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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Spring Practice Report 03.28
3/28/2009 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. The second day of spring football drills was much like the first, as the Ole Miss Rebels enjoyed another spirited workout Saturday in the team's Indoor Practice Facility.
Rebel head coach Houston Nutt saw some immediate improvement on the offensive line during the two and a half hour practice in helmets and shorts.
"We came back and had another good one today," Nutt said. "The offensive line did a much better job of picking up a few more blitzes, protected the quarterback better. We didn't have as many turnovers today, and we've been stressing that hard.
"The thing about our defense, they're very fast. When they know where to go and what to do, they're tough to deal with. They give our quarterbacks a lot of different looks. They disguise things well, so we've just got to keep working."
Among the key personnel to replace on the offensive side is All-American tackle Michael Oher. Rising sophomore Bradley Sowell is competing for that spot, and Nutt is pleased with his effort this offseason.
"He's really competing hard," said Nutt. "I'm anxious to see him with the pads on tomorrow. We're putting the shoulder pads on tomorrow and we'll be a step closer to seeing things, and then next week, we'll have a very good idea. Really, his intensity and focus are very good."
Also lost from last year's squad is All-SEC receiver Mike Wallace. However, Dexter McCluster, Shay Hodge and a corps of talented pass-catchers are back and continuing to improve.
"Our receivers, boy, they look like they're getting much better," Nutt said. "I was proud of Lionel (Breaux) and Markeith (Summers), for sure. Gerald Harris is really catching the ball well. Ferbia Allen looks like he's making a couple of strides."
With Jevan Snead firmly entrenched as the Rebels' starting quarterback, redshirt freshman Nathan Stanley is in competition for the backup role. The scout team signal-caller last fall, Stanley was one of the nation's top-25 prep QBs in 2007, coming out of Tahlequah, Okla.
"We're just putting him in every situation we can, to see linebackers coming in his face, to see how he's going to respond, to see if he's going to get us out of this play and into this play," said Nutt. "We're not asking him to do that much. Two days in a row, he had an eight-man box, and he checked into max protection and throws a fade. You know, in the heat of the battle, when nobody's telling him, that's what you're looking for."
The Rebels' scheduled Sunday practice was cancelled. Ole Miss returns to practice on Monday at 3:50 p.m. in full pads for the first time. Spring drills will conclude with the annual Grove Bowl, April 18 at 1 p.m.
