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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football Practice Report: All Business
9/29/2021 | Football
Campbell, Finley and Brown Meet with Media
OXFORD, Miss. — While the outside anticipation grows for Saturday's matchup between No. 12 Ole Miss football and No. 1 Alabama, the businesslike approach the Ole Miss football team is taking into the week hasn't changed.
AJ Finley, Chance Campbell and Ben Brown met with the media this week to relay the Rebels' mindset heading to Tuscaloosa. Each of those players have experienced what it's like to play in front of a massive crowd like one that's anticipated at Bryant-Denny Stadium, despite a year without it across the board. They also have a better understanding of their respective side of the ball under the new coaching staff. However, despite all they've experienced in the past, every moment of preparation leading up to Saturday has been and will be accounted for to the fullest extent.
"As a team, we're just taking it day-by-day," Campbell said. "Maximize the day. We don't get a lot of them. The season is precious, and each day we have to prepare for it is precious. Whenever it's Monday and whatever it has slated for it, attack that. Today was a Tuesday, which means we strap the pads on and get some banging going. Take the day, maximize it, get everything you can out of it. Go to sleep, then do it all again."
Although Finley has followed suit this week, he still hasn't forgotten about last season's defeat at the hands of the Crimson Tide. The Rebel defense surrendered 63 points and 723 yards of total offense, with all but two drives resulting in touchdowns. This time around, a better understanding of the scheme and improvement because of it will give the defense much better fortunes this time around according to the Alabama native.
"It definitely did stick with me that they put up so much last year," Finley said. "We have to move forward and make the corrections we need to. I definitely do think we're further along than we were last year. Last year, we had a new defense so we didn't have much time. We weren't very comfortable. This year, we're more comfortable, knowing what we have to do, knowing the system."
Regardless, a big challenge lies ahead with sophomore Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Through four games, Young has completed 88 of 122 passes for 1,124 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air. The weapons surrounding Young haven't gone unnoticed either.
"They're pretty balanced," Campbell said. "They have a really strong run game and use that to set up RPOs, which are dangerous and give defenses a lot of problems. They take deep shots and have the guys that spread the field, present different looks and make you be aware of that. They stretch you vertically, stretch you horizontally and they hit you up the middle. They're pretty versatile."
The Rebels look to counter with a potent offensive attack of their own. They gave Alabama everything they could handle a year ago in large part to tempo. Brown acknowledged that Tuesday and believes that if it's not broken, don't fix it.
"I think tempo was our biggest weapon last year," Brown said. "We've got to be sound and move the ball as fast as possible that way we can try to have some success this week."
Kickoff against Alabama on October 2 is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised by CBS as the SEC Game of the Week.
"This is a very big football game," Brown said. "Alabama is an outstanding opponent. It's going to be awesome to play in front of a full stadium. We're all excited for the opportunity."
Get all the latest information on the team by following @olemissfb on Twitter and Instagram and OleMissFootball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at OleMissSports on Twitter and Facebook and OleMissAthletics on Instagram. To purchase 2021 Ole Miss football season tickets, visit OleMissTix.com.
