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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Practice Report: Week 3
9/11/2019 | Football
Jeff Koonz, Derrick Nix, Dawson Knox and Snoop Conner Meet with Media
OXFORD, Miss. – Sitting at 1-0 in Southeastern Conference play after a dominant 31-17 win over Arkansas this past weekend, Ole Miss football hit the practice field once again to prepare for its Week 3 matchup with Southeastern Louisiana. The Rebels and Lions will kick off at 3 p.m. CT Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz, running backs coach Derrick Nix, outside linebacker Luke Knox and running back Snoop Conner met with the media on Tuesday to look back at the win over the Razorbacks and preview this weekend's game against Southeastern Louisiana.
MLBs LOOK TO REPLACE MOMO
Saturday against Arkansas, before the first series of the game for the Rebel defense, MoMo Sanogo went down with an ankle injury. The Rebels announced Monday that their defensive leader will miss roughly 10 weeks.
"I hate it for MoMo," said inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz. "The kid has worked his butt off since the day I got here. Tremendous team leader, leader in the room. I'm strongly encouraged with his optimism and his positivity in a rough time for him. It was great to see the linebackers rally around him and the whole team rally around him."
While Sanogo's injury is certainly a significant loss for the Rebel defense and inside linebackers room, but Ole Miss isn't without options at the position. Sophomore Jacquez Jones filled in tremendously against the Razorbacks, finishing with a team-high nine tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and a share of a sack. Between Jones, Lakia Henry, Willie Hibbler, Donta Evans, Ashanti Cistrunk and others, Koonz is confident that his group will succeed with Sanogo sidelined.
"A young man goes down early in the game, guys step up because they prepared that way," Koonz said. "That's your job as a coach to make sure that whenever something like that happens, the next guy is fully capable and there is no drop-off in production, adjustments or technique."
THE NEXT KNOX
Luke Knox, younger brother of former Rebel tight end Dawson Knox, announced his presence in his first SEC game on Saturday against Arkansas. The redshirt freshman scooped up a Devwah Whaley fumble for his first career turnover, adding to a strong start to his collegiate career after notching a pair of tackles for a loss against Memphis.
"Saw the ball drop, I had to hop on it and get that turnover chain," Knox said. "We learned about (the chain) in Tupelo the night before. That was one of the first things I thought of when I recovered the ball."
Unfortunately, Knox's parents weren't there to see the play. They were on hand for the season-opener against Memphis, but they headed up to East Rutherford, New Jersey, this past weekend to watch Dawson catch his first pass as the Bills beat the Jets, 17-16, in his NFL debut.
"I've been talking to him. He's doing great up in Buffalo," Knox said. "I was sort nervous going into my first couple of games, so I was talking to him, 'What's it like being out on the field?' And he said, 'It's just football. You get out there and it's not any different than practice really.' And that's one of the things I experienced, spot on. You don't really think about the crowd or anything, it's just football. Everyone's just trying to make plays out there."
BALANCE AT RB
The Rebel offense found its balance in Week 2 against Arkansas. Ole Miss notched 246 yards through the air and 259 on the ground, and much of that running production came in the second half as the Rebels fended off a Razorback comeback attempt.
As expected, Scottie Phillips earned the lion's share of carries, running 26 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns, but there was production behind him as well. Freshman Snoop Conner went 42 yards on eight attempts, nearly matching Phillips (5.5) at 5.3 yards per carry. Conner was key in the fourth quarter, including a 25-yard rush on 3rd-and-3 to set up the dagger touchdown by Phillips.
"I felt pretty good. It was the SEC first game, so just getting into the groove," Conner said. "I didn't get that many carries in the first half, so come the fourth quarter, I was very fresh, had my legs under me."
That could be the recipe for success going forward for Derrick Nix's running back room. The Rebel running backs coach wants all four of his backs—Phillips, Conner, Jerrion Ealy and Isaiah Woullard—to be ready to go at a moment's notice.
"I feel good about where we're at right now," Nix said. "The guys are progressing every week. Scottie has been the lead guy, the every-down back. We've given Jerrion Ealy some packages that he can learn to bring him along slowly, the same thing with Snoop Conner. The guys are learning at a high rate and getting more confidence very week. I want those two guys to be able to work every aspect of the offense just like Scottie can—to understand protection like he does and whatever else they're called to do. Right now, they're not at that point, but eventually they will be."
Inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz, running backs coach Derrick Nix, outside linebacker Luke Knox and running back Snoop Conner met with the media on Tuesday to look back at the win over the Razorbacks and preview this weekend's game against Southeastern Louisiana.
MLBs LOOK TO REPLACE MOMO
Saturday against Arkansas, before the first series of the game for the Rebel defense, MoMo Sanogo went down with an ankle injury. The Rebels announced Monday that their defensive leader will miss roughly 10 weeks.
"I hate it for MoMo," said inside linebackers coach Jeff Koonz. "The kid has worked his butt off since the day I got here. Tremendous team leader, leader in the room. I'm strongly encouraged with his optimism and his positivity in a rough time for him. It was great to see the linebackers rally around him and the whole team rally around him."
While Sanogo's injury is certainly a significant loss for the Rebel defense and inside linebackers room, but Ole Miss isn't without options at the position. Sophomore Jacquez Jones filled in tremendously against the Razorbacks, finishing with a team-high nine tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and a share of a sack. Between Jones, Lakia Henry, Willie Hibbler, Donta Evans, Ashanti Cistrunk and others, Koonz is confident that his group will succeed with Sanogo sidelined.
"A young man goes down early in the game, guys step up because they prepared that way," Koonz said. "That's your job as a coach to make sure that whenever something like that happens, the next guy is fully capable and there is no drop-off in production, adjustments or technique."
THE NEXT KNOX
Luke Knox, younger brother of former Rebel tight end Dawson Knox, announced his presence in his first SEC game on Saturday against Arkansas. The redshirt freshman scooped up a Devwah Whaley fumble for his first career turnover, adding to a strong start to his collegiate career after notching a pair of tackles for a loss against Memphis.
"Saw the ball drop, I had to hop on it and get that turnover chain," Knox said. "We learned about (the chain) in Tupelo the night before. That was one of the first things I thought of when I recovered the ball."
Unfortunately, Knox's parents weren't there to see the play. They were on hand for the season-opener against Memphis, but they headed up to East Rutherford, New Jersey, this past weekend to watch Dawson catch his first pass as the Bills beat the Jets, 17-16, in his NFL debut.
"I've been talking to him. He's doing great up in Buffalo," Knox said. "I was sort nervous going into my first couple of games, so I was talking to him, 'What's it like being out on the field?' And he said, 'It's just football. You get out there and it's not any different than practice really.' And that's one of the things I experienced, spot on. You don't really think about the crowd or anything, it's just football. Everyone's just trying to make plays out there."
BALANCE AT RB
The Rebel offense found its balance in Week 2 against Arkansas. Ole Miss notched 246 yards through the air and 259 on the ground, and much of that running production came in the second half as the Rebels fended off a Razorback comeback attempt.
As expected, Scottie Phillips earned the lion's share of carries, running 26 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns, but there was production behind him as well. Freshman Snoop Conner went 42 yards on eight attempts, nearly matching Phillips (5.5) at 5.3 yards per carry. Conner was key in the fourth quarter, including a 25-yard rush on 3rd-and-3 to set up the dagger touchdown by Phillips.
"I felt pretty good. It was the SEC first game, so just getting into the groove," Conner said. "I didn't get that many carries in the first half, so come the fourth quarter, I was very fresh, had my legs under me."
That could be the recipe for success going forward for Derrick Nix's running back room. The Rebel running backs coach wants all four of his backs—Phillips, Conner, Jerrion Ealy and Isaiah Woullard—to be ready to go at a moment's notice.
"I feel good about where we're at right now," Nix said. "The guys are progressing every week. Scottie has been the lead guy, the every-down back. We've given Jerrion Ealy some packages that he can learn to bring him along slowly, the same thing with Snoop Conner. The guys are learning at a high rate and getting more confidence very week. I want those two guys to be able to work every aspect of the offense just like Scottie can—to understand protection like he does and whatever else they're called to do. Right now, they're not at that point, but eventually they will be."
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