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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Preseason Report 08.07: Defense Dominates
8/7/2011 | Football
Aug. 7, 2011
OXFORD, Miss. - Brutally hot conditions did not slow down the Rebel secondary Sunday, as the defense dominated the second practice of Ole Miss football preseason.
After being forced indoors on day one, the squad was able to conduct its first full workout on the practice fields, training in helmets and shorts. The heat index topped the century mark, and the defensive backs were equally hot, forcing one turnover after another.
"I love what the defense did today," said Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt. "I thought they ran to the ball, and they caused a lot of turnovers. Interception after interception, and fumble after fumble. I was excited about how fast the defense played today. By no means am I saying we are there, but we got better today."
Nutt emphasized the improvement being made by Charles Sawyer, Marcus Temple, Wesley Pendleton and Damien Jackson and the impressiveness of newcomers Aaron Garbutt, Senquez Golson and Nickolas Brassell, who is taking snaps on both sides of the ball.
"They are showing a lot of speed, and they're breaking on the ball with a lot of agility and athleticism," Nutt said. "We have some special guys."
While the defense got the better of play in the second practice, Nutt said the offensive unit will learn from today's setback.
"There were some routes that weren't right and some protection that wasn't right," he said. "It's a combination of everybody. We'll look at the film and correct. We can throw better, catch better, run better routes and protect better. It was 11 of us."
Nutt is easing the players into the harsh summer weather and noted how pleased he has been with the mental toughness of the heralded first-year Rebels.
"I'm proud of our freshmen," he said. "They are really zeroed in and focusing. I appreciate their attitude."
The team gears up for Media Day on Monday, and OleMissSports.com will have exclusive coverage of the festivities. RebelVision subscribers can watch Nutt's press conference live at 9 a.m., and a full recap will be available later in the day.
The Rebels return to the field Monday at 4:30 p.m., and drills remain open to the public through Saturday (Aug. 13). Use of cellular phones and cameras are prohibited, and fans must remain in the designated area and are not allowed between the practice fields.
