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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Quarterback Race Heating Up As Rebels Continue Workouts
8/17/2005 | Football
Aug. 17, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - The quarterback race is beginning to heat up as the warm temperatures continued during the Ole Miss football team's first of two practices, Wednesday morning at the practice fields adjacent to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
"We have a saying, `the cream rises to the top,' and it's starting to come," head coach Ed Orgeron said. "Guys who are consistently performing on the practice field are starting to show. Days like today, some guys may not feel like giving it their all, but most of them did. They know if they don't, there will be somebody taking their place."
Orgeron was pleased with how the offense is coming together and the competition for quarterback.
"Our running game is coming together," Orgeron said. "We had a lot of play action and naked bootlegs that fit Micheal's (Spurlock) description of a quarterback. Robert (Lane) can also run with the football, so we are really coming together in that area.
"He's (Lane) doing a good job. He's competing. The battle is on, and this afternoon is going to be a big one for the quarterbacks."
On the other side of the ball, two freshmen are among those first-year Rebels who continue to impress Orgeron. LaMark Armour, who began camp on the offensive side of the ball was moved over to the defensive front on Tuesday.
"LaMark really showed what he can do today. It's an example of competition on the field. You have to be ready to perform, and he's doing that."
Linebacker Quentin Taylor has been impressive thus far, and he spent most of Wednesday morning's practice with the first team.
"He's deserving of being in there," Orgeron said. "We are going to rotate our linebackers. He will play a lot this year and maybe start. Quentin is explosive, he's mature and he's physically gifted. He has a good knack for football."
The Rebels will practice inside in the stadium in the afternoon in their final day of two practices, before going once on Friday and then scrimmaging Saturday morning. Also on Saturday, the team will participate in the annual "Meet the Rebels Day" from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in The Grove.
