It’s always great to get a win. Especially a conference win after suffering three straight conference losses. To fight your way out of a corner, you have to win the first fight. Hopefully, Saturday’s result will be a confidence boost for this team.
It wasn’t a difficult decision for me to pick the Hogs to beat Mississippi. They have, by far, the worst defense in the SEC and one of the worst in the nation. If you were ever going to ‘run over’ anyone, it was going to be these guys. And we were hardly in a position to overlook them as others have this year.
I did think the Rebels’ offense would put up a better fight. The Hogs’ defense had a good game, keeping two long Ole Miss drives early in the game from producing points. Getting three scores ahead and being able to ‘pin your ears back’ for the rest of the game (against the SEC’s leading interception offense) pretty much made it ‘gravy time.’
In case you’re not keeping up, this game was the classic Houston Dale winning recipe. Effective running…early two score lead…get the other team in a passing game…rush them like crazy…and take it to the house.
When the recipe works, ‘nuttin bettter.’ When we ‘can’t run the power‘ or we let the other team score early, late and often…it’s hard for us to win. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of variations to our recipe.
Looking ahead…LSU and Tennessee have offenses that will trouble us. We can run on Tennessee, but probably not on LSU. LSU leads the SEC in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense and is second in pass defense.
The ‘Ole Ball Coach’ and the Gamecocks will be tough to beat, but we should be able to run effectively. Scoring on them may be another matter, though, as they are second in the SEC in scoring defense and first in pass defense. Mississippi State is only decent on defense and terrible on offense…but always give the Hogs a tough game.
To say the remaining schedule presents challenges is an understatement. This may truly be the year where we ‘thank God for Mississippi.’
It's definately a strange year in the SEC. When the year started, who would have guessed that Miss. St. would beat Auburn, Alabama would embarrass Tennessee, Kentucky would beat LSU & Vanderbilt would beat a #6 South Carolina. I agree with your analogy "Thank's for Mississippi".
I must say the defense appears to be improving. I still have little confidence in our offensive scheme to produce the points we will need to beat Tennesse, & LSU. I still hold out hope for S. Carolina (after saturdays Vanderbilt loss) & Miss. St.
I agree Bluff. Those are pretty much the only 2 that seem winable right now after Fla. Inter. I only say that because SC and Miss St. are playing here. I didn't see the same Ole Miss team I had watched earlier in the year against Florida and Bama. Something tells me not to get excited about this blowout win. If were relying on the run off tackle to set up everything else we do with playcalling, then were in big trouble when we play in Baton Rouge.
Nan, you guys are remaining positive which is good, but 3rd and 8 yards to go and your only option is to run the ball off tackle it is going to be a long day. Just for fun guess what the run/pass percentages are going to be againsnt Florida International. A rational coach would at least try to iron out the kinks in these practice games by passing the ball more, he uses them to solidify his Pee Wee Football Game Planning. How come we just can't join the Sun Belt Conference, seriously.
That is certainly THE Houston Dale classic winning recipe. There is no other.
If this is going to be another Houston Dale return from the dead team it is going to have to find a few leaders/heros. Who is the next Matt Jones, Fred Talley, Zac Clark, Shawn Andrews, Sam Butu? This a team with names that have high expectations but none have played beyond their expectations. If we are to make 8-4 and the Cotton Bowl there will be.
Felix is a good candidate. He would almost have to move past Darren the way Fred took over for Cedric. Casey has had two pretty good games in a row. If he suddenly found consistency he could provide a missing piece. Reggie finally has all of his pieces in place. Which of those will be the man in crunch time?
The only change in game plan will follow which ever playmaker steps forward, if there is one. That is Dale's other classic recipe, wait for a big break. The first guy to supply one will see the ball. Of course it could be Darren, I just don't see it right now. 33 carries a game has him pretty beat up going into the teeth of the schedule. Monk on one leg maybe?