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There was plenty of build up around Saturday’s Grove Bowl as Matt Luke looked to solidify the direction of the program as he put more of his permanent fingerprint on the team without carrying the interim tag.
But the 36-degree weather with periods of light rain certainly didn’t resemble spring, and it kept many fans away from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Overall, the offense showed flashes behind starting quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, and the defense showed just enough to hang on for a 27-21 victory after being spotted a 27-0 lead. The defense could have added points by producing turnovers that led directly to touchdowns or field goals. Perhaps to warm up some players, the Rebels ended the game with a “board drill” as players went one-on-one to wrestle each other to the ground as players and coaches cheered around them.
There were 20 players injured this spring, so the Rebels were short-handed, especially in the second unit as the coaching staff looked to get a glimpse of how to build on last year’s 6-6 record with a 3-5 mark in SEC play.
Defense holds its own
One of the questions of the spring was how much improvement would the Rebels show on defense after they were 123rd out of 129 FBS teams against the run last year. That same unit was 11th in the SEC in third down conversions allowing 41.5 percent of conversions. But Saturday, the defense responded early with an interception by Kam White on backup quarterback Matt Corral, and late in the game, Art Mitchell delivered another pick of Corral.
While it gave up a 4th-and-19 completion by Corral across the middle, the defense largely held its own. After all, it had its fair share of players out with injury, too. Defensive tackle Benito Jones was among the key defenders out with an injury.
Ta’amu to Metcalf shine
It didn’t take long for Ta’amu to find his comfort zone, even without star wide receiver A.J. Brown out. Though Brown fielded punts, Ta’amu found D.K. Metcalf for two touchdowns, including a 53-yarder with 5:30 left in the first quarter on a pass down the sideline. Metcalf beat D.D. Bowie on the play.
Metcalf scored again on a fade pass near the goal line on a play where he appeared to step out of bounds that capped an eight-play, 72-yard drive.
The Rebels have one of the deepest wide receiver groups around, and arguably the best unit in the SEC. But Brown, DaMarkus Lodge and Demarcus Gregory all have worn non-contact jerseys this spring. But last season, Brown, Lodge and Metcalf combined for 25 touchdowns on 155 catches and 2,596 yards.
Before Ta’amu turned it over to Corral, he was 12-for-20 for 190 yards passing. It was a solid day all around for Ta’amu, who also scored on a touchdown run on first and goal to convert a 17-play, 99-yard drive.
That was quite a journey for Ta’amu since last year’s spring game when he scored the go-ahead TD with the second-team offense. Once he took over the starting position for the final five games, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,682 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Corral struggles to find rhythm
Given the injuries on offense, star recruit Matt Corral was left without a slew of weapons to target. But the highest-rated recruit of the most recent class, and early enrollee, had plenty of chances, even with two interceptions.
Corral has received an increasing amount of practice time this spring, and enough that former quarterback Alex Faniel, who signed in 2017 and has a 6-foot-6, 248-pound frame, moved to tight end to get more playing time.
As could be the case with incoming freshmen QBs, Corral showed he could convert a long fourth down, but then ended the game by scrambling himself into a sack.
C.J. Moore named Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner
Earlier Saturday, senior safety C.J. Moore was named the Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner. The award is named in honor of Mullins, who suffered a spinal injury against Vanderbilt in 1989 and died from complications in 1991. Moore will wear Mullins’ No. 38 this season.
The award is chosen by the coaching staff and presented to an upperclassman defensive player who shows courage, leadership, perseverance and determination.
In three years, Moore has appeared in 37 games with six starts last season. He had a career-high 51 tackles and three interceptions last season. He took a redshirt after he missed the 2016 season with a torn pectoral muscle.
Running backs show promise
At running back, which has one of the more interesting competitions, Scottie Phillips and Eric Swinney each showed flashes of promise. In what was billed as a run-oriented scrimmage, Phillips had several notable runs, including a 33-yard touchdown called back on a holding call.
After D’Vaughn Pennamon’s dislocated knee injury at the end of last season, Phillips, a junior college transfer, and Armani Linton, a converted defensive back, are among those in the mix for significant carries. Swinney, himself trying to rebound from a serious knee injury two years ago, has received first-team snaps this spring.
Ole Miss’ first game of the 2018 season is set for Sept. 1, against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Houston.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
