Question for the board regarding the Rebels.

[JacksonDevilDog]

Are the Rebels truly a lot better this season or are they just playing hard for 4 full quarters? They quit on Nutt last year and that made things look a lot worse. They have the same lack of depth, but I would say that they are better at QB this year. Special teams are worse. If they are so improved, how do you lose a game at home when the other team has 6 turnovers? They beat Central Arkansas, UTEP and Tulane. Croom would at least win 2 of those.

 

[pDigital32Dawg]

They are better because they have a sense of confidence across the team. If they had players I wouldn't want them on my schedule whatsoever.

 

[Incognegro]

Despite having the same personnel issues... they've improved tremendously. Just because they lost with 6 turnovers doesn't mean that they're at the same point last year. Give them credit for forcing those turnovers, because I don't think they would've done that if they had the same mentality.

The fact that they're playing this way only because they're not quitting should have answered your question. The same thing for a team can be said for an individual. There are some people out there that were lazy and had no work ethic, but as soon as they changed their mentality, improvements were seen almost instantly. It's the same thing.

 

[AssEndDawg]

They are no doubt playing better. they are tackling well, for the most part, and playing hard which is all about coaching. But, they still don't have SEC level talent or depth. While I think Freeze has done a pretty good job getting the team up for games I still think it was a horrible hire. Ole Miss could have gotten a decent coach but instead the ****** around with the search and ended up with someone truly untested. It's possible he works out, but the SEC is unforgiving. If he doesn't start winning games like last night his team will quit on him and all this work he has done to "turn it around" will fall apart. Time will tell.

 

[Philly Dawg]

I agree that having improved QB play makes a difference. Wallace isn't that great yet compared with the rest of the SEC QB's, but they have a semblance of a down-field passing game. They appear a little bit better in the secondary as well; they still have issues with coverage but they are tackling better.

Having said that, I see two things, (1) they are playing with more confidence; and (2) they are being asked to do things in their offensive and defensive schemes that they can actually do.

 

[AlSwearengen]

They have been giving good effort so far, but they will likely start having questions about their coach after last night. The "high school girl's baskeball coach" that is in the back of their minds will start creeping forward. They are better at the QB position simply b/c Wallace can throw the ball downfield (brunetti couldn't even do that). If it weren't for throwing the ball up and letting their best player, Moncrief bring it down, Wallace would look much worse than he does. Defensively, they have started selling out, either against the run vs. bama or the pass vs. a&m. I was surprised a&m didn't try to pound it more than they did. If the bears don't find a way to beat auburn, some of the effort may start to fade. I wonder if we went old school jackie and put an extra tackle in at the TE position while going three wide, if we couldn't exploit them one way or the other depending on how they approach us.

 

[jcdawgman18]

Similar to what others have said, I would say Mississippi is a "good bad team". They have awful talent everywhere except WR/RB, but they play very hard and seem pretty well coached. The real question for them is how they respond to that loss last night. If they come out next Saturday and beat Auburn, Freeze really does have something. If they come out and get beat, it could be a pretty bad end to the year.

 

[Coach34]

They are improved a little- but not as much as people try to make it out to be. As you noted, things got out of hand last year alot because they would quit once they got down. They dont do that this year.

Their Defense may in fact be worse than last season. It will be interesting to see how much farther they fall as they go thru the SEC portion of the schedule.
They are running an offense more suited to their lack of talent. Moncrief being a future NFL WR and a year older also helps. This improvement, combined with being better in the effort department keeps them in games.

Auburn and UPig being ****** this year gives them a chance to win a couple that normally they wouldnt be able to win. That should be their saving grace.

 

[OleYeller]

They are playing harder and have enthusiasm, and still losing. That should tell you what you need to know. The enthusiasm will go down as the season progresses, and so then will the effort

 

[Middle School Mustache]

Wallace is 61%, 1100 yards, 8 TDs and 8 INTs. Consider the opponents where he padded those yards and TDs. He looks terrified of contact, and has an incredibly weak arm. Definitely better than what they trotted out there last year, but he's nothing special.

 

[thatsbaseball]

It`s still hard for the better programs to take them seriously thus some of their opponents are going to come out flat. They do play harder than last year but other than motivation they are no better coached.

 

[Indndawg]

Their defense is very quick and aggressive. I like this, but the inexp will begin to catch up w/them and that aggressiveness will be used against them by Auburn. Look for McCaleb to go off using counters, draws, and misdirections.

 

[JacksonDevilDog]

I don't understand why their fans expect to win AT Arkansas. They have lost 16 straight SEC games. They haven't learned how to win yet, much less, on the road.

 

[WilCoDawg]

And their landsharking gesture has seen incredible improvements. But it still needs perfecting. What I've seen, the hand is a little crooked and off-center. Y'all can do better!

 

[MedDawg]

Wallace is 61%, 1100 yards, 8 TDs and 8 INTs. Consider the opponents where he padded those yards and TDs. He looks terrified of contact, and has an incredibly weak arm. Definitely better than what they trotted out there last year, but he's nothing special.

At least a couple of OM's more successful pass completions last night were on balls thrown at least 2-3 yards short. The WR stopped to catch the ball, and the DB ran past him.

After reading what you wrote, it's certainly possible they were short simply because Wallace didn't have the arm strength to make the correct throw. Either way, the passes worked. However, if you do it often enough, a good DB will see it and be expecting it.

 

[Coach 57]

Same glaring flaws defensively as i have stated before. I am w/ C34 on this one. But something he didn't mention was they can not stop the run....period! Manziel looked like Kordell Stewart in college last night. The early approach to stopping A&M was good but some people just don't have any idea how hard it is to stick with A game plan like that w/ such a young defense. Then to compound that problem the HC makes to "brain farts" (thanks ***) in decisions (Densely in for a blocking back & going for it giving A&M the short field). Wallace looks intimidated of the speed on the field. I don't envy his position having a terrible OL & his HC making boneheaded mistakes.