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Crimson Tide vs. Ole Miss: Hugh Freeze on Hurts, Saban, and the Kiffins
During this week’s SEC coaches conference call, the Ole Miss Rebels’ head coach Hugh Freeze answered several questions about the this week’s game against the Crimson Tide.
ICYMI: Alabama Football—The Tide Will Absolutely Beat Ole Miss
What did Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze have to say about the game this weekend with the Crimson Tide? Here are his comments from Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference Call.
First, Freeze responded to a question about the difficulties for the Rebels’ offensive line playing the Alabama Crimson Tide so soon after another difficult opponent, Florida State. He rather generously described playing the AP’s top two teams in the nation in the first three weeks of the season as an “opportunity.”
Sep 5, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive end DeMarcus Walker (44) sacks Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) during the second half at Camping World Stadium. Florida State Seminoles defeated the Mississippi Rebels 45-34. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
He went on to praise Alabama’s defensive front. “They’re very, very good at what they do,” he said. “They’re great athletes, they’re well-coached, and they’re in a good scheme. So that makes for a difficult time for your offensive line.” Ultimately he feels that Ole Miss can’t approach the battle for the line of scrimmage against such opponents “expecting to totally win it.” Instead, he says Ole Miss needs to aim for a “stalemate” and “consider that to be a win.”
After giving up 4.5 sacks to Demarcus Walker alone in week one, a stalemate at the line of scrimmage would indeed be a victory for Ole Miss. As Freeze’s hedged comments suggest, this is an area of weakness that Jonathan Allen, Tim Williams, and the rest of Alabama’s formidable pass need to attack. If they can add to the season total of seven sacks, Alabama’s chances on Saturday will be much improved.
Sep 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) during the second half against the USC Trojans at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Next, Freeze addressed Alabama’s man of the hour, Jalen Hurts. “The first two things that jump off the page [about Hurts] is athleticism, when he’s able to use his legs to create more time to throw or to run, and the second thing is his accuracy with the deep ball. It’s really impressive—he’s got a strong, strong arm.”
I think I can speak for the rest of the fan base when I say that having our own dangerous dual-threat quarterback (instead of just facing off against them) is a breath of fresh air. Hurts has capably addressed a key off-season concern—finding a quarterback with an arm to stretch the field. He’s not perfect yet, by any means, but considering his youth, his potential as a passer is enormous. Hopefully, he will continue to make strides this weekend.
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On a more light-hearted note, Freeze was asked if the relationship between Ole Miss defensive line coach Chris Kiffin and his brother, the Crimson Tide’s own Lane Kiffin, gives Ole Miss any advantage. The answer was a solid “no” as Freeze said, “I doubt very seriously if they even communicate this week until we get there and in the off-season, I would doubt that they’re sharing a lot of things.” He continued, “I really don’t know, but I don’t think that they’re doing a lot of communicating.”
Sep 19, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) pushes away Mississippi Rebels linebacker Christian Russell (20) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Rebels defeated the Tide 43-37. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Finally, Freeze was asked about the possibility of beating Nick Saban three times in a row. He ultimately dismissed the question, saying that he “hadn’t really thought about that.” His focus is on installing a game plan “that can give our kids a chance in the 4th quarter.” Instead, he shifted topics to note how much Saban has helped him. “He’s been very gracious to me since I joined this league,” Freeze remarked, “and been very helpful in a lot of ways outside of the football X’s and O’s—that’s not something we talk about—but he’s been very helpful to me…he’s been very, very open to me discussing just program stuff, how he runs it comparing it to how I run it. I’m always looking for better ways and different things, whether it be discipline issues, whether it be coaching issues, whether it be your relationship with your AD when you need to retain a coach or just any of those things he’s open to discussing with me, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Well, there goes that mean old, win-at-all-costs Nick Saban again, helping a peer adjust to life as manager of an SEC football program. Let’s just hope the national media doesn’t try to use this as a way to blame him for Ole Miss’s rules violations.
Hopefully, Alabama will live up to Freeze’s expectations this weekend. Another loss and some folks might start to think this matchup is a rivalry.
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