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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Nutt Pleased With Rebels' Defensive Progress
3/26/2008 | Football
Despite a lull near the end, Rebel head coach Houston Nutt was pleased with the progress made on the defensive side of the ball.
“We started out real good, but it went down a little bit throughout practice,” said Nutt. “Our defense got better today. We’re making strides. We’re going to really scrimmage hard this weekend and hopefully finish off strong.
“(The defense) is learning a little better and a little bit quicker. They’re playing more instinctively and not thinking as much. They’re improving. Greg Hardy chased the ball well today. Peria Jerry is the heart of our defense. He never takes a play off. I love that. I think our linebackers have gotten better.”
Nutt also praised the skills of quarterback Jevan Snead and his effort to grasp the new playbook.
“He’s learning a brand new offense and hasn’t played in a long time,” Nutt said. “I’m really impressed with his fundamentals. There are some things we’re going to correct, but he has a good arm. He’s what we need.
“He can move. He’s better than what I’ve had the past few years. He has some escape ability. I love the presence he has in the pocket. He knows when to get rid of it and when to step up. A lot of people don’t have that. He has some good natural instincts.”
Nutt also noted that the offensive line is still learning the system and needs to be more physical.
“They have great ability but again, it’s learning the offense and feeling their way around,” he said. “We have to get those guys tougher. We have to get a tougher mindset. Hopefully we’ll see that in the second half of the spring. They’re really learning that right now.”
The Rebels take a day off before returning to the practice fields Friday at
Ole Miss’ spring drills will conclude with the annual Red-Blue Game, April 12 at
