OXFORD — One year removed from a 10-loss season, the University of Mississippi football team has a chance to qualify for a bowl game.
Not that first-year coach Hugh Freeze will entertain any postseason talk.
“We don’t talk about that,” Freeze said. “That’s a no-no for me.”
Still, it’s not a particularly far-fetched scenario.
The Rebels (4-3, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) are in the midst of their open week and then have five games remaining in five weeks starting with a road game against Arkansas on Oct. 27.
Figure out a way to win two, and a bowl game possibly awaits.
Ole Miss got a big psychological lift last week after beating Auburn 41-20 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The victory broke a 16-game SEC losing streak that dated more than two years and was further affirmation that the Rebels are headed in the right direction.
“It’s a big confidence boost,” running back Jeff Scott said. “We needed that.”
Ole Miss’ schedule — like most in the SEC this time of year — is unforgiving. The best opportunities for wins are likely against Arkansas and a home game against Vanderbilt on Nov. 10. The other three games are against teams currently in the national rankings — Mississippi State, Georgia and LSU.
The Rebels are certainly a work in progress, but have consistently shown an ability to score points.
Freeze’s spread offense — which is heavy on quick option runs, short passes and the occasional trick play — has been a welcome change. Ole Miss is averaging 32.7 points per game and ranks in the SEC’s top half in both rushing and passing offense.
Bo Wallace has thrown for 1,371 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s also been a surprisingly effective runner, gaining 225 yards on the ground for five touchdowns. He’s even caught a touchdown pass on a trick play.
Scott is the fifth-leading rusher in the SEC at 93.7 yards per game.
The 5-foot-7, 170-pound back has had a breakout season in Freeze’s offense. He’s not big, but has thrived when running the option with Wallace. If the defense guesses wrong, Scott can accelerate for big gains in a hurry.
“It’s opened up the defense and I’m just running downhill in open space,” Scott said. “I think it’s pretty good for me.”
The Ole Miss defense has also improved after being a sore spot during the first month of the season. The Rebels gave up a whopping 66 points and 676 yards in a loss to Texas back on Sept. 15, but have been much more competitive and physical since that embarrassing setback.
Maybe the most encouraging development is that the revival is being led by young players who could provide the foundation for future success.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche and sophomore safety Cody Prewitt lead the defense with 44 tackles each. Nkemdiche leads the Rebels with nine tackles for a loss.
Young defensive linemen like sophomore C.J. Johnson and freshmen Issac Gross and Channing Ward have all had good moments. The Rebels don’t have much size up front, but have developed some depth. Eleven different players have at least one sack and Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC with 19 sacks.
Freeze said he wants to make sure that the players understand that this is a “bye week” and not an “off week.” He said his staff will continue to try and prepare the Rebels for the rigors of the final stretch of the SEC schedule, but the mental boost from beating Auburn is more effective than anything taught on the practice field.
“That naturally has to build some confidence with our kids,” Freeze said. “It’s not something that we’ve sat down and had a conversation about, but certainly, it feels like there’s a little more pep in our step. And not having to hear about (the SEC losing streak) will certainly help.”
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