.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Practice Report: Rebels Closing In On Season Opener
9/1/2005 | Football
Sept. 1, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - Continuing preparations for the first game of the season at Memphis on Labor Day, the Ole Miss Rebels held a 2 ½ hour practice in full pads at the football practice fields adjacent to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
Head coach Ed Orgeron was pleased with the development of his players at this point in the week.
"We had a crisp practice. I loved practice today," Orgeron said.
Continuing a theme since spring practice is the battle for starting positions that have not been locked down - most notably, at the quarterback position. Senior Micheal Spurlock and sophomore Robert Lane continue to be the frontrunners, as they both took snaps with the first-team offense on Thursday.
"I think they are both playing really well," Orgeron said. "It looks like a tie right now. We're going to have to make a decision, but it's really close in our minds. (The decision will come down to) the intangibles and looking at the whole picture. The staff and I will make a decision, and I'm sure it will be the right decision."
Orgeron also noted that several players missed practice on Thursday to cope with deaths in the family due to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.
Ole Miss is set to face the Memphis Tigers on Monday at 3:30 p.m. in Memphis. ESPN will carry the national broadcast with Ron Franklin as the play-by-play announcer, Bob Davie the color analyst and Holly Rowe the sideline reporter.
