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The University of Mississippi Athletics
INSIDER: Excitement High
4/6/2007 | Football
By Ben Garrett
OleMissSports.com Insider
For the last two weeks, Ole Miss fans have read reports about the goings-on in Rebel football, but have yet to see the progress made by the team for themselves. Wait no more.
Saturday marks the conclusion of spring practice with the annual Grove Bowl, featuring the Rebel football team divided into two squads. The squads will consist of first and second team players divided up according to Rebel head coach Ed Orgeron, with offensive line coach Art Kehoe coaching the Blue team and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen coaching the Red.
Orgeron is excited about Saturday's scrimmage and looks forward to the intense competition that is set to take place.
"I feel great about the Grove Bowl. Our guys have given us everything they have and have done everything we have asked them to do. Our coaches have been working long and hard and have put in extra work to get things right," he said. "We were able to put a lot of things in and I think we have some great cutups to look at in terms of our research and development of the team. We have enough material to be able to determine what we are able to do with the personnel we have."
One area that has been a question mark all spring has been the quarterback position. Seniors Seth Adams and Brent Schaeffer have taken the most snaps so far, but neither has distanced themselves from the other. Saturday should bring some clarity to the quarterback position, but Orgeron said that no matter the outcome of the scrimmage, there is still a lot of work to be done.
"No quarterback has really stepped up yet. The guys have made some big plays, but not enough for one to distance them from the other," said Orgeron, "We need to find some consistency, so we have a lot of work to do."
Despite the consistent competition at the quarterback position, offensive coordinator Dan Werner is upbeat about what he has seen so far in the passing game.
"I'm excited about were our passing game is going. I can see us throwing the ball around a little bit more and making some plays," he said. "Our big emphasis this spring has been creating more big plays and so far it looks good."
A position that fans should pay attention to this weekend is the linebacker position, as sophomore Jonathan Cornell has emerged as a potential playmaker at middle linebacker. Cornell has been praised by Orgeron throughout the spring and will be making the defensive calls Saturday.
Cornell said the difference in his play has been his ability to play more freely.
"At first, I was playing a little slower trying to make the right calls and do everything right," he explained. "I decided I just needed to go play and let everything come to me, and that has really been the difference the last few weeks."
The offensive line has been regarded by Coach "O" as the strongest on the team, and that strength will be showcased Saturday. Guard Reid Neely has been mentioned numerous times in post-practice press conferences, and Kehoe believes that he may be the biggest surprise of the spring thus far.
"The entire offensive line has made a lot of progress so far, but the most pleasant surprise of the spring has been Reid Neely," said Kehoe. "He works hard, plays hard and is tough. He's really talented and has gotten the job done at the left guard spot."
The secondary was another questionable area headed into spring, and with fierce competition at both safety and cornerback, a few players are starting to show signs of progression. One of those players is cornerback Cassius Vaughn who has earned a red jersey, signifying a spot on the first team. Vaughn says he has had to work hard for his spot and will have to continue to do so if he plans to start in the fall.
"I'm trying to work hard to get better. Everybody is given their all out there and working hard to get a red jersey," Vaughn said. "I'm just trying to work hard for my teammates and my coaches and do what I can to make this team better."
The Grove Bowl will be interesting to watch, as players begin to solidify positions and spots in their respective rotations. Fans will be able to enjoy heated competition and spirited play as both squads look to be crowned Grove Bowl Champion.
Schaeffer, the returning starter at QB, said that fans will not be disappointed by what they see come Saturday.
"We plan to show the fans what they want to see. My teammates and I want to go out there and show everyone what we've been working on and how much better we've gotten," he said. "I know I want to go out there and show my teammates and coaches what I can do, and I'm sure my teammates will do the same."
Kickoff for the Grove Bowl is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Tickets are $10 dollars each and are available by visiting the Ole Miss Ticket Office or calling 662-915-7167.
