Spring has sprung: Gridiron Rebels begin practice
Had it been anyone else who was late to practice, he may have had to run laps or stadiums as punishment. Head coach Hugh Freeze, however, had a pretty good excuse for missing the majority of Ole Miss’ first spring football practice Sunday as he was cheering on Andy Kennedy’s squad in Nashville, Tenn. (March 18, 2013, Page 3B)
Rebs make history with latest haul
Ole Miss, and the job coach Hugh Freeze and his staff did this past year, was the buzz of the college football world Wednesday. Just 14 months after being hired to turn the Rebels around from a 2-10 team, Freeze and his staff punctuated their first full signing class with a consensus Top 10 finish. (more…) (February 7, 2013, Page 8)
Luke expects OM to have depth in ‘13
Increased depth is something Ole Miss offensive line coach Matt Luke feels like he will have in 2013 thanks to the extra bowl practices garnered this month.
Instead of getting by with five or six offensive linemen like he did this year, Luke feels like he will be able to rotate eight guys up front next season. (December 21, 2012, Page 6A)
OM’s Wallace held out of practice
Ole Miss returned to the practice fields Tuesday for its first full day of preparation for Saturday’s matchup with No. 1 Alabama. A couple of hurt Rebels — defensive tackles Uriah Grant and Woodrow Hamilton — were back and going through various drills, while starting quarterback Bo Wallace was dressed but did not go through drills, according to coach Hugh Freeze. (September 26, 2012, Page 6)
Freeze sees more from Rebels after Tulane win
After watching film of Saturday’s 39-0 win over Tulane, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said his team actually got as close to playing a complete as it has all season. With the exception of three lost fumbles, Freeze seem to think his team did everything expected of them in all three phases.
That’s good news considering the now Rebels (3-1 overall) travel to play at No. 1 Alabama on Saturday night to open their Southeastern Conference schedule. (September 25, 2012, Page 6)
Freeze pleased with inside runs of Parker
One of the misconceptions about Ole Miss’ new-look offense installed by coach Hugh Freeze is that the quarterback passes every down and the running game, well, is soft and unable to get the tough yard on a consistent basis. Freeze has tried to erase that misnomer about his offense since he was hired and most recently during summer camp.
He pointed out after Thursday’s practice session — one that included some tough runs made by former South Panola standout Nick Parker — that the offense is balanced, if not leaning towards more run plays. (August 17, 2012, Page 6A)
Rebels looking to build depth along OL
Heading into preseason camp, new offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Matt Luke made it a goal of his to give every player a clean slate.
The former Ole Miss center felt it wasn’t fair to judge his players abilities strictly on what they accomplished with the former coaching staff. (August 17, 2012, Page 6A)
Rebels’ running game gets positive review
Ole Miss’ first two-a-day featured positive energy and better results on offense. Starting with better production in the morning practice session and ending with tough touchdown runs in the evening practice, first-year head coach Hugh Freeze was more upbeat about his offense. (August 9, 2012, Page 4B)
Gridiron Rebels hitting the Sunshine State hard
Recruiting football players from the talent rich state of Florida is something almost every school in the nation attempts to do on a yearly basis. Ole Miss has signed its fair share of good players from Florida in recent years and if efforts continue to go as they have so far this spring, then first-year head coach Hugh Freeze should be able to talk about some Sunshine State talent come signing day.
Chris Nee, the recruiting analyst who covers the state of Florida for Rivals.com, said Ole Miss has been very active in the state again thanks to the efforts of assistant coaches Chris Kiffin, Matt Luke and Wesley McGriff.
According to Nee, McGriff has built a lot of relationships with high school coaches from his days at Miami. (July 17, 2012, Page 6)
Luke’s return to Oxford a “no brainer”
COLUMN: There was a smile almost a mile wide on Matt Luke’s face when he entered the team meeting room at Ole Miss Indoor Practice Facility Monday morning to meet with the media for the first time since he was hired to head coach Hugh Freeze’s staff. Sure, Christmas was less than a week away, but the former Ole Miss Rebel center was genuinely more excited about coming back home to tutor the team’s offensive linemen and help turn the program he played at back into a winner than anything else. (more…) (December 21, 2011, Page 6)
