SPORTS PAGE 12 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 3 october 2012 | SPORTS
Wallace feels the heat QB starter to be named Thursday Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said on Monday that there would be competition at practice this week for the starting quarterback job. Sophomore Bo Wallace knows he has to improve his game to solidify the position and is ready for the challenge. BY BENNETT HIPP jbhipp@go.olemiss.edu
There are points in every game where a play breaks down and the quarterback has to rely on his instincts and intangibles to attempt to make a play. The same applies for Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace, who is now faced with the challenge of adjusting those instincts as he learns what works in Southeastern Conference play and what doesn’t. Turnovers are something that Wallace knows Ole Miss cannot afford, as the Rebels’ margin of error in games they want to win is incredibly slim. “The thing that’s most frustrating is I think I’m playing solid, it’s just (that) the one or two mistakes that I’m making (are) crucial and absolutely killing us,” Wallace said. “It’s not like I’m missing open guys or anything like that. It’s just
This weekend’s matchup against Texas A&M brings a tricky matchup as The Rebels attempt to stop dual-threat freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel, while also sorting through Ole Miss’ own quarterback situation.
the mistakes I’m making are turning the ball over, which ends up getting us beat.” Changing his instincts and becoming more conservative with the ball when there isn’t a play to be made is a process for Wallace after a season of big plays at East Mississippi Community College last year. “It’s very tough because last year it’d be third-and-20, and we’d end up getting that conversion,” Wallace said. “We just would out-athlete them and things like that, but here, you can’t really do that. This is big-boy ball, and you have to burn them.” After Saturday’s two-interception performance against Alabama, Wallace now has six interceptions on the season. That number ties him with Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray for second most in the conference, although Bray has 81 more attempts on the sea-
LEFT: Junior quarterback Barry Brunetti; RIGHT: Sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace
See WALLACE, PAGE 11
BY MATT SIGLER
PHOTOS BY AUSTIN MCAFEE | The Daily Mississippian
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Ole Miss resumed practice Tuesday afternoon after its 3314 loss this past Saturday to No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Rebels (3-2, 0-1 SEC) will welcome Southeastern Conference newcomer Texas A&M (3-1, 1-1 SEC) this weekend. In Monday’s weekly press conference, head coach Hugh Freeze said that the quarterback competition will be more open this week. Sophomore Bo Wallace and junior Barry Brunetti split snaps at quarterback on Tuesday. “It was good competition today,” Freeze said. “We’ll go chart everything on the film today. It’s hard when you’re out there standing behind to see if the reads were proper, but it’s some good competition. We’ll name Thursday who is going to get the start.” Defense prepares for Manziel Texas A&M freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel has had his way with opposing defenses this season, and Ole
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Miss will have its hands full with him this weekend. The Aggies’ leading passer and rusher was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week after he set an SEC and school record with 557 yards of total offense in this past week’s 5810 win against Arkansas. “This week we have a lot of plays where we will always have somebody watching him,” sophomore safety Cody Prewitt said. “The defensive backs are going to stay disciplined with our scramble rules, and if we do that and have somebody watching him at all times, we’ll be good.” Through four games for the Aggies, Manziel has thrown for 1,094 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception in 124 pass attempts, to go along with 366 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He leads the SEC in total offense (365.0 ypg). He also ranks fourth in passing (273.5 ypg) and fifth in rushing (91.5 ypg). “He can scramble all over the place,” defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said.
“He stresses you. He absolutely stresses your defense. He is very good and very effective.” Neat, Grant return from injury Ole Miss regained the services of two key players Tuesday in junior wide receiver Korvic Neat and senior defensive tackle Uriah Grant. However, freshman defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton did not practice. Neat and Hamilton did not play against Alabama this past Saturday. “Woody (Hamilton), we still don’t think he’ll go,” Freeze said. “Korvic (Neat) practiced today and looked OK. Uriah (Grant) practiced today, and we think he’ll go. Bo’s (Wallace) shoulder still isn’t 100 percent, but we’re pretty healthy.” Neat is second on the team in receiving this year with 14 catches for 151 yards. Grant has recorded nine tackles on the year, and Hamilton has added seven of his own. For continuing coverage of Ole Miss football, follow @thedm_ sports and @SigNewton_2 on Twitter.
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