RebelGrove.com - Quarterbacks better but still inconsistent

August 16, 2012

Chase Parham
Editor

OXFORD, Miss. -- Bo Wallace had the better practice among the Ole Miss quarterbacks on Thursday.

And that's somewhat impressive since he's operating with a glove on his throwing hand for the second consecutive day. Wallace has been dealing with a blister on the pointer finger of his right hand, causing him to spin the ball off a different finger and alter his release.

The glove has helped with that, but it's not something he's comfortable with.

Weird, it's really weird," Wallace said. "It's harder to feel the ball when you have the glove on, sometimes you can't feel it. I tried to throw without a glove and opened it back up a little bit. Hopefully I'll be good for the scrimmage Saturday."

It's the first time Wallace has had a blister issue in his career, thus it's bad luck it happens now. His junior college season at East Mississippi was quite pass happy.

"We threw all the time in junior college, so I don't know," Wallace said. "Just go with it and deal the best you can."

INCONSISTENCY STILL THE WORD: Hugh Freeze admits his quarterbacks are improving, but he's still opening every comment with the same word: inconsistent.

"Gosh, I keep using this word with them because they're inconsistent, but (Wallace) did throw some really nice balls. Bo had the best day, he was the best of the two.

"It's better than it was, but it's still inconsistent… We'll go where we throw two good balls, and then our mechanics get sloppy and the ball sails. It's just things we have to continue to work on."

Wallace thinks he's improving, but the momentarily lapses are staying on his mind. There are at least 18 periods in a normal practice, but the couple that aren't acceptable are the ones Wallace remembers.

"This week has been a little better, but there's one period in a two-a-day where I don't quite get it done, one drill where I don't get it done, and in this league you have to be 100 percent in this league to have success," Wallace said. "Just keep going. Get in there with Coach (Dan) Werner, and he does a great job with us. Listen to him and… be able to recognize everything and deliver the ball."

Barry Brunetti's play is similar to Wallace's, and he thinks surrounding personnel seems to play a role in the inconsistency. However, it's not always the teammates making the mistakes.

"From the looks of it, whoever is with the ones gets moving, but you have to move with the twos, too," Brunetti said. "It's not necessarily blocking. It's my mistakes too, getting receivers in the right place and reads.

"It's hot and cold, especially me. I come out one day and look great and then the next day I don't know what's going on. Obviously I do, but it's hot and cold."

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