McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts presented by Harry Alexander
We're now more than 10 days into preseason camp.
By the time you read the content in this space next weekend, we will be less than two weeks away from Ole Miss' opener at Memphis.
Schools are back in session. Oxford is about to get crazy again. Parking spots will be scarce. Traffic will return en masse. High school football teams are just a couple of weeks away from their first game. The English Premier League has gotten started. NFL preseason games are happening with frequency.
Carson's first soccer tournament in Jackson, Tenn., is less than two weeks away. Campbell moves into her dorm in Fayetteville Thursday. She starts sorority rush Saturday. Please send good thoughts her way and send some good vibes my way as well.
Everyone looks forward to the start of the football season, and ready or not, we're almost there.
Today's 10 Weekend Thoughts is almost all football. I hope you enjoy.
1. Football keeps players busy during the summer, but it doesn’t occupy every spare minute.
Players can attempt to block out the noise from outside the walls of the Manning Center, but there’s no way to avoid all commentary.
So Ole Miss’ offensive linemen, the position group arguably getting the most scrutiny in the build-up to the 2019 season, didn’t even pretend to ignore the criticism it has received in the offseason. Instead, the men in the Rebels’ offensive trench embraced it.
“As an offensive line, we really take pride in establishing the line of scrimmage and being an aggressive bunch,” Ole Miss offensive guard Ben Brown said. “Seeing some things about us being the weak link really fires us up. It really gives us something to play for.”
Brown, just a sophomore, is one of the few players on Ole Miss’ front with real experience. Senior Alex Givens hasn’t practiced yet this month as he recovers from back surgery. Coaches are optimistic Givens will be back in time for the Rebels’ Aug. 31 season opener at Memphis, but in his absence, youth and inexperience is being counted on.
“I feel like we have a lot of guys who have not played a ton of football but I think we are still in great shape because we also have a lot of experienced players,” Brown said. “We have guys like Eli Johnson, Royce Newman and Bryce Mathews who are going to surprise many, many people because their time is here and I think they’re going to take great advantage of it.”
Newman and Mathews have a considerable amount of playing time under their belts. Johnson, who has battled injuries throughout his career, has only played sparingly. Freshmen Nick Broeker and Jeremy James are already getting second-team snaps. Michael Howard, who at times has basically been a blocking tight end due to his inability to gain and maintain weight, has held 285 pounds so far this month. He’s working as the Rebels’ starting right tackle while Givens recovers.
“We’ve been hearing it for a while now,” Mathews said. “I know we lost a lot of guys, a lot of experience from last year, but I kind of enjoy the underdog status, the idea of fighting from behind. But I think if we can get the right mentality going, it can bode well for us.”
“It’s one of those deals where you try not to pay attention to it,” Johnson said. “You definitely see it, but you can’t really focus on that. You have to focus on coming in each day and trying to get better and trying to improve. We’ll show what we can do in the fall. I think we have a lot of talent in the backfield, obviously, and on the edge, so I think the talent is there for sure. “At the skill positions, we’re young, but I really think it’s all going to come down to how productive we can be up front. I think that’s the key to this year.”
It’s a challenge the Rebels’ offensive line has openly accepted. Matt Corral, Ole Miss’ starting quarterback, is a redshirt freshman with precious little experience. DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown and DaMarkus Lodge are gone to the pro ranks, as is tight end Dawson Knox. Only Elijah Moore and Braylon Sanders, of the receivers, have real experience. Octavious Cooley is the only tight end with a significant amount of Southeastern Conference snaps on his resume. With so much youth, the offensive line simply must be dependable — or else.
“It motivates me, certainly,” Ole Miss offensive line coach Jack Bicknell said. "It’s something have to address and we have to meet the challenge. It’s exciting for me. I couldn’t be more excited, but it is definitely a motivating factor that we’ve got a lot of talented guys and it’s going to be up to us to make sure they can do what they do well. I do think we have a little bit of a chip on our shoulder right now and that’s a good thing. Let’s go compete and prove people wrong.”
The confidence, the Rebels insist, isn’t just blind faith. Instead, after a spring and summer working under new offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez, there’s a strong belief that Ole Miss’ offense will have a much different look this fall. Specifically, the Rebels repeatedly state, Ole Miss’ offense will have a very hard edge.
“Toughness,” Brown said. “Being able to get after it. Not quitting. Tenacity. Our focus is we want to be tougher than the other team. We want to be able to drive other teams into the dirt. We want to be in much better shape than other teams. Our goal is to wear the other team out and still be going just fine. That’s our goal as an offense and I think during the spring, getting adjusted to that was no easy task. Coach Rodriguez expects a lot out of us, but I think it’s paid off and I think it’ll pay off huge dividends in fall camp and the season.”
“It’s what Rich Rod’s brought in,” Mathews said. “You can tell. There’s been a lot more intensity, a lot more passion in everything we do. Even going back into the summer, in the weight room, you can tell with our lineman lifting group, there was a hard edge. There was intensity. It was a lot of fun, really. Even in our walk-throughs, you could tell there was a difference.
“Obviously, we haven’t gotten to see it fully in game action yet, but going back to film of other teams Coach Rod has coached before, you can see the impact he’s had. It looks like a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to seeing it in action this fall.”
2. So how much can freshmen really help, especially early in the season, on Ole Miss’ offensive line?
The men who will supply that answer believe those contributions can and will be significant.
“I feel like I am ready,” said Broeker, who put on some 13 pounds of quality weight after reporting to Oxford in late May. “We have a great staff here and a great group of older guys that have really helped me and Coach Bicknell does a great job, so I feel like I am prepared. Over the summer, I feel I really improved a lot and put on a lot of good weight, so overall, I feel like I’m ready for this.”
If Givens returns fully healthy, obviously, Broeker and James could be granted a bit more time to marinate, if you will. If Givens’ return is delayed until the Sept. 7 home opener against Arkansas, or further down the schedule, the time to contribute is now.
“It puts a lot of more on me,” Broeker said. “You never know when Alex will come back. I’m not really for sure yet. I have to make sure I’m getting better each and every day. I’ve got to be able to provide that depth for the older guys.”
“When Alex gets back, hopefully we’ll be better for it,” Bicknell said.
In the meantime, Bicknell is giving the new Rebels a crash course in SEC offensive line play.
“You sort of how an idea now, as far as how much they’re able to gain knowledge-wise, which is a big deal,” Bicknell said. “It’s very difficult (to evaluate), truthfully, until you get the pads on. This is going to be a year we’re going to have to make some pretty quick decisions and try to figure out where these guys are so we get them the right amount of reps.”
If you read those comments as a coach feeling stress, you’re wrong. Instead, the former Louisiana Tech head coach and NFL assistant is enjoying this fall camp as much as he has in years.
“It is a little bit more fun, I think, because let’s face it: Those guys had a lot of starts under their belt,” Bicknell said, referring to the losses of Greg Little and Javon Patterson to the NFL. “So it’s more of a challenge but it’s also more fun because you’re able to feel like you’re making more of a difference. I mean, Greg Little has pass-set no telling how many times. Now you’ve got a young guy who has never pass-set at this level. We’ve got to be precise technique-wise. They’re just not going to be successful unless they’re real precise with their technique, so the teaching part of it is critical too, not only in learning the plays but also in reacting to schemes and different things that happen out there.
“A lot of times for the O-line, if (the defense) would just line up and not move, it would be a lot easier. But you’re getting guys slanting and moving and blitzing and stemming and those are the things that can shock a young player a little bit early and then obviously, the speed at this level in the SEC is something to get adjusted to. The things they got away with in high school, they have to learn in a hurry that they’re not going to get away with that at this level. The other stuff kind of takes care of itself. It’s a big challenge and it’s exciting for us in that room to come through for the team.”
3. Here are some leftover offensive line thoughts that didn’t make it into Thought No. 1:
— I asked Brown about Corral. Specifically, I asked what he’d seen from Corral in the months since his Egg Bowl meltdown, one that luckily for Ole Miss, didn’t result in an ejection and suspension.
“He’s gotten a little bit older,” Brown said. “Last year was his first year on a college campus. He’s kind of gotten into a routine some. I think he’s matured. I think he’s been a better ballplayer as well. I’m excited to see him this season.”
— I asked Mathews about how he expects his playing time to be distributed this season, especially given the fact that he’s Ole Miss’ insurance policy at center if Johnson were to suffer another injury.
“Tackle’s the main focus right now, but I’ve been told to be ready to go in at center anytime,” Mathews said. “You never know what can happen or where I’ll be needed, so I’m just ready to do whatever I need to.”
— Finally, I asked Johnson, who has suffered two significant knee injuries during his football career, if he’d ever wondered if his opportunity would ever arrive.
“There was a time where it was tough,” Johnson said. “I was uncertain. Two years ago, I had my second ACL repair. That’s always a tough one. Having one’s tough. Having two is really hard. I don’t know if I was ever uncertain, but there were definitely some times when things were hard. I just tried to keep going on to the next day, try to improve and let the dice fall where they may.”
4. Jacquez Jones was forced, by necessity as much as anything else, into very early playing time.
A year later, Jones believes he’s much better for the experience, even if at times it was a bit painful.
“Last year, I was just really out there running around,” Jones said. “This year, I know what I’m doing. I know the gaps to read. I’m a whole different person.”
Additionally, this season, there is more competition in the linebacker room.
“You’ve got six guys, seven guys, who we know can play,” Jones said. “So every day at practice, we have to go out there and be the best player we can be to play. It’s just everybody is trying to put Ole Miss back on the map again. I’m not saying last year we didn’t, but we’re trying to get to a championship and to be the best defense we can be, it starts with the linebackers. That’s our main priority — turn some heads in the SEC and the whole country.
Jones said MoMo Sanogo and Willie Hibbler are the leaders in the room. Lakia Henry, Jones said, has emerged as a hitter even as he’s learning the scheme in Mike MacIntyre’s system. Donta Evans, meanwhile, “has been a whole change” from last year.
“His level of physicality has been off the roof,” Jones said. “Right now, he’s the most physical guy in the room and that’s what allows him to play with the (starting defense).”
Jones said his focus the next three weeks is on hand placement.
“That’s what hurts me the most,” Jones said. “Coming out of high school, I didn’t really have to use my hands because I was the biggest one. In college, you can’t just throw a shoulder. You’ll get knocked out.”
5. Myles Hartsfield is learning multiple positions this month — shark, nickel and cornerback. There are more assignments in the secondary, more techniques to learn.
Hartsfield talked about those topics, the Rebels’ wide receivers, Corral and more following practice Friday. It’s an interview worth watching.
6. I’ve seen parts of four practices now, and I’ve spent most of my time on the practice field filming some video so you, the subscriber, can get a cursory look at as many of the players as possible.
I’ve also made a handful of observations and picked some brains during my time on the practice field. Here are a few observations, opinions and whatnot:
— There is a tremendous amount of confidence inside the program in Corral. He’s been solid in practice, consistently making plays with his arm on the run.
— The three freshmen quarterbacks all have different skill sets. If there’s a clear favorite to backup Corral at this point, no one inside the program is tipping his hand. Along those lines, John Rhys Plumlee has certainly shown more than enough to stay at quarterback. Sources inside the program have said they’ve been very pleased with his work early in camp.
— Snoop Conner appears to be ahead of Jerrion Ealy right now, proof that getting to Oxford in January and getting his feet wet, if you will, was invaluable for the Hattiesburg, Miss., product.
— Tyrone Nix was all over junior college outside linebacker Sam Williams during the portion of practice media was allowed to attend Friday. The criticism appeared to be regarding Williams’ knowledge of assignment and/or alignment. It told me two things. One, the transition from junior college to the SEC is always difficult, especially mentally. Two, the Rebels really need Williams, and Nix knows it.
— Everyone is raving about Jaylon Jones less than a year removed from his ACL tear. If he can return to pre-injury form _ and sources say it looks like he’s close _ that’s a huge lift for the Ole Miss defense.
— One person after another brags on two freshman defensive linemen — nose tackle Patrick Lucas Jr., and defensive end LeDarrius Cox.
7. Last week, I jinxed Ohio State while I gave my Big Ten predictions. This week, I turn my attention to the ACC and the Big 12. Bet accordingly.
ACC Atlantic Division
1. Clemson
2. North Carolina State
3. Syracuse
4. Florida State
5. Boston College
6. Wake Forest
7. Louisville
ACC Coastal Division
1. Virginia
2. Miami
3. Virginia Tech
4. Duke
5. Pittsburgh
6. North Carolina
7. Georgia Tech
ACC Champion: Clemson
Big 12
1. Oklahoma
2. Texas
3. Iowa State
4. Baylor
5. Oklahoma State
6. TCU
7. West Virginia
8. Kansas State
9. Texas Tech
10. Kansas
Big 12 Champion: Oklahoma
8. Last week, I predicted the AFC races in the NFL. This week, I turn my attention to the NFC. By now, you know how horrible I am at this. Bet accordingly.
NFC West:
1. Los Angeles Rams
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Arizona Cardinals
NFC South:
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Carolina Panthers
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. Tampa Bay Bucaneers
NFC North:
1. Chicago Bears
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Detroit Lions
NFC East:
1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. New York Giants
4. Washington Redskins
9. As I said at the beginning today, it's almost time for football season. One can almost feel it. Here's some proof, in the form of the drink of the week, as Jonathan Howard is thinking about game-day drinks.
Here's Jonathan:
This weekend I set up for a very large event at the Nashville Tomato Arts Festival in East Nashville. The entire menu consisted of different styles of the Bloody Mary, so I thought why not dig a little deeper into this 11 a.m. Grove favorite as your drink of the week.
According to his granddaughter, Bartender Fernand Petiot claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary in 1921, which was well before any of the later claims. He was working at the New York Bar in Paris at the time, which later became Harry's New York Bar, a frequent Paris hangout for Ernest Hemingway and other American migrants.
The original cocktail is said to have been created on the spur of the moment, according to the bar's own traditions, consisting only of vodka and tomato juice. Harry's Bar also claims to have created numerous other classic cocktails, including the White Lady and the Sidecar, most of which were created by American Bartenders displaced to Europe during prohibition.
New York's 21 Club also has two claims associated with the cocktail. One is that it was invented in the 1930s by a bartender named Henry Zbikiewicz, who was charged with mixing Bloody Mary’s. Another attributes its invention to the comedian George Jessel, who frequented the 21 Club. In 1939, Lucius Beebe printed in his gossip column, This New York one of the earliest U.S. references to this drink, along with the original recipe: "George Jessel's newest pick-me-up which is receiving attention is called a Bloody Mary: half tomato juice, half vodka.”
Fernand Petiot later claimed to have invented the modern Bloody Mary in 1934 as a refinement to Jessel's drink, at the King Cole Room in New York's St. Regis Hotel, according to the hotel's own history. This also takes his granddaughter claim to originating the base of the beverage false. When Petiot spoke to The New Yorker magazine in July 1964, he said:
"I initiated the Bloody Mary of today. Jessel said he created it, but it was really nothing but vodka and tomato juice when I took it over. I cover the bottom of the shaker with four large dashes of salt, two dashes of black pepper, two dashes of cayenne pepper, and a layer of Worcestershire sauce; I then add a dash of lemon juice and some cracked ice, put in two ounces of vodka and two ounces of thick tomato juice, shake, strain, and pour. We serve a hundred to a hundred and fifty Bloody Marys a day here in the King Cole Room and in the other restaurants and the banquet rooms.”
The cocktail was claimed as a new cocktail under the name "Red Hammer" in Life in 1942, consisting of tomato juice, vodka and lemon juice. Less than a month later in the same magazine, an advertisement for French's Worcestershire Sauce suggested that it be added to a virgin "Tomato Juice Cocktail" along with tomato juice, salt and pepper. The addition of salt to the alcoholic beverage was suggested that same year in a story in Hearst's International Combined with Cosmopolitan.
The beauty of the beverage is that is in its modern form, it can really be anything you want with the guidelines of clear spirit, being gin or vodka and a tomato based additive. So, you can make it spicy, acidic, vegetal, rich, savory, refreshing or anything your heart desires. In the latter parts of my bartending life, I started to really use green tomatoes for my Bloody Mary mixes as an additional option to the traditional red. I would usually add in herbs, some level of additional green juices and spices. If you’ve got a home juicer and some time, it is a really interesting experiment and hell of a party trick.
Cheers!!
Green Mary
2 oz. Ketel One Vodka or Tanqueray London Dry Gin
4 oz. Green Mary Mix
Gently press a lime wedge against the Collins glass and dip into Dill Salt. Build drink in dill-salt rimmed highball glass, give a brief stir and garnish with a celery stalk and some cherry tomatoes for color.
GREEN MARY MIX:
2 juiced whole green tomatos (Not tomatillo)
2 oz. Celery Juice
2 oz. Cucumber Juice
1/2 oz. Lime Juice
1/4 oz. Pickled Jalapeno Juice
1 tsp. Ground Onion Powder
1 tsp. Celery Salt
1 tsp. White Pepper
1 tsp. Horseradish
1 tsp. Dill (remove hard stems)
6 Dashes Green Tabasco
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Dill Salt:
Equal parts fresh chopped dill and celery salt, ground together with a mortar and pedestal.
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss football and whatever else may come up this week on RebelGrove.com, starting with a media opportunity I'll cover Monday. Chase Parham will fill in for me on Wednesday and Friday. Until then, here are some links of interest to me _ and hopefully, to you _ for your reading pleasure:
Taysom Hill is not the next Drew Brees, but he just might be the next Steve Young – The Athletic
With the Injuries (and the Hype) Behind Him, Khalil Tate Resolves to Write a New Chapter
All Grown Up: Trevor Lawrence Leads a New Wave of QBs Ready-Made for Prime Time
Kevin Durant on if the Warriors mishandled his calf injury: ‘Hell, no’
For Popovich and Team USA, a perfect fit that was long overdue - ExpressNews.com
‘Tough days, f—ing tough days’: Kemba Walker on his decision to join the Celtics – The Athletic
Ian Happ’s edge could be exactly what the Cubs need now
UNC scandal: NCAA officials drop recommended academic reform | Raleigh News & Observer
He got a dream job. It was taken away before he even started. - Poynter
Whatever happened to Villanova basketball star Shelly Pennefather? 'So I made this deal with God.'
