McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by Harry Alexander

JACKSON, Tenn. -- Hello from rainy Jackson, Tenn., where I'm writing early on a Sunday morning before heading out to watch my son, Carson, and his Mississippi Flood U16 team play the Jackson Wolves in the final game of whatever this annual tournament is called. It's his first tournament since late February, and while I don't know enough about soccer to know if it's been good soccer or not, I know it's been nice to experience something that feels quasi-normal again.

Austin Peay and Central Arkansas played a football game Saturday, so that was nice. Ole Miss is still scheduled to play host to Florida in 27 days, so the march towards "normalcy" continues on.

Here's hoping you all have a great week.

1. Speaking of marches, the Ole Miss football team and coaches postponed Friday's practice to Saturday and marched to Oxford's Square on Friday morning. The Friday media opportunity was canceled, and Ole Miss Media Relations issued the following quotes:

“As the Ole Miss football family, we are committed to change. Police brutality and other injustices occurring across our nation have to end, and our team stands united to embrace our diversity and promote a culture of peace, equality and understanding. Regardless of our backgrounds, we all need to listen to each other and learn to respect and love our differences.” -- Ole Miss players

“I met with our leadership council last night and asked how they wanted to make their voices heard. It was good discussion, and this morning, the team decided to march in unity and use their platform to send a message. I’m proud of our players coming together for justice and change. We are going to continue to work together to improve the world around us for everyone.” -- Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin

2. I drove to The Square Friday morning and caught the tail end of the march/protest. The players had apparently moved from the Confederate statue in the middle of The Square to the steps near City Hall.

No one was talking to media and it was tough, frankly, to paint an appropriate scene. I have questions.

What, specifically, were the players protesting? Was this prompted by the shooting last week of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., something else or some combination thereof? What was/is the end game? What are the objectives? If the protest was about police brutality, why did the players reject the overtures of local law enforcement to have a conversation about that very topic?

Note: We've heard via sources some of the players will indeed meet with community law enforcement leaders this week.

I've been asked why we didn't "cover" the march more aggressively. Well, I am skeptical of building an entire story around one quote that is attributed to some 100 people. I'm not sure I could get 100 people to agree that a 72-degree, cloudless day is "nice," so I am hesitant to put a lot of weight on a statement likely crafted by someone in Ole Miss Media Relations. Further, per sources, not every player in the program was on board with a march that was, at least to some degree, anti-police. Expecting media to just blindly go along is a bit much, even though most do.

I'd also put more weight on Kiffin's statement if I heard and/or saw him say it. The Rebels moved Friday's practice to Saturday and, according to sources, moved Saturday's scheduled scrimmage to Sunday. That wasn't the original plan, so when people say the Rebels walked out of practice or canceled practice, that's simply inaccurate.

It's become the "in" thing in college athletics to control the message these days and it was headed in this direction long before the COVID-19 pandemic. And that's OK. Schools have every right to handle media in-house and limit access to traditional and digital media. Seriously. I've never complained about a lack of access and I never will. Intercollegiate athletics is a business, and if a business seeks to control its message, that's understandable. I just can't march in lockstep with it.

Players and coaches have every right to use their voices and their platform to create awareness and change. At some point, however, there has to be some specificity and not just platitudes and generalities. Friday's march, in my opinion, lacked specificity, and until some is provided, it's difficult to provide much analysis.

3. I did spend a decent amount of time Friday writing about an allegation an Oxford man, Fredderick Nettles, made against the Oxford Police Department. The story is here, in case you haven't seen it.

I've been asked why I covered it. It's a fair question, as 12 years ago, I wouldn't have given the story much thought. However, given the climate in which we live, a black man making an accusation against the Oxford Police Department regarding alleged police behavior during a traffic stop that Nettles claimed was "recent" certainly caught my attention.

So I reached out to OPD with an email, asking if the department had seen Nettles' claim on Twitter. I wanted to know if an investigation had been launched and if the department had any response. I was told Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill was preparing a statement, and the Oxford Chief of Police, Jeff McCutchen, told me he had launched an investigation immediately.

By the end of the day, I had spoken to Tannehill and Nettles and the OPD had released video of the May 2019 stop of Nettles. The video refuted Nettles' claims.

On Saturday, Nettles doubled down on Twitter.

So, why did I write it? Easy. When an accusation is made against police, especially one of that magnitude (Nettles said he feared for his life during the stop), it's imperative that media dig into it. Had Nettles' claim been true, it would've been a major story, one that required action from Oxford officials and the police department. I would've written that story if the facts led me in that direction. Lots of media would have.

However, when the facts didn't lead in that direction at all, I felt it was incumbent on me as a reporter to write that account as well. Frankly, I wasn't as confident in my media colleagues to do the same, and to my knowledge, no other outlet has touched the story.

Media has changed since I took this job in March 2008. Traditional media is all but dead on the local level. The local newspaper works very hard, but their resources are very limited. It's next to impossible for a skeleton staff to cover everything in a town such as Oxford. Media outlets covering the entire state build much of their coverage around Jackson and the state legislature, which is understandable. It leaves a void.

This site can't pretend to fill that void, but on a day when the Ole Miss football program marched to The Square, in part, presumably, to protest police brutality, I felt it was critical that someone explore Nettles' accusations that he was mistreated by local police to the point that he feared he would be killed.

In my opinion, Nettles should apologize for his tweet and make amends with the officers he falsely accused. It appears his strategy is the opposite of that. He wants to be a victim, in my opinion, and I won't be remotely surprised if some media outlet provides him with a platform to try to do just that.

4. There hasn't been a football media opportunity since Wednesday, but we're hearing some things here and there regarding the Rebels' progress as they prepare for the Sept. 26 opener against Florida.

-- All signs seem to point toward Matt Corral being Ole Miss' starting quarterback. We continue to hear he's really progressed as a passer and is improving as a decision-maker. Given the type of quarterbacks Ole Miss is pursuing in the next three classes -- Luke Altmyer, Ty Simpson and Arch Manning, to name a few -- it stands to reason the Rebels are going to want to feature a passing game when prospects watch them play on television this fall.

-- Everyone raves about freshman running back Henry Parrish. Throw him into the mix with Jerrion Ealy and Snoop Conner and that's a collection of weapons in the running game.

-- People inside the program believe Ben Brown is an NFL-caliber center and they believe Brown's presence anchors an offensive line that could be surprisingly good if it can stay healthy.

-- Defensive line remains a concern. There's just a lack of depth up front. Can Ole Miss get to the passer? Can the DL free up linebackers to make plays? There's a concern that the answer to both of those questions is negative.

-- Linebacker depth is a pleasant surprise. The Rebels have veterans there and young players who have bright futures.

-- While cornerback play is a potential strength, there's real worry about the safety spot, which might explain, as much as anything, the move of Marc Britt to safety last week.

-- Kicking has been an issue in practices and scrimmages, per sources. On a team that is likely to give up a lot of points, it can't afford to leave points on the field. That could impact a lot of fourth-down decisions for Kiffin.

5. One player who continues to draw rave reviews from camp insiders and pro scouts is Ole Miss offensive tackle Nick Broeker.

Broeker met with the media via Zoom last week and talked about the Rebels' new offense, his game and more.

6. It's time to go Around the SEC West, courtesy of the Rivals.com network.

At Alabama, things are on schedule.

“I think today’s scrimmage was a lot of what we expected for the eighth practice of the year, only the third practice that we’ve had really in pads,” head coach Nick Saban said via a Zoom call following the workout. “But I think it was a good opportunity to get players out on the field, see what they know, see how they could sustain a focus and a competitive level.”

The scrimmage lasted just over two hours and featured roughly 143 plays as the first team matched up against the second team on both offense and defense. While the media was not allowed to attend the workout, here’s a rundown of what we learned from Saban’s post-scrimmage press conference.

While Saban typically doesn’t divulge any of the numbers from his preseason practices, he did provide a look at how starting quarterback Mac Jones performed on the day.

“I think Mac did some good things,” Saban said. “I think he had like three touchdown passes, and I think he was 21-for-36. But I just think that Mac’s gotta play within himself, be confident, be positive, not beat himself up when he makes bad plays and that’s part of the maturity level of a competitor that his game experience is going to help him do, and I think his experiences leading up to the game will help him do as well.”

Jones was one of two scholarship quarterbacks present for the scrimmage as true freshman Bryce Young has been missing from practice the past few days. Saban did not reveal why the freshman was absent Saturday but did state that he is expected to rejoin the team Monday.

Saban’s generosity with stats ended with Jones as he did not provide an update on redshirt freshman Paul Tyson or any of the walk-on quarterbacks. Although, by all indication, Jones had the best day of the bunch.

“Think the other guys — they’ve got work to do — just pace of play,” Saban said. “Speed of the game. The game speeds up, the rush speeds up, you’ve gotta be comfortable being uncomfortable with how fast the game goes, so I think those guys are going to improve with the experiences they have relative to that.”

At Arkansas, Blayne Toll has switched positions three times without playing in a single game.

The three-star athlete from Hazen, Ark., signed with Arkansas as a defensive end, but was quickly moved to tight end to help with depth at the position.

After spending all summer going through virtual meetings with the tight ends, Toll flipped back to the other side of the ball for the start of walk-throughs. Now seven practices into camp, he’s back on offense.

“To be honest with you, we’re trying to find two really good tight ends and if we can get three and four, that’d be great,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “But right now, that one right there, I can tell you I don’t have a clue who the starting tight end is yet.”

Redshirt freshman Hudson Henry has been the presumed starter, but it sounds like he hasn’t separated himself from a group that includes former walk-on Blake Kern and walk-on transfer Nathan Bax, as well as Collin Sutherland and walk-on Jonas Higson - both of whom are true freshmen.

In addition to Toll, linebacker Eric Thomas Jr. also switched over to offense and was getting work at tight end this week.

On the other side of the ball, linebacker is as much in the air still as tight end.

Junior Bumper Pool and fifth-year senior Grant Morgan, a former walk-on, have handled the first-team duties in most of the videos shared by the UA, with fifth-year senior Deon Edwards and redshirt sophomore Andrew Parker getting work with the second unit.

Although his opinion could change after reviewing the film from Friday’s scrimmage, Pittman said none of them had fully solidified their spot on the depth chart.

“We haven’t really had a guy going, ‘This is my job and I’m going to take it from you,’” Pittman said. “That position right there is still a wide-open position of who’s going to be our starters there.”

The Razorbacks are likely hoping Oklahoma graduate transfer Levi Draper, a former four-star recruit, can emerge and push for playing time, but he hasn’t been spotted by the media at the last few viewing periods. Senior Hayden Henry could also factor into the mix.

At Auburn, AuburnSports.com reported earlier in the week that the team called off Wednesday and Thursday's practices due to COVID-19 issues within the team's ranks. The team wasn't originally scheduled to practice Friday, according to a practice schedule provided to reporters at the start of the week.

Malzahn said after last week's scrimmage that Auburn had two straight weeks of no new positive tests from players or staff.

That obviously changed with results from this week, and Malzahn is expected to disclose the most recent testing numbers Sunday night.

In its message to reporters, Auburn did not specify whether Saturday's cancellation was because of continued COVID-19 problems, or if it was a team decision not to hold practice.

Aiming to join the NBA in its boycott against recent social injustices in America, a number of college football programs across the country have taken off practice in the past few days.

At LSU, the defensive depth chart always remains fluid — or "etched in sand," as coach Ed Orgeron says — some early leaders, position changes and fast-rising underclassmen are starting to make their presence felt.

"I'm very pleased with the mindset of our football team eliminating distractions," Orgeron said. "We're still practicing. If anything gets too dangerous for our football team, obviously we will not practice. But it looks like we're about to practice all week right now, and our plans are to practice all week. And we'll take it day by day.

"This is a big teaching week for us. We're still a ways away from playing a game. Our guys are still teaching. They're still learning. Our coaches are doing a tremendous job. We're still installing. Today's a red zone day, and it's the fifth time we're installing the red zone. Obviously we're adding to the package. But everyday there's a daily theme of situations that we're installing and getting better at.

"I think this team is practicing very well. We're staying free of injuries for the most part."

At Texas A&M, Darvon Hubbard was a highly productive back in his senior season and committed to the Aggies late in the game after de-committing from Ohio State. Now he joins a young backfield with plenty of opportunity to find playing time this season. He's much bigger than Ainias Smith and Devon Achane, but not as big as Isaiah Spiller, Earnest Crownover and Deondre Jackson. That could make him unique and help his cause for a role in 2020.

7. And now we go Around the SEC East, courtesy of Rivals.com.

At Georgia, Kirby Smart wasn't thrilled with the offense after the Bulldogs' most recent scrimmage.

"Overall impressions, we’re behind. I don’t know that I’ve ever come out of a first scrimmage and felt good,” Smart said. “I’m happy we got to scrimmage, to be honest with you. Between the injuries, Covid going on with different teams and different programs, social injustice issues that we’re dealing with in our country and that our players are dealing with—and the thoughts of those things—I’m really proud and happy that we got to go out and scrimmage.”

Smart said it was easy to tell the Bulldogs, like most teams in the country, didn't have a spring practice.

“We’re really sloppy, to be honest with you. I guess the thing I was most proud of is that it was pretty hot, and they pushed really hard.” Smart said. “We've been harping on mental toughness and practice effort, and we really haven’t had good practice effort. And then today I thought: You know what? These guys got tired, they pushed through, we conditioned at the end of practice, and they really pushed through that. So that part made me proud. Our team stuck together and pushed. But the actual execution was poor.”

Smart did reveal that quarterbacks Jamie Newman, JT Daniels (who Smart noted still isn't cleared for contact), D’Wan Mathis, and Carson Beck each received reps at different times with the first-team offense.

“I don’t think Stetson [Bennett] got to go with the ones. Stetson did a good job with the groups he did go with. Jamie operated with the ones, and JT operated with the ones. And then D’Wan got a red area series with the ones as well,” Smart said. “But the reps came out pretty balanced, other than Stetson having a little bit fewer, because we'd seen Stetson a lot more. We know a lot more about Stetson in terms of his time spent with us last year.”

Smart said Daniels and Newman each had the opportunity to work against both the No. 1 and No. 2 defensive units.

Although the first-team defense made it difficult, there were some positive signs against the twos.

“Certainly today, when they went against the twos—the one offense doesn’t always go against the twos—there were a lot of rays of light,” Smart said. “There were guys scoring left and right. I don’t think anybody separated if that’s what you’re asking.”

Don't look for a decision on the starting quarterback anytime soon.

“I don’t have a timetable for that. It has to happen. JT isn't cleared still. I know y’all think he’s cleared, or what you think of as cleared,” Smart said. “Cleared to me is, I can go out and play a full game of tackle football. So, yeah, he gets to scrimmage, but he wasn't cleared to play in a game in terms of contact yet. That factors into the decision, then also the other guys, what they can do with their feet. Sometimes that's a tough measurement at quarterback unless you can go live with those guys. We haven’t had anybody separate yet.”

At Florida, when Gators coach Dan Mullen left for work Friday, he wasn’t expecting to return home at 2 o’clock in the morning Saturday.

But an “impromptu” protest with his players delayed practice a few hours, and the team scrimmaged late into the night for the first time in eight months.

“(The march) started everything really late. It was a real impromptu thing, so it turned into a really late night last night,” Mullen said. “Yesterday, I was supportive of our guys. It was great, I was all in. I wish we were a little more organized with it, but I think we’ll do some stuff in the future with some little more organization that maybe gives us a bigger voice.”

Some standouts Friday were running back Malik Davis and quarterback Kyle Trask, who led the offense to a couple touchdown drives. His go-to target, tight end Kyle Pitts, sat out the scrimmage.

“I didn't give Pitts any reps. I know what he can do, and I see a lot in practice,” Mullen said. “Kyle [Trask] got a couple of series, I thought he looked really sharp. I thought he handled that situation, being on the field, thought he had great leadership. … I was really pleased with how Kyle did out there and what we'll be able to do with him, both on the field and how he came out ready to go.”

Mullen was also pleased with the performance of Davis, who is beginning to return to his freshman form after suffering back-to-back season-ending injuries.

“I thought our backs ran the ball well,” Mullen said. “I want to say, Malik Davis to me looked like the Malik Davis I saw when I got here before I became the head coach. I haven’t see that in a couple years. I’m thinking, ‘Boy, he’s really back to where he wants to be.' I was really impressed with Nay’Quan Wright running the ball.

“Young receivers I thought really for their first time being in the Swamp in that big scrimmage situation, I thought those guys stepped up, played well. The young safeties I thought came up and really hit. … I was pleased with our freshmen D-linemen. And Jaelin Humphries, who’s almost a freshman because of the injury last year.”

Miami running back transfer and former five-star recruit Lorenzo Lingard Jr. has also shown off his ability, but is still behind Davis and Dameon Pierce at this time due to his lack of experience in the offensive system.

“I think he's running the ball hard,” Mullen said of Lingard. “Good job catching the ball out of the backfield. I think, for him, you’re looking at some guys that have been in the offense for a while, so just picking up some of the little things, he's probably behind those guys in doing it.

“This is year three for Malik the offense, year three for Pierce, year three for [Clement], Nay'Quan year two. And [Lingard] is at practice ten. So, mentally he's going to be a little bit behind those guys, but he runs the ball hard. Plays hard, has great effort. I love his attitude, I love who he is as a person. We’ve just got to keep working with him to pick it all up.”

At Kentucky, things feel different, UK coach Mark Stoops conceded recently. Your internal clock usually feels really pressed at this time of year, getting ready for a game. The preparation time is much longer than it usually is in the summer, but they still have that same sense of urgency when they come to work. It's just slower this year, but Stoops said that's OK. It's just a different year.

Asked about boredom setting in (still 4 weeks from a game) Stoops said that's a bit of a challenge, especially when they can't do many team-bonding things due to distancing.

On Terry Wilson having extra time to get ready, Stoops said he thinks it has given him extra confidence in his body being ready. "The slow introduction (back) to football has to help." It's good for him not having to force as many practices and reps into a week. Noted that he looked good today with "live bullets" flying around him. Looked really willing to pull it down and run. Stoops said that concerned him a bit. He had a quick whistle, making sure Wilson didn't get himself in trouble or take a hit he didn't need to take.

At Tennessee, the Vols' football practice scheduled for Friday has been cancelled as the program deals with COVID-19 positive tests.

“Today we elected not to practice,” head coach Jeremy Pruitt announced. “As you guys know we continue to constantly test within our program. We have really had very good results the entire time with the exception of when I gave them eight days off for the fourth of July. This week we had a few more positive tests so I elected to shut practice down. We retested everybody again this morning to see where we are at. Our number one priority is to be able to protect everyone associated with our program. As we get the results back we will see exactly where we are at and we will start practice up accordingly.”

Pruitt wouldn’t get specific as to how many positive tests the team currently has or where the positives came from in terms of contact tracing. Pruitt said they had more than they normally have and his players have to be more cautious now with the full student body back on campus.

“We have not put a number on the testing (in terms of how many positives mean a practice shutdown). We have been very low to zero for the most part the entire summer with the exception of one week. We weren’t at zero or one this week so we want to make sure we figure out why. Back during July when we gave the guys time off and everyone went their separate ways the numbers were really high across the country. We came back and had more positive tests. Now we have the student body back on campus and it’s something our student-athletes are going to have to learn to live with. We have to make good decisions and again make sure who you are around to have to understand you have to have a mask on at all times. We want to make sure it’s not spreading within our building. To this point we have had zero spread in our building according to the tracing.”

As for returning to the practice field, Pruitt said they would do so when he felt comfortable doing it and that they weren’t in a time crunch because they have extra days this camp to get in their allotted number of practices.

“We just wanted to take a day or two and go back and make sure that we are very thorough with each one of our players and figure out where the initial COVID came from,” Pruitt stated. “If that means we can’t practice tomorrow then we won’t practice tomorrow. This was my decision through our athletic training department and Dr. Klenck. Again it’s about protecting everyone in our program. We get 25 practices. We have a bunch of days to get them in. It’s not like we are running out of time or anything like that. We want to make sure we are protecting our players and reassuring their safety.”

At South Carolina, the Gamecocks have only scrimmaged once as the season approaches, but things seem to be getting a little clearer in the secondary as camp wears into September.

It looks like the Gamecocks have at least an idea right now of which guys will be getting the bulk of the secondary snaps right now with most players playing multiple positions in the defensive backfield.

“We all can be used many ways,” Jammie Robinson said.

It’s Robinson who might be the most versatile player in the secondary, saying last week he’s getting first-team reps at safety but is sliding down to nickel when the Gamecocks need another defensive back in the game.

Robinson also said RJ Roderick is getting first-team safety reps with him and, when Robinson slides to nickel, a few other guys are getting turns at safety with Robinson mentioning specifically Shilo Sanders.

Will Muschamp also said on his call-in show last week Israel Mukuamu will play some safety this season.

“He’s a multiple guy, a very smart and intelligent guy that can learn multiple spots in the secondary,” defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson said. “In some nickel packages to get Cam (Smith) in the game at corner or John (Dixon) in the game at corner sometimes we’ll put Izzy at safety. He can do different things like that. He’s a versatile guy that way.”

The biggest wildcards are Smith and Dixon, who are coming along at corner and, if they play well enough, could lock down more playing time there which frees Mukuamu up to play more safety if Robinson is at nickel.

“I’ve been seeing both of them competing,” Robinson said. “Both guys are my roommates so we’re around each other hanging out. Both are going to compete and the best guy is going to get the position. Whoever gets the spot, it’s not going to hurt the next guys.”

Smith is getting rave reviews dating back to the spring, putting on a little more weight with Travaris Robinson saying he’s earning more playing time as preseason camp continues.

Both Smith and Dixon are redshirt freshmen and roommates who are enjoying the competition together.

“It’s just the satisfaction knowing we’re competing the same every day, ever since we got here,” Smith said. “I work out with him every day after workouts or practice.”

Among the other guys working at nickel with Robinson are Jaycee Horn and Dixon, which gives the Gamecocks depth in the defensive backfield.

“I feel like we can be the best DB group in the nation. We just have to all come together and be leaders on the field. We’re all experienced: me, Jaycee, RJ and Izzy,” Robinson said. “We all played as freshman. We’re coming in, my second year, I know the defense…We just have to come together, make plays and that’ll bring the whole defense together."

At Vanderbilt, Derek Mason was asked about what the Commodores lacked on the defensive line last season.

"Guys had to play too many snaps," Mason said. "They were on the field too much. They need rotational depth in the SEC. In 70- and 80-snap games, they have to spread the depth around."

Mason said the Commodores' front-seven is "closer now than they’ve ever been to having enough guys who can win one-on-ones."

Mason said that’s where they’ve gotten better and deeper through recruiting and development, and faster at LB. Speed matters and you have to go sideline to sideline. They have more guys with pronounced skill sets. People want to talk about scheme but your technique and finish have to be good; they struggled with finish a year ago and they’re working more on those fundamentals.

"College football is a junior/senior sport and that’s where it starts to show," Mason said, adding Vanderbilt has done a better job of recruiting young guys and they need to keep it simple in the preseason.

"Development’s important," Mason said.

8a. Ole Miss landed a commitment from four-star guard James White last week, and the Rebels are far from done.

Look for Ole Miss to focus on post players to round out the 2021 signing class. They are in on a couple of junior college players, most notably Langston Wilson and Sydney Curry.

The Rebels are also very much in the mix for 2022 five-star forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, and he's strongly considering reclassifying to the 2021 class. Huntley-Hatfield told Rivals.com he plans to commit in January, and as of today, Ole Miss is very much in the mix.

Kermit Davis and his staff have been working incredibly hard on Huntley-Hatfield, knowing his signature would not only make the roster immensely better immediately but also provide the kind of recruiting splash that could change the trajectory of the Rebels' program.

8b. I'm just happy for the coaches and players of other fall sports that they'll get an opportunity to compete this fall. That's it. It would've been very sad to see a lot of work and sweat and preparation be wasted.

8c. The NBA resumed its playoffs Saturday following a few days of protest earlier in the week. Here are my predictions for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference semifinals:

Eastern Conference:

Boston over Toronto in 6

Milwaukee over Miami in 6

Western Conference:

L.A. Lakers over Houston in 6 (if the Thunder happen to come back and win that series, make in Lakers over OKC in 5)

L.A. Clippers over Utah/Denver in 6

9. Let’s have some dessert, shall we?

Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 51 — My Favourite Cake (German Strawberry)

Next week will be week 52 of being able to write and offer you recipes and knowledge to progress your skills in this culinary world. Happy anniversary to Taste fo the Place!

Sometimes the strangest things blossom into something beautiful. Every year when I was growing up, my entire family would travel to a small church in the middle of nowhere to have a family reunion. It consisted of first, second, third, and fourth cousins. Of course, aunts and uncles as well. The cake that we will be making this week is something that I remember the most. The icing is a little sweet so you are warned yet, it is a Southern cake. Enjoy.

Tidbit #1: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. If you are trying to work faster, put the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. For your butter, place it in the microwave and zap it for 20-second intervals until soft.

Tidbit #2: It is best to have a stand mixer to assist in the combing of the ingredients. You can also use a handheld mixer.

Tidbit #3: When you grease and flour a cake pan, make sure that everything is covered in both. Spray your pan with the grease and then dump 1/2 cup in flour in it. Move the cake pan so that the bottom and sides are completely covered. Pour the rest of the flour into your alternate cake pan and repeat the process.

Things you will need:

6-8 People A wonderful Sunday afternoon 4 Hours to goodness

Equipment needed:

1 Work surface 1 Stand mixer 1 Can of baking spray + Flour for dusting Measuring cups of 1 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1/3 cup 2-9 inch round cake pans 1 Oven 1 Timer on your phone A toothpick 1 Rubber Spatula 1 Wire rack Pair of oven mitts 1 Metal sifter 1 Metal Spatula

1 Small Bowl

Ingredients needed:

Cake - 1 Box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Strawberry Supreme 1 Box wild strawberry JELL-O 1 Cup Wesson oil 1/2 Cup sweet milk 4 Eggs 1 Cup frozen, sugared strawberries 1 Cup angel flake coconut 1 Cup finely chopped pecans

Frosting - 1.5 Boxes of confectioner's 10X sugar 1 Stick of butter 1/3 Cup sugared strawberries 1/3 Cup angel flake coconut 1/3 Cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat your oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, grease and flour your 2-9 inch round cake pans.

Step 2: In your stand mixer bowl, add the cake mix and jello. Mix on low speed until well blended.

Step 2.1: Add the Wesson oil to the bowl, followed by the sweet milk. Mix until combined.

Step 2.2: Next, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the strawberries, and then mix on medium-high speed for 5-6 minutes.

Step 2.3: Add the pecans and coconut and continue to mix on medium-high for 1 minute.

Step 2.4: Divide your batter into 2 and pour it into each cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before turning onto your wire rack.

Step 3: Clean the mixing bowl to re-use it for the icing. Next, sift the confectioner's sugar into the bowl. Add the butter.

Step 3.1: Strain the juice of the strawberries into the small bowl. Add the strawberries to the mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until well blended.

Step 3.2: Add the coconut and pecans and mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute.

Step 4: Fork the top of each cooled cake and then spread the juices of the strained strawberries on top. Spread frosting on the cake and then repeat for the top layer when assembling.

Step 4.1 (Last step): Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours for best results. I will shy away from desserts for the upcoming weeks and get into the fall season of vegetables, meats, and soups. From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!

10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss football, football recruiting, basketball recruiting and more this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:

NFL teams huddling up to devise plans for social change

Producer of Braves telecasts prepared all her life for this job

Inside the emotional 48 hours that saved the NBA's bubble

Draymond Green: Telling Athletes to Stop Playing Sports Is 'Counterproductive' – OutKick

Warriors targets of the week: Can they possibly get Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons? – The Athletic

Why the Dodgers decided to not play baseball Wednesday night (1:21)

‘You will get through this’: How two LSU families persist without Carley McCord – The Athletic

Melvin W. Carter Jr.: Define policing, once again, as a peacekeeping endeavor - StarTribune.com

The Rise in Young Men's Colon Cancer - Colon Cancer in Men

Read this story, look at the number and then read the headline. Media wonders why many are losing trust in their reporting. Here's an example:

Crowds seen at motorcycle rally raise fears of super spreader event