Ole Miss keeps scoring touchdowns in team drills.

However, for the second day in a row, it was the defense doing the scoring.

Kendrick Lewis and Jerrell Powe each had interceptions returned for touchdowns in Wednesday's practice, a 2 1/2-hour affair that featured the first real contact of camp as the Rebels donned shoulder pads after working the first two days in shorts and shirts as mandated by the NCAA. Fon Ingram added a forced fumble when he stripped the football from freshman running back Rodney Scott.

"(The defense) is so comfortable right now," Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said. "They're playing so fast and a step or two ahead of where they were in the spring. They understand what (defensive coordinator) Tyrone (Nix) wants. They're playing on automatic pilot instead of thinking. That's why they're quick. They know where to line up, especially the first and second groups."

The Rebels' offense shined later in the session, especially in the two-minute drill, with Markeith Summers making a key catch after beating cornerback Marshay Green on a post route.

"I thought it was a very good day today," Nutt said. "We improved in a lot of areas. Fundamentally I see the quarterbacks' and receivers' timing getting better. ...I'm excited about where we are right now. As we get into some soreness, pads get heavier and the sun starts coming down stronger, here we go. We'll find out."

STANLEY MAKING MOVE FOR BACKUP JOB: Jevan Snead is clearly Ole Miss' starter at quarterback, but redshirt freshman Nathan Stanley continues to impress, so much so that he appears to have supplanted senior Billy Tapp for the backup job.

"I'd go with Nathan," Nutt said. "He can throw the passes that we need. He'll keep getting better and making the right decisions. I'm not afraid to put Billy in the game, and there may be a situaiton where Billy could go in the game ahead of Nathan, but we're trying to get Nathan ready. His arm is stronger."

YOUNG RECEIVERS IMPRESS: On Wednesday, Ole Miss' quartet of freshman receivers _ Patrick Patterson, Ja-Mes Logan, Terrell Grant and Jesse Grandy _ got extensive work. For the third day in a row, the newcomers turned some heads.

"Jesse Grandy is a blue," Nutt said. "He's so quick and doing good things. Patrick Patterson is a big-body guy that can help us. Terrell is very fast and gotten better. Ja-Mes Logan is one of the smoothest route runners. We signed four good wideouts that are going to be really special. You wish you could redshirt all of them. They'd be older and better, but we probably can't do that."

Nutt said two of the four will likely redshirt, with the other two playing roles in the Rebels' offensive plans. Patterson said he's beginning to feel more comfortable, and on Wednesday, he took some reps with the Rebels' starting offense.

"The thing I'm learning the most is reading the defenses better and I'm getting better on my releases," Patterson said.

NEW FACE ON OFFENSIVE LINE: Brandon Green was working at one of the starting offensive guard slots on Wednesday, with A.J. Hawkins backing him up. Rishaw Johnson, who started throughout the spring and on the first two days of fall camp, spent Wednesday working with the third-team offense.

"He broke some team rules and has to be more disciplined in his life," said Nutt, who refused to specify which rules Johnson violated. "Right now we are going with Brandon Green and A.J. Hawkins and get those two ready to go."

HAYNES STILL OUT: Linebacker Lekenwic Haynes did not practice Wednesday, missing another day after suffering from heat-related symptoms on Monday. Nutt said the redshirt freshman, who watched Wednesday's work from the sidelines, was "doing better and has some color back. It always worry me when their heatbeats are off a little and the blood pressure isn't right. That's a concern and scares me. I'm really happy he's better. He wanted to go today, but we are going to watch him for a week with a heart monitor on him and just make sure everything is good."

HARRIS WORKING HIS WAY BACK: Redshirt freshman wide receiver Melvin Harris is getting more and more work as the week progresses, a sign that his injured foot is completely healed. Now, the challenge for Harris is improving his physical strength.

"He's just not strong yet," Ole Miss wide receivers Ron Dickerson Jr. said. "He's 6-foot-6 or 6-7 and 190 pounds. He's got to get his base stronger. He had the broken foot and he couldn't do a lot of stuff, so he's still kind of in that freshman mode. He's out here competing, and he's going to have a role."

REBEL RUMBLINGS: There were hints Wednesday that Ole Miss' relationship with TruTV, the network planning to air a reality show on the Rebels this fall, has changed. Nutt refused to go into details, indicating he would have an update on the situation Thursday. ...Also, Nutt would not deny widespread rumors that the school is planning to replace and upgrade the artificial turf in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium prior to Ole Miss' Sept. 19 home opener against Southeastern Louisiana. Nutt said the turf talks are in the "talking stages," though a source close to the program told RebelSports.net that the work to replace the current turf in the stadium is set to begin tomorrow.