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The University of Mississippi Athletics
GAMEDAY PREVIEW: No. 11 Ole Miss vs. Presbyterian
11/8/2014 | Football
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Thursday Blog: Injuries Create Opportunities for Young Players
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OXFORD, Miss. - Coming off five Southeastern Conference matchups in five weeks, No. 11 Ole Miss steps out of league play to host Presbyterian today (11 a.m. CT, SEC Network), the Rebels' first non-conference game since playing Memphis on Sept. 27.
Ole Miss went 3-2 in that stretch of games, dropping the last two in heartbreaking fashion at No. 23 LSU (10-7) and vs. No. 3 Auburn (35-31). The Rebels (7-2, 4-2 SEC) also lost junior linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche and sophomore wide receiver Laquon Treadwell to season-ending injuries.
The loss to Auburn, Freeze said, had a lingering effect longer than most losses, but it's getting better each day.
"Coming off the disappointment of Saturday night, it's been slower and less motivating to get going, but I have been really pleased with how it's picked up," Freeze said. "They're still having attention to what we're doing and seem to be handling the little things well."
Ole Miss fell to No. 11 in this week's College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings. The Rebels are the highest-ranked two-loss team in the nation and ranked ahead of four one-loss teams from power-five conferences.
After a bye week, Ole Miss ends the regular season at Arkansas on Nov. 22 and at home against No. 1 Mississippi State on Nov. 29. The Rebels no longer control their own destiny in the SEC West, but there's a path to the SEC Championship Game, and at the least, there's a path to the program's first 10-win season since 2003.
"Don't blink," said Freeze of the message going into the rest of the season. "We play the next play. We keep pressing on. We've lost two games by a total of seven points to one of the hotter teams in the country right now at their place and then to one of the top two or three in the country. Had a ball bounced our way we're sitting in that position.
"I'm a big-picture guy. I'll continue to talk about our journey. It's still young, in my opinion. I'm excited we're still relevant again in a short time. Having a chance to win these types of games speaks great volumes for our young men, our administration and the job our coaches have done in a short time."
Ole Miss is also battling a number of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball.
In addition to Nkemdiche and Treadwell, Freeze said sophomore offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and junior offensive guard Aaron Morris will be held out, with others listed as doubtful and still others whose action will be limited.
Without Treadwell, senior Vince Sanders is being asked to step up in terms of production and leadership as the team's No. 1 receiver.
"I'm excited for this opportunity to be in this position," Sanders said. "I hate I got it the way I got it. Now that I got it, I have to take it in stride and make the best of it. That's what I plan on doing."
Whether it's the injury list, or the flow of the game, Freeze said he hopes the game presents opportunities to get a lot of the younger players and reserves some reps. Among them are freshman offensive guard Rod Taylor and freshman cornerback Kendarius Webster who are expected to make their first and second career starts, respectively.
"I hope to execute whatever we do and get everyone some time," Freeze said. "I'm concerned about winning the game and executing. I'm not concerned about how much you win a game by. At this point in the season, getting a win and getting your team ready for whatever lies next is very important. That's what my focus will be."
This is the first meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Presbyterian, an FCS team from the Big South Conference. Ole Miss is 2-0 against FCS teams under Freeze, and the Rebels have won three straight and nine of their last 10 games against FCS teams.
