Quarterback

Bo Wallace had an inconsistent start to the 2012 season, but he has been excellent in his last three games. Wallace has thrown for over 225 yards in three straight SEC games, and he is completing nearly 71 percent of his passes in that stretch. He is also carrying the football 13 time per game in that stretch with three scores. While he isn't breaking off big runs and averaging a lot of yardage per carry, he is doing an excellent job of moving the chains in short yardage and scoring in the red zone. Wallace is a big, strong, and athletic signal caller with solid accuracy. He throws well when moving to his right, but can struggle with accuracy moving to his left. He has decent touché on the deep ball, but he is most effective when he can stand tall, move around in the pocket, and make throws under 20 yards. He isn't a dynamic scrambler, but can make plays if opposing defenses ignore him. He has had a problem with interceptions this year with nine total, and some of that has to do with the way he locks on to his reads and has fairly long release.

Running backAn interesting note about the Rebels' rushing attack is that two of their top four rushers are listed as quarterbacks, and another is listed as a wide receiver. With that said, their leading rusher is Jeff Scott, and he is one of the most dynamic players in the SEC. Scott is a small, scatback type of runner at 5-foot-7, 175 pounds, but he runs with a great deal of balance and vision. He likes to run between the tackles with his ability to explode through small seams, but he can also make dynamic plays on the edge with his speed and elusiveness. Scott has excellent hands, and can be a big time threat as a receiver as well. They rarely turn to him in short yardage, but he does keep the defense honest in those situations with his ability to get to the edge and turn the corner.

Wide receiver

Sophomore Donte Moncrief is easily one of the top five wide receivers in the SEC, and many would put him in the top two. Moncrief has excellent size at 6-foot-2, 214 pounds, but he also has great speed. As a freshman, Moncrief had three catches for 68 yards and a touchdown against Georgia, and he torched Texas's secondary for 144 yards on seven catches earlier this season. After Moncrief, there are six other Rebel pass catchers with 10 or more receptions. Former quarterback Randall Mackey leads that group in yards per catch with 15.7, and Georgia would be wise to keep an eye out for him for a double pass or reverse pass. Vince Sanders and Ja-Mes Logan both have 22 receptions a piece, and both have proven to be effective possession receivers and blockers in Hugh Freeze's offense.

Offensive line

The Ole Miss front five is one of the most athletic and well-conditioned groups in the SEC. Tackle Pierce Burton looks to be the most athletic and consistent of the bunch. He has excellent length, and does a very good job in their scheme of pass protection. He also has an explosive first step and can seal the edge with regularity. The other tackle, Emmanuel McCray, isn't quite as athletic, but is a better run blocker at the point of attack. He does a decent job of getting out on screens and in the zone blocking scheme, but he is best when he can lock on a defender. Aaron Morris and A.J. Hawkins are the guards, and both are athletic and physical. They do a nice job of blocking in space, and they are quick enough to pull and lead the way on the edge. Evan Swindell is the Rebels' center, and he is impressive on film. Swindell is much like Georgia center David Andrews in that he has a very strong initial punch, and is very quick. He does a great job of getting to the second level, but he has struggled at times with guys on his nose.

Tendencies

• First Down - Ole Miss is a slightly run heavy team on first down. They have kept it on the ground 59 percent of the time. When they go to the air, they do so in a way that functions as a run game. They like the short passes against zone coverage and perimeter screens against man coverage. When you combine the two, Ole Miss goes to the ground game or intermediate passing game 87 percent on first down.

• Second down and long (7 or more yards) - This is a pass down for Ole Miss. They go to the air 64 percent of the time, but getting it all at once doesn't appear to be the objective. Most of their passes (66% of pass plays) were in front of the sticks on this down and distance.

• Second down and medium (4-6 yards) - This is a down that is almost exactly 50/50. The Rebels aren't afraid of third down, so they keep their playbook wide open on second and medium.

•Second down and short(less than 4 yards) - The Rebels also keep the playbook wide open on second and short with a 50/50 split between run and pass. They do, however, take more shots down field on this down than any other.

• Third down and long - This is a pass heavy down for the Rebels at 77 percent.

• Third down and medium - This is another pass heavy down, and even more so than third and long at 79 percent.

• Third down and short - This is, as with most teams, a run down for Ole Miss. They turn to the run 81% of the time with Wallace getting 78% of those carries.

...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial