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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Begins Spring Football Drills Friday
6/21/1999 | Football
March 18, 1998
OXFORD, Miss. -- When spring football drills get underway here Friday afternoon, Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville begins the process of finding replacements at key positions and attempting to build the type of depth necessary to compete for a Southeastern Conference title.
"We don't expect any drastic changes to take place during spring workouts," Tuberville said. "Since it is this staff's fourth spring together, things should go a bit smoother."
The Rebels must replace last year's quarterback, Stewart Patridge, who won the 1997 Conerly Trophy as Mississippi's top collegiate football player while leading Ole Miss to an 8-4 record, including a victory over Marshall in the first Ford Motor City Bowl, and a No. 22 national ranking in the final polls. Ole Miss, a preseason pick to finish last in the SEC Western Division, went 4-4 in league play to tie for third.
Sophomore Romero Miller enters spring workouts as the starter at quarterback after seeing limited action a year ago. Other quarterbacks who figure to get reps include freshman redshirt Jake Hill, junior Jeff Smith, and sophomore Tom Davis.
"Romero has a strong arm and quick feet," Tuberville said. "He's been in a passing game since high school. We had hoped to use him more last year during his true freshman season, but things just didn't work out like we planned. Still, he got a lot of reps in practice all last fall, especially during the time we were preparing for the bowl game. That extra work should have a positive carryover for Romero."
Several Ole Miss players enter spring drills in different positions since the bowl game. Junior Jason Clingan has switched from strong safety to wide receiver, junior Ronnie Heard has gone from strong safety to linebacker, sophomore Antionne Scott has moved from tight end to defensive end, and sophomore Paul Bolden has gone from defensive tackle to offensive guard.
"Additional position moves may be in order during the early stages of spring drills," Tuberville said. "Some of those changes may stick, but I expect others to be just temporary."
Starters who must be replaced on offense include Patridge at quarterback, running back John Avery, tackle Devon Coburn, and guard Boyd Kitchen. The Rebels also lost versatile fullback Eli Anding, a punishing blocker who was always there to help Avery get tough yardage. Patridge closed out his career by completing 228 of 352 passes for 2,667 yards and 12 touchdowns, setting single-season school records for most passes completed and most passing yards, while his 2,559 yards of total offense also set a single-season school mark. Although missing almost three games with an elbow injury, Avery still led Ole Miss in rushing with 862 yards, scored seven rushing TDs, and had a 100-yard kickoff return.
Senior H-Back Robert Reed, junior wide receivers Cory Peterson and Grant Heard, junior tight end Rufus French, junior tackle Todd Wade, sophomore guard Terrence Metcalf, and senior center Matt Luke return as offensive starters.
French led the Rebs in receiving last season with 43 receptions and Peterson was second with 40, while Reed ranked fifth in receiving with 22 catches and was directly involved in eight drives which led to scores. Wade, Metcalf, and Luke played major roles in a much improved offensive line. Metcalf started every game as a true freshman.
Finding a No. 2 tight end behind French, who led all SEC tight ends in receiving last year while earning second team All-America honors, is another priority for the coaching staff. "We need to find some help for Rufus," Tuberville said. "There are times when we go with two tight ends." With Antionne Scott now on defense, freshman redshirt Matt Koon enters spring behind the multi-talented French, along with junior Adam Bettis.
Juniors Sheldon Morris and Ronnie Letson and sophomore Ken Lucas are returning wide receivers who lettered last season.
The Rebel coaching staff will spend a great deal of time this spring developing a solid running game. "With almost no returning experience at quarterback, it's imperative that we move the ball on the ground," Tuberville said. "Our quarterbacks don't need the pressure of feeling as if success or failure starts and ends with them."
Although the loss of Avery was major, Ole Miss does return several talented running backs. Sophomore Deuce McAllister and seniors Alishma Alexander and Tony Cannion are lettermen with much needed experience. Redshirt freshman Joe Gunn also figures in the mix.
McAllister ranked second on the team in rushing with 402 yards as he set a new Ole Miss freshman rushing record, breaking the previous freshman mark of 327 yards by Dou Innocent in 1991. McAllister had 71 yards on eight carries in the bowl game, and his one-yard run in the closing minutes lifted the Rebs to their 34-31 win over Marshall.
Developing the running game begins up front where the focus is on Luke at center. Luke played hurt down the stretch last season and has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery. "Matt Luke is so important to what we are doing on offense," Tuberville said. "He's the leader."
Junior Tutan Reyes and sophomore Keydrick Vincent are expected to join Luke, Wade, and Metcalf as the interior line starters. Also back is junior Joey Embry, out last season due to back problems, and sophomore center Charlie Perkins and junior guard G. Davis Wilson. Guard Shane Grice, a junior college transfer, enrolled in January.
Defensive starters back are sophomore Derrick Burgess, who moves from tackle to end; junior tackle Michael Boone; junior Ronnie Heard, who started at strong safety; senior cornerback Gary Thigpen; and junior free safety Timothy Strickland, who ranked third in tackles with 79 and had two interceptions.
Also back are junior tackles Mitch Baker and Comone Fisher, and senior end Morris Scott, all spot starters last season, plus senior end Robert Gates and junior end Quincy Washington. Tackle Kendrick Clancey and strong safety Kenny Woods, both junior college transfers, enrolled in January.
Thigpen, a three year starter, received the "Chucky Mullins Courage Award" and will wear the late Mullins' No. 38 this season. "Wearing Chucky's 38 carries a major leadership responsibility, Tuberville said. "I know Gary will uphold this tradition that means so much to the Ole Miss family."
Other returning lettermen in the secondary are sophomores Korey Graham, Anthony Magee and Bradley Robinson, plus junior Trent Wright.
After earning Freshman All-America second team honors last year when he ranked sixth in tackles with 49, Burgess will miss spring drills due to knee injury. Morris Scott is also out after having shoulder surgery, thereby opening the door for Antionne Scott to get plenty of snaps at defensive end after moving over from tight end. Burgess and Morris Scott, expected to be 1-2 at left end, should be fully recovered by the fall.
Defensive starters to be replaced include end Andre Harrison, linebackers Walker Jones, Broc Kreitz, and Nate Wayne, and cornerback Malikia Griffin.
After seeing them combine for 252 tackles last season, replacing the linebacking trio of Jones, Kreitz, and Wayne is a major priority for 1998. Juniors Armegis Spearman, Al Rice, and Walt Hill constitute returning lettermen at the position, while Ronnie Heard's move from strong safety is the same one Jones made in 1996. Like Jones, Heard is expected to adjust to his new position without any problems as he moves closer to the line of scrimmage.
Sophomores Chad Cook and Amzie Williams round out other returning linebackers who have lettered.
"Defensively, we'll be more experienced with the exception of linebacker," Tuberville said. "Also, we should have more depth. However, losing those three linebackers really cut into our leadership."
The goal on defense this spring is to develop bigger defensive ends and quicker defensive tackles. "Stopping the run will also be a major focus," Tuberville added. "We did a good job of stopping the run most of the time last year, but there were a few times when we didn't." The kicking game will also get special attention, especially with the graduation of place-kicker Steve Lindsey and punters Kevin Cooper and Randall Green. Lindsey finished second in scoring last year with 47 points, Cooper ranked second in punting with a 36.9 average, and Green ended his career by averaging 40.5 yards on 63 punts.
Sophomore Reagan King, who returns after leading the team in punting with a 41.0 average, will compete with sophomore Ben Craddock. Junior long-snapper Bobby Killion is also back.
Four freshmen redshirts -- Converse Chellis, Donald Juneau, Matt Quick, and Bill Sinis -- enter the spring in hopes of nailing down the No. 1 place-kicking spot.
"As far as the kicking game is concerned, we'll place heavy emphasis on game-like situations for both punting and place-kicking," Tuberville said.
Ole Miss has 29 days to get in 15 workouts, which includes the April 18 Red-Blue game. This year's spring game has been dubbed Grove Bowl '98 by the sponsoring M-Club Alumni Chapter with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m. in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
"Due to the uncertainty of the weather, we could practice any of those days in our allotted time," Tuberville said. "Fans planning to come and watch practice should contact the football office before making the trip to Oxford."
Expansion of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, which will boost seating to over 50,000, is expected to be finished in time for the Sept. 5 season opener with Memphis. Other campus games are with Auburn, South Carolina, Arkansas State, LSU, and Mississippi State. Road trips are to Vanderbilt, SMU, Alabama, Arkansas, and Georgia.
