6-foot4, 210-pound Ferguson, who’s thrown for 843 yards and 11 touchdowns against just two picks, will test the Rebels’ defense much like it was last season against Lynch, who threw for 384 yards and three scores as the Tigers outscored Ole Miss 37-10 from the end of the first quarter on in last year’s victory. The offensive production has come against Southeast Missouri State, Kansas and Bowling Green — teams that are a combined 3-8 — but it’s impressive nonetheless. “I heard they put up 50-something points on Bowling Green at halftime,” defensive end John Youngblood said. “Any offense that does that is very explosive and will make you pay if you make mistakes.”
Multiple defense
Freeze noted the Tigers look different on defense, too, under first-year coordinator Chris Ball with much more looks than the one that slowed Ole Miss down a season ago. Memphis, one of just two teams to hold the Rebels to 24 points or less in their
Memphis’ offense doesn’t look much different this season with junior college transfer Riley Ferguson (4) behind center. Ferguson has thrown for 843 yards and 11 touchdowns for the nation’s fifth-best scoring offense and will present yet another challenge for Ole Miss’ young secondary.
last 11 games, has the nation’s fifth-ranked scoring defense (nine points allowed per game). Ole Miss will counter with an offense putting up 40 points a game this season behind an aerial attack that’s finding more and more weapons. Six different receivers have caught at least seven passes from Chad Kelly, including tight end Evan Engram, who’s been hard to contain for opposing defenses with team highs in receptions (26) and yards (397). True freshman A.J. Brown has caught 10 balls for 157 yards and two scores while sophomore DaMarkus Lodge caught his first touchdown — a 55-yarder — last week against Georgia. But the Rebels know better than to look past Memphis and its defense. “They do a lot more different stuff than they had in the past,” Kelly said. “They’re just all running around, flying to the ball and making plays. They’re athletic. They always have been. We’ve just got to make sure we go out and execute.” Ole Miss is ready to try to redeem itself in a game that means a lot for those on both sides of it. “Any time we play Memphis, there’s a little rivalry,” Kelly said. “It goes back a long time ago. It’s big for us players, big for this university.”
New Ole Miss Prints 125 Courthouse square • oxford, Mississippi • 662.234.6641
4
Friday, September 30, 2016
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT MEMPHIS
Behind his high-flying offense, Mike Norvell is the only first-year head coach in Memphis history to win his first three games.
Head coach: Mike Norvell (first season at Memphis, 3-0; 3-0 overall)
Results: beat Southeast Missouri State 37-14, beat Kansas 43-7, beat Bowling Green 77-3
Last meeting: Memphis shocked not only folks regionally but fans of college football nationally by knocking off then-No. 13 Ole Miss 37-24 a season ago in Memphis. The Rebels took a 5-1 record highlighted by an early season win at Alabama into the Liberty Bowl, but the Tigers, behind strong-armed quarterback Paxton Lynch, halted Ole Miss’ momentum by scoring 37 of the game’s final 47 points to get their first win in the series since DeAngelo Williams was running wild for Memphis in 2004.
Another first: For the second straight week, Hugh Freeze will battle wits against a first-year head coach on the opposing sideline. Mike Norvell was tabbed to replace Justin Fuente after Fuente parlayed his turnaround of the Tigers’ program into a better job at Virginia Tech. At just 34 years old, Norvell is the youngest FBS head coach in the nation. But Norvell has an idea of what he’s doing. The former offensive coordinator at
Arizona State has brought to the South a high-octane attack that’s spitting out numbers similar to what Lynch and company racked up a season ago. Memphis ranks fifth nationally in scoring (51.7 points per game) and 34th in total offense (478 yards per game). Stingy defense: As Ole Miss already knows, Memphis can play a little defense, too. The Tigers are 16th nationally in total defense (267 yards allowed per game) and are allowing just nine points a game, fifthbest in the nation. Ole Miss’ coaches and players have talked this week about how Memphis is more multiple on this side of the ball this season under first-year coordinator Chris Ball than last year when the Tigers held Ole Miss to two touchdowns and forced a handful of turnovers. Memphis is loaded with experience in the secondary with six seniors in the regular rotation, and that doesn’t count graduate transfer Jahmal Pardner. The Tigers aren’t bad at linebacker either with Grenada natives Genard Avery (16) and Shareef White (11) second and fourth on the team in tackles. Worth noting: Memphis’ numbers are impressive, but the strength of the Tigers’ schedule has to be taken into account. Ole Miss will be by far the stiffest compe-
tition to this point for Memphis, which outscored its first three opponents 118-13 in the first half. Southeast Missouri State, Kansas
JOE MURPHY
and Bowling Green, which had 50 points put on it by Memphis before halftime, have a combined record of 3-8.
www.oxfordeagle.com No. 1 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 28 28 29 30 32 33 33 34 35 36 37 38 41 42 43 43 44 45 48 50 52 52 53 54 54 55 57 58 61 62 63 67 68 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 83 84 85 85 86 87 88 89 89 90 90 91 92 92 93 93 94 94 95 95 96 96 97 97 98 98 99 99
Name Tony Bridges A.J. Brown Deontay Anderson DeMarquis Gates Damore’ea Stringfellow C.J. Hampton Tre Nixon DaMarkus Lodge Ken Webster Fadol Brown Jalen Julius Jason Pellerin Quincy Adeboyejo Rommel Mageo Breeland Speaks Marquis Haynes Chad Kelly Greg Eisworth Markell Pack Tony Conner Van Jefferson Kailo Moore Grant Restmeyer Victor Evans D.K. Metcalf Octavious Cooley Myles Hartsfield Drew Davis Jalen Julius Evan Engram Willie Hibbler Derrick Jones Shea Patterson Jarrion Street Terry Caldwell Akeem Judd Ray Ray Smith Jordan Wilkins Eugene Brazley Carlos Davis Tayler Polk Eric Swinney D.K. Buford Montrell Custis Martin Johnson C.J. Moore Cale Luke Cameron Ordway D’Vaughn Pennamon Armani Linton A.J. Moore Temario Strong John-Patrick Sherling Nathan Vanderburg Shawn Curtis Donta Evans Zedrick Woods Luke Davis John Youngblood Antwain Smith Garrald McDowell Detric Bing-Dukes Ty Quick Alex Ashlock Tyler Pittman Jack Raborn Sean Rawlings Michael Howard Austrian Robinson Will Few Jack DeFoor Sam Johnson Tyler Putnam Chadwick Lamar Michael Taylor Eli Johnson Kamden Darney Jacob Freely Alex Givens Chandler Tuitt Jordan Sims Bryce Mathews Royce Newman Rod Taylor Greg Little Robert Conyers Daronte Bouldin Talbot Buys Jeremy Liggins Javon Patterson Elliot Markuson Trey Bledsoe Gabe Angel Hunter Thurley Dawson Knox Alex Weber Walker Rynd D.J. Forte Ty Reyes Korbin Harmon Taz Zettergren Ross Donelly Jack Propst Nathan Noble Josiah Coatney Luke Logan Tyler Jackson D.J. Jones Will Gleeson Issac Gross Benito Jones Isaac Way Mac Brown Jordan Herbert Qaadir Sheppard Gary Wunderlich Grant Warren Charles Wiley Justin Charette Herbert Moore
OLE MISS REBELS Pos. Height/Weight DB 6-0/185 WR 6-1/225 DB 6-1/217 LB 6-2/211 WR 6-2/211 DB 6-0/186 WR 6-1/170 WR 6-2/190 DB 5-11/189 DE 6-4/273 DB 5-10/172 QB 6-4/230 WR 6-3/195 LB 6-2/233 DT 6-3/310 DE 6-3/222 QB 6-2/224 DB 5-11/184 WR 6-2/184 DB 6-0/225 WR 6-2/187 DB 5-10/188 QB 6-4/210 DE 6-3/240 WR 6-4/217 TE 6-3/246 DB 5-11/199 QB 6-1/208 DB 5-10/172 TE 6-3/227 LB 6-3/231 WR 6-2/188 QB 6-1/193 DB 6-2/207 LB 6-1/216 RB 5-11/228 LB 6-2/216 RB 6-1/215 RB 5-9/192 DB 5-8/170 LB 5-11/212 RB 5-9/210 RB 5-11/227 DB 6-0/186 RB 6-0/194 DB 5-11/193 WR 6-1/193 DB 5-11/184 RB 5-11/218 DB 6-2/215 DB 5-11/199 LB 6-0/229 LB 5-11/221 RB 5-7/184 LB 6-2/250 LB 6-1/233 DB 5-11/197 LB 6-2/215 DE 6-3/255 DB 5-7/187 DE 6-2/261 LB 6-1/247 TE 6-3/264 LB 6-1/225 DL 5-11/230 LB 6-1/226 OL 6-5/282 OL 6-5/250 DL 6-4/288 LS 6-3/242 OL 6-5/275 OL 6-1/268 OL 6-4/308 LS 6-1/206 LS 6-1/181 C 6-1/289 LS 6-1/227 C 6-2/282 OL 6-6/297 OL 6-4/315 OL 6-4/334 OL 6-6/275 OL 6-5/273 OL 6-3/329 OL 6-6/332 OL 6-5/298 OL 6-5/324 OL 6-8/320 OL 6-3/310 OL 6-3/307 LB 6-0/222 WR 6-1/205 TE 6-3/238 DE 6-4/241 TE 6-4/239 WR 6-1/180 WR 6-3/175 DL 6-3/255 DE 6-2/245 DE 6-4/235 TE 6-3/218 DT 6-1/306 LS 5-11/200 K 6-3/229 DL 6-4/293 K 5-11/195 K 5-11/191 DT 6-0/321 P 6-3/189 DT 6-1/263 DT 6-2/308 K 5-9/170 P 6-4/197 DT 5-11/291 DE 6-3/247 K/P 6-0/193 P 6-1/208 DE 6-2/253 K 5-10/195 DT 6-1/326
Yr. SR FR FR JR JR JR FR SO JR SR FR RS-FR SR GR-TR SO JR SR FR JR SR RS-FR SR FR SO FR FR FR SR RS-FR SR RS-FR SR FR FR SR SR JR JR JR SR JR SO SO RS-FR SR JR JR SO FR SO JR SR JR JR RS-FR FR SO JR SR JR SO SO-JC JR JR JR SO SO RS-FR RS-FR SR FR RS-FR SO SO RS-FR FR RS-FR SR RS-FR FR SO FR FR JR FR SR JR SR SR SO JR JR FR SR RS-FR SO FR FR FR FR SR SO FR SR SO-JC FR SR SR JR SR FR FR FR SO SO-TR JR JR FR FR JR
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day Hometown (Last School) Hattiesburg (Miss. Gulf Coast CC) Starkville Houston Meridian Perris, Calif. (Washington) Meridian Viera, Fla. Cedar Hill, Texas Decatur, Ga. Charleston, S.C. (FIU) Winter Garden, Fla. New Iberia, La. Cedar Hill, Texas Pago Pago, American Samoa (Oregon St.) Jackson Jacksonville, Fla. Buffalo, N.Y. (East Mississippi CC) Grand Prarie, Texas Purvis Batesville Brentwood, Tenn. Rosedale McKinney, Texas Dallas Oxford Laurel Sayreville, N.J. Bonita Springs, Fla. (Coffeeville CC) Winter Garden, Fla. Powder Springs, Ga. Sardis Eupora Shreveport, La. (IMG Academy) Trussville, Ala. Wilmington, N.C. (Northwest Miss. CC) Durham, N.C. (Georgia Military) Florence, Ala. Cordova, Tenn. New Olreans, La. Birmingham, Ala. Magee (Brandon HS) Riverdale, Ga. Oxford Jonesboro, Ga. Preston (East Central CC) Bassfield Clinton Pulaski, Tenn. Houston Walnut Bassfield Batesville Fairhope, Ala. Olive Branch Doral, Fla. Lawrenceville, Ga. Lake City, Fla. Trussville, Ala. Trussville, Ala. Southaven Covington, La. Tucker, Ga. (Iowa Western CC) Terry Cordova, Tenn. (Chattanooga) Kossuth (Bethel University) Advance, NC Madison Green Cove Springs, Fla. New York Augusta, Ga. Calhoun, Ga. Nashville Olive Branch Oxford Jackson, Tenn. Taylor (Lafayette HS) Upland, Calif. Picayune (East Miss. CC) Nashville Fayetteville, Ga. Homewood, Ala. Brentwood, Tenn. Nashville, Ill. Jackson Allen, Texas Miami, Fla. Canton Vicksburg (Holmes CC) Oxford (NEMCC) Petal Oxford Grenada Lebanon, Tenn. Nashville (Wofford) Nashville Lake City, Fla. Forth Worth, Texas Atlanta Marietta, Ga. Oxford Senatobia Houston, Texas Brentwood, Tenn. Greenville Douglasville, Ga. (Holmes CC) Hattiesburg Oxford (Itawamba CC) Greenville, SC (East Miss. CC) Melbourne, Aus. Batesville Waynesboro Franklin, Tenn. Eden Prarie, Minn. Klein, Texas Bronx, N.Y. (Syracuse) Memphis Pascagoula Stockbridge, Ga. Little Rock, Ar. Memphis
No. 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 19 21 22 23 24 24 25 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 35 36 37 38 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 44 45 46 47 47 48 48 49 50 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 59 60 61 63 64 65 71 72 73 74 75 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
Name Tony Pollard Jacoby Hill David Moore Tye Northern Anthony Miller Riley Ferguson Josh Perry Latarius Brady Sean Dykes Genard Avery Patrick Taylor, Jr. Curtis Atkins Brady Davis Darrell Henderson Arthur Maulet Jamil Collins John Williams Dontrell Nelson Sam Craft Chauncey Lanier Kendarian Jones DeMarco Montgomery Jonathan Cook Christian Johnson Jason Stewart Nehemiah Augustus Chris Morley Roderick Proctor Jae’Lon Oglesby Shaun Rupert Kam Prewitt Tyrez Lindsey B.J. Ross Tearris Wallace Deandre Jordon Austin Hall Jaylen McClanahan Jahmahl Pardner Jahod Booker Doroland Dorceus Darian Porter Sareef White Anthony Young Jacobi Francis Phillip Sumpter Jackson Dillon Tim Hart Evan Michael Spencer Smith Austin Duncan Quincy Wimbish Jonathan Wilson Chirstian Slaughter Thomas Pickens Trevor Morgan Gavin McCrary Christion WIlliett Steven Enis Malik Thomas Noah Robinson Jake Elliott Cotton Cochran Nick Jacobs Brennan Ryan Ernest Suttles Joseph Prevost Lenard Harden Lio Lafaele Jace Neville Tim Belles Dustin Woodard Drew Kyser Bryce Huff Andrew Ashe Hayden Ferrari Donald Pennington Malcolm Lane Brytain Peddy Cooper Williams Zane Sutherland Ryan Young Zach Collins Christopher Roberson Gabe Kuhn Trevon Tate Keenen Davis Jonathan Timmons Tauvaga ‘Tau’ Ho Ching II Harneet Gill Nick Thomas Scottie Dill Daniel Montiel Mechane Slade Hunter Hill Daniel Hurd Robby Young Kyle Oliver Joey Magnifico Ross Burcham Drew Bishop Phil Mayhue John Tate IV Nick Raby Peyton Jones Cortez Crosby Freddie Dillard Michael Edwards Khalil Johnson Emmanuel Cooper Jared Gentry Chase Joy
Friday, September 30, 2016
MEMPHIS TIGERS Pos. Height/Weight WR 5-11/200 DL 6-3/211 QB 6-2/185 DB 6-1/190 WR 5-11/190 QB 6-4/210 DB 6-3/183 DL 6-2/280 WR 6-2/210 LB 6-1/255 RB 6-3/216 LB 6-2/230 QB 6-4/205 RB 5-9/175 DB 5-11/190 DB 5-11/170 WR 5-9/165 DB 6-1/180 RB 6-0/210 DB 5-10/185 WR 6-1/175 DL 6-3/245 DB 6-0/198 DL 6-5/255 QB 6-3/205 LB 6-0/205 DB 5-11/195 WR 5-11/175 WR 5-11/175 DB 6-1/195 DB 5-11/175 DB 6-2/187 DB 5-9/185 RB 5-10/220 DB 6-0/200 DB 6-2/205 WR 6-3/175 DB 6-1/175 WR 5-11/185 RB 5-10/215 LB 6-3/230 LB 6-1/235 DB 6-0/200 DB 5-10/165 DB 5-11/200 LB 6-6/245 LB 6-1/220 P 6-1/230 P/PK 6-1/195 WR 6-2/205 RB 5-11/190 DL 6-3/265 DB 5-10/170 DB 6-2/200 LS 6-1/210 TE 6-3/254 DB 6-1/185 LB 6-2/235 WR 6-0/165 LB 6-4/225 PK 5-10/165 DB 6-0/195 P 6-1/195 TE 6-5/230 DL 6-5/265 LB 6-1/220 LB 5-11/205 OL 6-4/290 OL 6-6/290 LS 6-5/255 OL 6-2/285 OL 6-5/300 LB 6-3/245 LS 6-1/210 LB 5-11/210 DL 6-2/285 LB 6-1/215 OL 6-5/310 OL 6-0/280 LB 6-3/230 OL 6-3/265 OL 6-4/290 OL 6-7/330 OL 6-4/295 OL 6-4/280 OL 6-5/295 OL 6-5/320 OL 6-5/285 OL 6-7/265 OL 6-2/285 OL 6-7/285 TE 6-3/240 WR 5-8/165 WR 5-11/184 WR 6-2/220 TE 6-4/255 TE 6-4/246 TE 6-4/235 TE 6-5/225 WR 6-0/190 WR 6-3/210 DL 6-4/290 DL 6-4/240 DL 6-6/235 DL 6-1/270 DL 6-3/265 DL 6-2/295 DL 6-5/250 DL 6-1/275 DL 6-2/325 DL 6-3/292
Yr. RS-FR FR FR RS-SR RS-JR TR-JR FR RS-SR FR JR FR RS-SO RS-FR FR SR RS-JR FR SR SR RS-SR RS-FR SR TR-JR RS-JR RS-SR FR RS-SR JR SO RS-JR (TR) RS-FR FR SR SR SR RS-FR RS-FR RS-SR (TR) FR RS-JR RS-JR JR RS-JR FR RS-JR SR FR RS-JR RS-JR FR FR FR RS-JR FR SR RS-FR (TR) FR RS-FR RS-SO JR SR FR JR FR RS-JR RS-FR SR JR-TR RS-SO RS-FR FR SO FR JR-TR RS-FR RS-SR RS-FR RS-FR RS-SO FR FR RS-JR RS-SR RS-JR RS-SO RS-FR FR SO-TR JR-TR RS-SO RS-FR RS-SR RS-FR FR RS-SR RS-JR SO-TR RS-FR RS-FR RS’SR JR FR RS-FR RS-FR RS-JR FR SR RS-FR SO So FR
5
Hometown (Last School) Memphis Atlanta Alpharetta, Ga. Tunica Memphis Matthews, N.C. (Coffeyville CC) Amite, La. Memphis Houston Grenada Humble, Texas Byhalia Columbus Batesville Harvey, La. (Copiah-Lincoln CC) Olive Branch Destrehan, La. Olive Branch Memphis Davie, Fla. Dallas Atmore, Ala. (East Mississippi CC) Daphne, Ala. (Garden City CC) Memphis Alexandria, Va. (Fort Scott CC) Patterson, La. Plantation, Fla. Orlando Central, S.C. (Fort Union Military Aca.) Montgomery, Ala. (Missouri) Birmingham, Ala. Dothan, Ala. Melbourne, Fla. Bentonville, Ark. Sylmar, Calif. (Pierce College) Collierville, Tenn. Clarksville, Tenn. Rochester, N.Y. (Towson) Montgomery, Ala. New Orleans Louisville, Ky. (Mt. San Jacinto College) Grenada Memphis Covington, Ga. Edmond, Okla. Ringling, Okla. Memphis Germantown, Tenn. Newnan, Ga. Medina, Tenn. Carson, Calif. Port Sulphur, La. Cedar Hill, Texas Memphis Fayetteville, Ga. Germantown, Tenn. (SE Missouri) Germantown, Tenn. Fayette, Ala. Memphis Worcester, Mass. (Atlanta Sports Aca.) Western Springs, Ill. Memphis Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Bartlett, Tenn. Tampa, Fla. Marrero, La. Memphis Corona, Calif. (Riverside CC) Columbia, Mo. Germantown, Tenn. Chandler, Ariz. Opelika, Ala. Mobile, Ala. Pontotoc (NE Mississippi CC) Memphis Amite, La. Chattanooga, Tenn. Munford, Tenn. Memphis Seymour, Tenn. Memphis Memphis Memphis Wildwood, Mo. Houston Horn Lake Memphis Upland, Calif. (Mt. San Antonio JC) St. Charles, Mo. (Butler CC) Bartlett, Tenn. Eads, Tenn. Arlington, Texas Roswell, Ga. Memphis Memphis Germantown, Tenn. LaVergne, Tenn. (Jones County JC) Cordova, Tenn. Adamsville, Tenn. Memphis Sicklierville, N.J. (Atlanta Sports Aca.) Pine Bluff, Ark. Cape Coral, Fla. Memphis Commerce, Texas Memphis Sun Prarie, Wis. (Iowa Western CC) Dallas Arkadelphia, Ark. Opelika, Ala. Dyersburg, Tenn.
6
Friday, September 30, 2016
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
Ole Miss turns back clock in win over Memphis BY JAKE THOMPSON jake.thompson@oxfordeagle.com
No. 16 Ole Miss hosts undefeated Memphis on Saturday. It is the third year in a row the Rebels and Tigers have tangled. Before they renewed their rivalry in 2014, it had been four years since the two met on the gridiron. On Sept. 27, 2014, Ole Miss, then 4-0 and ranked No. 10 in the nation, hosted Memphis in what was considered a trap game placed in front of them before a potential Top-10 battle with Alabama the following week. We BRUCE NEWMAN all know what happened, Ole Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) outruns Memphis defensive back Miss shocked No. 2 Alabama Fritz Etienne (15) to score on a 63-yard pass play at Vaught-Hemingway Sta- inside Vaught-Hemingway dium in Oxford on Sept. 27, 2014. The Rebels won 24-3.
@juvaoxford
LOOKBACK: 2014 MEMPHIS Stadium, but before that, the Rebels handled Memphis thanks to some late-game touchdowns for a 24-3 win. The game was closer than most people probably expected it to be with Memphis trailing by less than a touchdown at the start of the four quarter as Ole Miss led 7-3. With 13 minutes left in the game, Ole Miss was able to pull away from the Tigers thanks to some timely defense and the offense being able to cash in on the opportunities. Issac Gross
landed on a Memphis fumble and one play later, running back Jaylen Walton scampered into the end zone with a 22-yard run to make it 17-3, giving Ole Miss some breathing room. With just over a minute left in the game, Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace found receiver Laquon Treadwell for a 17-yard touchdown, icing away the game and allowing the Rebels to finally turn their attention to Alabama. “It’s good to play a fourth-quarter game against a good football team and get a win,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said postgame. “Now we can talk all you want about (Alabama).” SEE CLOCK, 13
DON’T RELY ON THE LITTER BOX THIS WEEKEND
CALL RICK’S PLUMBING #HYDRate when you tailgate!
662-380-5043 Ask about catering! 1801 West Jackson Ave.
662-236-5985 Office 662-816-5984 Cell
24 Hour Emergency Service Residential & Commercial Licensed, Bonded & Insured Worker’s Comp & Liability
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
Friday, September 30, 2016
7
McDowell making most of his long-awaited opportunity BY JAKE THOMPSON jake.thompson@oxfordeagle.com
Injuries are a bittersweet occurrence. For the player who is injured, it is devastating with the unknowns of how long they will be out or the severity of the injury at times. For others, it provides an opportunity and opens a door that might not have been opened any other way that particular season. Garrald McDowell has had a door open and he ran through it. When it was announced that senior defensive end Fadol Brown was still bothered by his foot injury during fall camp, it was going to fall on fellow senior John Youngblood to step
up and fill those shoes. As the season has progressed, head coach Hugh Freeze gave a status update on Brown before last week’s game with Georgia, stating his injury is now a “longterm” situation. That caused Brown to be removed from the two-deep depth chart all together — where he had been listed as the No. 2 strongside defensive end behind Youngblood — with some younger players sliding up the list. McDowell was that guy who is now slotted right behind Youngblood as the new No. 2 defensive end. After redshirting in 2014 and playing in a spot role on defense and special teams, it is now McDowell’s opportunity to show he can be
a productive starting defensive end for next year and the next after Youngblood and Brown depart. “When I first came here, I had a lot of things to work on,” McDowell said. “As the spring and summer progressed, I worked on all those. It’s paid off, but I just have to keep on working on all the little things and everything.” McDowell played in nine games in 2015 but has played in all four games of the young 2016 season. He has recorded eight tackles with four of them coming against Georgia, including his first career sack. “My confidence has increased a lot,” McDowell said. SEE MCDOWELL, 11
BRUCE NEWMAN
After spending his first two seasons at Ole Miss working on his game, defensive end Garrald McDowell is getting his most extensive playing time.
Poppa’s
Wine & Spirits
www.poppaswineandspirits.com
FREE Engraving Become a loyalty member and receive 10% off 662-234-9779 • 2305 West Jackson Ave. #215 • Oxford, MS 38655
8
Friday, September 30, 2016
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
Now more ‘mobile,’ Rawlings thriving up front for Rebels BY JAKE THOMPSON jake.thompson@oxfordeagle.com
There are a lot of players on the Ole Miss roster that are in their first or second year of seeing considerable amounts of time on the field. That is either due to depth issues or the injury bug striking a position group, causing some shuffling to occur. It was a little of both for the offensive line group last year, and Sean Rawlings is one of those people who benefited from it. The starting right tackle was thrown into the fire last year, playing in 10 games and starting seven of them as a redshirt freshman. His BRUCE NEWMAN performance helped him earn his A more agile Sean Rawlings (50) is benefiting from the experience first letter. With that experience gained playing as a redshirt freshman a season ago. and a full offseason of spring drills
Oxford Location: 2204 Jackson Ave. W. 662-238-7802
Batesville Location: 440 Hwy 6 E 662-712-6102
GOOD LUCK TO THE REBS, CHARGERS, COMMODORES & BLUE DEVILS ON YOUR 2016 SEASON!
New Albany Location: 216 Bankhead St 662-598-2111
R!!
IVE L E D WE
and the summer, Rawlings has seen his progression take shape. “I feel like I’ve grown,” Rawlings said. “That’s because of experience. That experience has helped me out a lot. I feel like collectively as an offensive line we’re really starting to get this thing rolling.” The collective group is still a young offensive front that is tasked with protecting quarterback Chad Kelly every week. Rawlings is one of three starting sophomores along with left guard Javon Patterson and right guard Jordan Sims. There are three freshmen on the twodeep in Greg Little, Tyler Putman and Alex Givens and only two juniors in Rod Taylor and Daronte Bouldin. The lone starting senior is center Robert Conyers. “Robert brings a lot of lead-
ership,” Rawlings said. “A lot of motivation to us and energy. I think that me, Jordan and Javon, because of the experience last year, we’re starting to get molded into that leadership role.” On the field, things are starting to come a little easier for Rawlings. Going from Friday nights at Madison-Ridgeland Academy in 2013 to Saturdays against some of the nation’s top defensive linemen two years later — he redshirted in 2014 — was quite the adjustment. After a year under his belt and another fall camp of practicing against the Ole Miss defense, he is getting the hang of life as a Southeastern Conference lineman. SEE RAWLINGS, 14
www.oxfordeagle.com
Friday, September 30, 2016
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
9
On leap of faith, Bing-Dukes emerges for Rebels’ defense BY DAVIS POTTER davis.potter@oxfordeagle.com
Detric Bing-Dukes took what he called a leap of faith a little more than a year ago. He’s made an impactful landing. Bing-Dukes made his first start for Ole Miss on Saturday against Georgia, a team’s depth chart on which Bing-Dukes once thought he was too deeply buried. The Rebels’ sophomore helped a linebacking corps that needed it when it came to being in the right position to stop the run, making seven tackles in his first extended playing time of the season. “It was perfect timing,” Bing-Dukes said. “I didn’t really focus on (playing Georgia) so much. I just wanted to focus on the game plan, and as a defense, we wanted to finish. That’s what my mindset was on.”
Bing-Dukes wasn’t sure if he’d ever get that chance against the team he originally signed with out of his school or any other Power-Five team for that matter. Seeking playing time, Bing-Dukes left Georgia for Iowa Western Community College, where he racked up 76 tackles and two sacks as a redshirt freshman last season. He committed to Middle Tennessee State but came up short of the credits required to qualify academically, leaving the former four-star prospect still unsure of his next destination. “I had to step out on faith, and that was the crazy thing,” Bing-Dukes said of leaving Georgia. “I didn’t know where I was going to end up. What I knew was that I wanted to work hard and prove to myself that I could play this game at a high level.” SEE BING-DUKES, 14
BRUCE NEWMAN
Ole Miss linebacker Detric Bing-Dukes (43) is making the most of his second chance to play major college football.
Bringing You
Oxford’s Most Experienced Pest Control Professionals Since 2001!
Over 65 Years of Experience! VOTED BEST PEST CONTROL 12 YEARS IN A ROW. THANKS, OXFORD!
PICKENS PEST CONTROL, INC. www.pickenspestcontrol.com Family Owned & Operated.
234-2207 Member of:
MS PEST CONTROL ASSOCIATION
NFIB
10
Friday, September 30, 2016
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
Moore continues to grow in 3rd season BY JAKE THOMPSON jake.thompson@oxfordeagle.com
As has been heavily documented, defensive back Tony Conner went down against Alabama last season. In the third game of the season, the Ole Miss defense lost one of if not its best defensive backs for the year. It was time for A.J. Moore to show he had what head coach Hugh Freeze and the defensive coaching staff saw in him during his recruitment. It did not go according to script for the junior as he struggled in the No. 1 Husky position and eventually lost the job to Mike Hilton. Fast forward a year to Alabama BRUCE NEWMAN Backup Huskie A.J. Moore (30) is just 10 tackles shy of matching his to- this season. Moore finished sectal from all of last season. ond on the team with nine tack-
B’s
les, four of them solo, behind Terry Caldwell’s 10 tackles. There is not a Mike Hilton to fall back on this year, and Moore is still slotted behind Conner, who returned for his senior season after the meniscus injury, which has made the Bassfield native work harder. “Just being out there a little more, the experience made me comfortable,” Moore said. “Fall camp, just tackling wise, we were more physical this fall camp. So that had to help me this season.” In 2015, Moore had 26 tackles in 13 games played. Through four games this season he is already just 10 tackles shy of matching last year’s total. With Conner still not at full strength, Moore has gotten more snaps on the field, which
has helped the confidence build up from where it was a season ago. “I guess some people would lose their confidence, but that just made me stronger,” Moore said. “That showed me what I had to do, what I had to work on and improve, and I went about doing that.” The success Moore has attained his two-plus seasons under Freeze and defensive coordinator Dave Wommack has come with only starting two of his 30 games played at Ole Miss. This year’s total of 16 tackles places him fourth-best on the team, but Freeze still sees room to grow and even more potential for Moore to capitalize on. SEE MOORE, 15
HICKORY SMOKED B-B-Q RESTAURANT & CATERING
For All Your Tailgaiting Needs! B-B-Q FOR 20 FANS 5 LBS. PORK, 1/2 PAN BAKED BEANS, 1/2 PAN SLAW, BUNS, SAUCE
94.95
$
WINGS MADE TO ORDER LEMON PEPPER, HOT WINGS, B-B-Q
69¢each MCELROY RD
COLLEGE HILL RD
CHICKEN TENDERS FOR 12 FANS 30 TENDERS, 2 QT. POTATO SALAD, 2 QT. BAKED BEANS, ROLLS, RANCH OR HONEY MUSTARD
55.00 RIBS $ 19.99
$
16 Meats, 11 Vegetables Served Fresh Daily! Call for Catering!
825 College Hill Rd., Oxford 662-236-7090 •bsbbq7@att.net
OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY 10:00-6:00 SUNDAY 12:00-4:00
662.234.8383 OXFORD, MS
www.cottonbollantiquemall.com
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
Friday, September 30, 2016
11
MCDOWELL: Sophomore needed to help with depth
DEEP THREAT
FROM PAGE 7 With Brown out for the foreseeable future, it is now Youngblood and McDowell’s position to hold down. The senior is taking it upon himself to play the role of mentor, giving advice and critiques to the sophomore out of Covington, Louisiana. “(McDowell) has had progress,” Youngblood said. “Just like any young player, he’s going to have some mental errors through the game that’s going to be magnified a little more, but he’s coming along pretty well. It’s good to have games like (Georgia) against a quality opponent that they can get minutes where you can really diagnose what technique they need to focus on.”
Coming on
McDowell looked very comfortable in the Bulldogs’ backfield all afternoon last Saturday. Along with the sack of quarterback Jacob Eason, he also hurried the freshman signal caller and forced a
“When I first came here, I had a lot of things to work on. As the spring and summer progressed, I worked on all those. It’s paid off, but I just have to keep on working on all the little things and everything.” Garrald McDowell Ole Miss sophomore DE on progression
fumble. As the game went on, Georgia started paying a little more attention to McDowell. If he continues to play like he did then, double teams are going to become the norm. “That felt really good,” McDowell said of the sack-fumble. “I’m not really an attention person. I just do my job and do what I got to do and learn from the mistakes.”
12 Months Same As Cash and Same Day Delivery
JOE MURPHY
Junior Anthony Miller (3) is the top receiving option for another potent Memphis offense, leading the Tigers with 17 catches for 273 yards and two touchdowns. Memphis ranks fifth nationally in scoring at 51.7 points per game
www.johnsonsfurnitureonline.com
12
Friday, September 30, 2016
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
www.oxfordeagle.com
SEC NOTEBOOK
LSU begins life after Miles, ‘new season’ under Orgeron BY DAVIS POTTER davis.potter@oxfordeagle.com
Ed Orgeron never expected to get his second interim tag this season, but here it is. Orgeron will be LSU’s coach the rest of the season after athletic director Joe Alleva made the decision to fire Les Miles on Sunday following another unproductive offensive night highlighted by more clock mismanagement in the Tigers’ 18-13 loss at Auburn that’s got LSU 2-2 and 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference after beginning the season with a top-5 national ranking. Orgeron, the former Ole Miss coach who was serving as LSU’s defensive line coach, went 6-2 as the interim coach at USC in 2013 after Lane Kiffin was let go and will take his turn with the Tigers starting Saturday against Missouri (2-2, 0-1) in Baton Rouge (6:30 p.m., SECN). “It was a tough week for our players saying goodbye to coach Miles,” Orgeron said. “He loves the state of Louisana and is a great man, but we started a new season. We’ve had a lot of energy at practice.” Orgeron knows there will be plenty of emotion to go around in Tiger Stadium come Saturday, but he wants his team to keep it together through all the ebbs and flows against a Missouri team that possesses the SEC’s top passing offense and is putting up nearly 45 points a game. “It’s not about special teams,” Orgeron said. “It’s not about offense. It’s not about defense. One team, one heartbeat.” Missouri coach Barry Odom knows it won’t be that easy against LSU at its place at night. “I know he’ll have them ready to play,” Missouri coach Barry Odom said. “It’ll be a great environment like everybody’s talked about.”
Respect all around While Miles’ inept offenses, one-liners to the media and consumption of grass got
SATURDAY’S SEC SLATE - Arkansas vs. Alcorn State (in Little Rock, Ark.), 11 a.m. (SECN) - Florida at Vanderbilt, 11 a.m. (SECN) - Tennessee at Georgia, 2:30 p.m. (CBS) - Louisiana-Monroe at Auburn, 2:30 p.m. (SECN) - Texas A&M at South Carolina, 3 p.m. (SECN) - Kentucky at Alabama, 6 p.m. (ESPN) - Memphis at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. (ESPN2 or SECN alternate) - Missouri at LSU, 6:30 p.m. (SECN)
their share of attention, his success at LSU has left many of his peers feeling like he deserved a better fate. Miles, who had been at LSU since 2005, went 114-34 overall and won a national title in 2007 while the Tigers played for another in 2011. Now he’s out of a job before October. “I think sort of evaluating the landscape of college football right now, I don’t think things like this surprise me,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “That doesn’t mean I’m agreeable that it should be that way. I think from a player’s perspective and from a program perspective, doing these kinds of things during the season probably is not the best way to go about it.” Said Tennessee coach Butch Jones, “Have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and it’s very, very unfortunate.” SEE NOTEBOOK, 14
BRUCE NEWMAN
Former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron’s second stint as an interim coach will begin Saturday when LSU hosts Missouri. Orgeron led USC to a 6-2 record in its final eight games in 2013.
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
Friday, September 30, 2016
13
CLOCK: Rebels break out powder blue helmets in win
SAFETY NET
FROM PAGE 6 Wallace was 22 of 37 for 248 yards and two touchdowns. He did struggle at times, tossing two interceptions as well. His main target was Treadwell, who up to that point had a career-high 123 yards and caught both touchdown passes. The running attack was led by Walton, who had 10 carries for 78 yards and the touchdown. The biggest key of the game was the Rebels’ defense and its ability to shut down a Tiger offense that was averaging nearly 45 points a game before being held to just a field goal against the Rebels. Memphis was held to 104 yards of total offense while quarterback Paxton Lynch was 13 of 31 for 81 yards and had one interception. The Tiger running game was stifled with no running back having more than 29 yards. “Flying around, doing our job, being in the right place and making the right plays that we’re supposed to make,” linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche said. “Playing
JOE MURPHY
Junior safety Jonathan Cook (14), a former Alabama signee, is part of a deep and experienced secondary for a Memphis defense allowing just nine points per game. Cook leads the Tigers with 18 tackles, including two for loss.
“Chucky would have been proud of the helmets and particularly how the defense played. He would have loved that.” Hugh Freeze
Ole Miss coach on team’s tribute to Chucky Mullins
as one.”
Return of the powder blue
For the first time in 20 years, Ole Miss dusted off the powder blue helmets in honor of Chucky Mullins, who was inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame that weekend. During warmups, the Rebels wore the number 38 on their helmets. “Chucky would have been proud of the helmets and particularly how the defense played,” Freeze said. “He would have loved that. We’ll continue to honor his character traits: his selflessness and his attitude about life and against adversity.”
14
Friday, September 30, 2016
www.oxfordeagle.com
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
NOTEBOOK: Chubb may not get another shot at Vols
BING-DUKES: Physical LB working on coverage
FROM PAGE 12
FROM PAGE 9
Others felt like the league lost more than just a member of its coaching fraternity. “There’s a brotherhood and fellowship that’s pretty cool from all of our coaches, and any time this happens, there’s obviously just going to be that moment where you think about him about the complete person that he is,” Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said. Said Florida’s Jim McElwain, “I hate to see it, and I’ve got the utmost respect for everything he’s accomplished and really moreso what he’s put into other people’s lives and making a difference. He’s a guy we’re going to miss.”
Redemption against Vols? Georgia running back Nick Chubb’s first carry against Tennessee last season ended in that awkward landing that’s been replayed over and over that resulted in a gruesome knee injury that cost him the rest of the season. A little less than a year later, Georgia (3-1, 1-1) and Tennessee (4-0, 1-0) will meet again, this time between the hedges in Athens. Whether Chubb will get another chance at the Vols is still unclear after the junior didn’t play in the second half against Ole Miss last week with a sprained ankle. Chubb, the SEC’s second-leading rusher going into last week’s game, was reportedly
in a walking boot earlier this week. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said his team is prepared to go without him if it has to. “I want us to focus on playing our best,” Smart said. “For Chubb’s wishes, I know that’s important to him. This game is important for him to come back, but it’s something that’s out of his control. We can only control those things that we can.”
Little Rock blues Arkansas is supposed to feel at home when it plays in Little Rock, but War Memorial Stadium hasn’t been so cozy for the Razorbacks recently. Arkansas (3-1, 0-1) will make the short drive from Fayetteville this weekend to take on Alcorn State, an FCS opponent. The Razorbacks haven’t won in Little Rock since 2011, losing to Louisiana-Monroe in 2012 and Toledo a year ago — seasons in which Arkansas was ranked at the time. “I think this week our guys will have a natural recall just because we’re going back to Little Rock, but I think they want to have success for one reason: they want to be a successful team, and this is the next opportunity we have,” Bielema said. Arkansas’ contract with War Memorial Stadium ends in 2018. “The conversation about whether we will play or not play there in the future is way above my paygrade and also above our players,” Bielema said. “We just embrace the opportunity.”
Ole Miss had a need for linebackers during the last recruiting cycle and caught wind of Bing-Dukes’ availability, and the two sides made contact in March, Bing-Dukes said. The Tucker, Georgia native became the last addition to the Rebels’ most recent signing class but had plenty of catching up to do after arriving on campus in the summer. “I think anybody that’s new and really hasn’t been here for a while, it takes them a while because they have to call the defense and get the front aligned, get the secondary aligned, know your assignment, know your fit,” defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said. “There’s a lot to it, and it just takes time for them to be able to do that.” The physical part of the SEC game came easy to the 6-foot-1, 247-pounder while the biggest adjustment has come in coverage in the Rebels’ 4-2-5 scheme, but
FROM PAGE 8
Ceramic
Clean bill of health One of Rawlings’ holdbacks from a season ago, he admitted, was his mobility and agility, getting off his block and snap. He also tore a ligament in his wrist and used the rehabilitation process to work on
Bing-Dukes is making strides. “He’s really worked at it,” Wommack said. “He’s worked at the fundamentals of it. He’s worked at the knowledge of the game and gone out and improved his skill level.” The plan for now is to keep BingDukes in the middle with DeMarquis Gates at his more natural outside spot, though head coach Hugh Freeze that will be evaluated each week. Regardless of where he lines up, the patience he’s practiced for more than a year is starting to pay off. “I just prepared myself all throughout camp,” Bing-Dukes said. “Just praying and waiting for my chance, and I finally got it. I felt like I made the best of it.”
Personal Service for all our Customers Carpet
“At the end of last year, it really started slowing down,” Rawlings said. “I’m starting to see more and more every game because of that experience. It’s helped a lot.”
Detric Bing-Dukes
Ole Miss linebacker on making first start
Decorating Assistance Installers Available FREE Estimates
RAWLINGS: Freshman experience helping lineman getting stronger and his flexibility. “I did a lot of (physical therapy) exercises with the guys to kind of keep working on getting my hips opened up,” Rawlings said. “Being more mobile. … That’s really important to all offensive linemen.” The stretching exercises Rawlings has gone through since arriving at Ole Miss were foreign to him but have paid off in a starting role. “I definitely didn’t do that in high school,” Rawlings said. “I could definitely feel the results from it.”
“Just praying and waiting for my chance, and I finally got it.”
Hardwood Laminate
2611 W. Oxford Loop
Vinyl Area Rugs
Bonnie B. Parsons
Come by our showroom
236-7300
See Bonnie or Christopher Ammann, Sales Associate
Sales Manager
www.oxfordeagle.com
Friday, September 30, 2016
The Oxford Eagle - Game Day
POTTER: Ole Miss knows all too well from recent history Memphis no longer a pushover FROM PAGE 2 entering the fourth quarter of that one before the Rebels’ superior talent eventually took over. It’s really hard to gauge exactly how legit this year’s Memphis team is because the Tigers haven’t played anybody. They’ve led Southeast Missouri State, Kansas and Bowling Green by a combined 118-13 at halftime and ended up rolling up 77 points on Bowling Green last week just for fun. But Memphis is far from the pushover it used to be, and perhaps nobody knows that better than Ole Miss. Ole Miss’ offense will be by far the best a Memphis defense that’s allowing just nine points each time out has faced while Memphis’ offense, which looks just as potent as it did a season ago with former Tennessee quarterback Riley Ferguson now at the controls, will present another test for the Rebels’ young secondary. An ideal scenario for Ole Miss is not only winning but improving in the areas that need improving while doing it before the Rebels get a week off to catch their collective breath. It may not take a perfect game from Ole Miss on Saturday to do that, but it’ll take a lot more than just showing up. DAVIS POTTER is the Ole Miss beat writer and college sports editor of the Oxford EAGLE. Contact him at davis.potter@oxfordeagle.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ DPotterOE.
PACKAGE STORE 308 Jackson Ave.
15
MOORE: Junior DB works to put struggles in past FROM PAGE 10
BRUCE NEWMAN
Ole Miss receiver Quincy Adeboyejo (8) runs away from Memphis defensive back Dion Witty (27) to score at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis on Oct. 17, 2015. Memphis scored 37 of the game’s final 47 points to win 37-24.
“(Moore) has played solid, but he can play a lot better,” Freeze said. “We are going to continue to challenge him, and he wants that type of coaching. Even though his stats say he’s doing well, you can put on the film and there are three times that you ask, ‘Where are your eyes? They are bad and that costs you,’ and he knows it and he wants that.” It is a year of Moore redeeming himself and proving to himself, and the coaches, that he can become a standout player like Conner has been and Hilton was last year.
10% OFF WINE With This Coupon Voted Oxford’s Favorite Wine & Spirits Store!
Glenda Keenan 662-832-0729 •
glenda@kessingerrealestate.com
FREEDOM HEATING & COOLING Servicing Oxford and Surrounding Areas Veteran Owned
Residential • Commercial
For All Your Heating and Cooling Needs
The bar will be open Saturday, October 1 at 12:00 noon with food and drink available!
309 N Lamar Blvd. • (662) 236-1144
662-832-4567 freedomheatingandcoolingllc@gmail.com Licensed, Bonded, and Insured