1. I walked into a football stadium for the first time in 18 months or so on Saturday.
It was a beautiful day in Oxford, and I arrived at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium around 12:25 p.m., just a few minutes before Ole Miss began its scrimmage.
I took some notes — they’re posted at RebelGrove.com — about starters and quarterbacks and whatnot, but if I’m honest, I kind of reveled in just soaking up some rays and a little atmosphere.
Lane Kiffin’s kids were there Saturday. I watched the second-year coach interact with his daughters and then later in the practice with his son, Knox. The boy wanted to put on the headset, so Kiffin appeared to relent and let him. It was amusing.
I tried to make some observations, but I’ve been doing this awhile and I know to be careful. Yes, the defense appeared to dominate but there are things I don’t know about Saturday. For example:
— Was some of the practice scripted?
— Was the offense working to put some things on film for evaluation, results be damned?
— Are we already to the point of practice where the defense knows what’s coming and therefore has a bit of an advantage?
— With the practice being open to the public (and therefore, a scattering of recruits), was the offense being purposefully vanilla?
I don’t know the answers to any of those questions and Kiffin isn’t going to tell me if I ask, so I choose to do the prudent thing and not make any real, sweeping assertions from 100 minutes or so of a football practice in early April.
2. I did notice a few things, however. One, there’s a laid-back vibe to the Rebels’ program. I like it. People say teams adopt the personality of their head coach, and one can see that at Ole Miss. The Rebels get their work done, but it’s cool and calm. It’s not forced. It’s not gimmicky. It’s serious, but it’s not life and death.
It’s April. Ole Miss doesn’t play Louisville in Atlanta for another five months. There’s work to be done in the transfer portal. There’s a summer offseason program to conduct. There’s a fall camp to navigate before a game that counts is played.
There was intensity, however. Especially on defense, it’s clear this is a more confident team. There’s more talent up front. There’s considerably more talent on the back end. There is familiarity — both with coaches and scheme. Randall Joyner’s enthusiasm is palpable. There’s still work to be done on defense. There’s no doubt about that. I still have concerns about pass rush off the edge and overall linebacker play, but Ole Miss’ defense looks much improved.
Ole Miss’ offense was without several key players. Again, a sweeping judgement based off one Saturday afternoon in April would be ridiculous. I won’t force that just to appease some subscribers desperate for football content. It’s a long road between now and September, and history says Kiffin will have his offense ready to play.
It was a nice day in the sun. It was fun to just sit in a stadium and watch competition. Forgive me for returning to that general thought. It’s the one that struck me when I walked into Vaught-Hemingway Saturday, and it’s the one that hit me again as I left two hours later.
Ole Miss returns to practice Tuesday. Saturday’s practice is scheduled to be open to the public. Ole Miss wraps up spring drills on April 24 with the annual Grove Bowl game at 4 p.m.
3. That changed attitude on defense is a real thing.
In fact, it’s something Ole Miss’ defenders made imperative this spring. After a season in which the Rebels had a hard time stopping anyone, veterans of that defense addressed every element of what happened internally and pushed for change.
“We came into this year knowing we have to improve in a number of ways,” Ole Miss defensive back A.J. Finley said Thursday. “We’re coming into practice competing every day, trying to get better every day. You hear it all the time. When people talk about Ole Miss football, they talk about the offense. We know that. We know we had some games where we had games in the fourth quarter where if we had made some stops, that lost us the game. We’re coming in to see if we can get those stops.”
4. Linebacker Lakia Henry wasn’t satisfied in 2020 — either with his individual play or with the defense’s overall performance.
So he returned for another season in Oxford, determined to improve both.
Henry said he wants to be drafted in the first three or four rounds of the NFL Draft. After an inconsistent 2020, he knew that wasn’t going to happen. So he’s pushed harder than ever this spring, eager to show NFL scouts he has the goods to shine at the next level.
“Personally I think I have the talent to do that,” Henry said Thursday. “I just have to get into my playbook more. I feel like being in the same defense for two years is really going to help me, so that really played a big part of my decision. Once I really sat down and thought to myself, ‘Maybe it’s not best to go right now because I feel like I left a lot on the field,’ it was an easy decision to make.”
5. Four of Ole Miss’ five starting offensive linemen from 2020 are back this year. Only Royce Newman is gone from a unit that emerged as one of the Southeastern Conference’s best.
His replacement appears to be Jeremy James, who spent a good bit of last season at offensive guard.
“I came in as a tackle so it hasn’t been too, too bad,” James said Thursday. “I think it’s more mental than anything. I’ve made the transition. I just have to work on footwork and stuff. It’s not too bad.”
James said Eli Acker has been working at his old guard spot, as has Reece McIntyre.
“I think we can be a special group,” James said. “I think you saw last year we got better each and every game. I think we’re going to continue to move that way. I’m pretty excited about it. I think it’s a special group.”
James also raved about his backup, Cedric Melton, saying the redshirt freshman from Texas is looking “phenomenal.”
6. Ole Miss’ baseball team lost two of three at Florida over the weekend, falling to 7-2 in the SEC and into a Western Division tie with Arkansas, who just so happens to be headed to Oxford Friday.
Defense cost the Rebels on Thursday. They bounced back with a strong performance on Friday and then simply lost a close game to another elite team on Saturday. There are 5-6 elite teams in the SEC this spring, and the Rebels and Gators are two of them.
Arkansas played three close games with Auburn in Fayetteville over the weekend, losing a 2-1 decision on Thursday before bouncing back with a pair of come from behind wins over the Tigers on Friday and Saturday.
I’ve watched more college baseball this spring than I have in a decade. I’m not sure why, but I’ve caught myself turning on random SEC games and following along casually. My observations:
— Vanderbilt is the best team in the league. The duo of Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter at the front of the rotation is powerful and intimidating.
— Personally, I think Ole Miss is a shade better than Arkansas, but it’s really, really close. The Rebels’ weekend rotation is a smidge better, I think, though the Hogs have a deeper lineup and a better bullpen. Both teams are weaker defensively than Vanderbilt. The three-game set at Swayze should be a lot of fun and perhaps a preview of a super regional in June. Both teams are absolutely that good.
— Florida, as Ole Miss saw, has some elite arms. They’re talented and dangerous, though their defense is shaky.
— Mississippi State’s arms are strong. Everything else is sort of average, I think, but the Bulldogs play with a swagger. They’re good.
— I think South Carolina is going to give somebody headaches as a No. 2 seed in a regional in June.
— Tennessee is strong. They don’t jump off the screen, but at some point, one has to acknowledge their record.
— Texas A&M, Kentucky and Georgia are average teams. Period.
— Alabama just doesn’t have enough to contend in this league.
— Auburn is the best 1-8 team in SEC history. The Tigers have pitching and some bats. If they solve their bullpen woes, they’re going to wreck an elite team one weekend before the season is out.
— LSU is in trouble. Real trouble. The Tigers have 6-24 written all over them, and if that happens, change will come to Baton Rouge.
7. It was a fairly quiet week for Ole Miss on the basketball recruiting front. The Rebels continue to have at least three roster spots available, and sources believe this week could bring activity and at least a little resolution.
I’m told Ole Miss continues to hold substantial leads for Duke transfer forward Jaemyn Brakefield and Miami (Fla.) transfer center Nysier Brooks. If the Rebels land Brakefield and Brooks, the third vacancy would almost have to be filled by a guard. Ole Miss is still in on Penn State transfer guard Myreon Jones, but sources indicated Sunday there’s no clear read on Jones at this point. The portal is packed, however, so there are no shortages of options.
According to the website, VerbalCommits.com, which tracks such data, roughly 1,200 players are currently in the transfer portal, which is already a record amount. A small percentage of that group are walk-ons. At this time last year, per the New York Post, the number in the portal was barely 600. There are 357 Division I teams and each school gets 13 scholarships. That means roughly 25.8 percent of players are considering leaving their current programs, a rate that is increasing daily.
“You tell me if that’s healthy or not,” a high-major athletic director said rhetorically, speaking on condition of anonymity to the Post.
“I don’t think it’s good for college basketball, but it’s good for the student-athletes, and that’s what we’re all here for,” Villanova coach Jay Wright told the newspaper. “We’ll all adjust. It’s going to make it a little messier.”
It’s the new normal in college basketball, and it’s going to become even more a part of the fabric of the game when the no-penalty, one-time transfer rule passes this spring.
“It’s going to be the new normal,” an anonymous mid-major head coach told the New York Post. “The people that can adapt to it and do well with it are going to be successful. You’re going to have to embrace it as, ‘We know every year we’re going to lose four guys in the spring, and we’re going to have to replace them in the transfer portal.’
“Are you going to sit there being bitter, or are you going to sit there and say, ‘We have to get another guy?’ ”
8. Every once in a while, sports delivers a masterpiece that reminds us why we watch. That happened Saturday night in the national semifinal between UCLA and Gonzaga. The 11th-seeded Bruins started hot against the top-seeded Bulldogs and simply refused to go away.
Gonzaga led by one point at halftime but couldn’t build on its lead in the second half. The Bruins had a shot at an upset at the end of regulation, but a charge call (I believe it was the correct call) sent the game to overtime.
Jalen Suggs’ name has been on repeat in my house for weeks now. The Oklahoma City Thunder have two first-round picks and my son, Carson, has been vacillating from one prospect to another. The current basketball man-crush is Suggs, the former quarterback from St. Paul, Minn., who directs the Zags’ offense but could also play the shooting guard spot in college.
Suggs’ 40-foot running bank shot at the buzzer gave Gonzaga an overtime win Saturday night. It made a fantastic game an instant classic. It ended a game that reminded us why we love the NCAA Tournament, why we love sports.
I didn’t have a rooting interest, so I was happy for Suggs and the Bulldogs, but I was sick for my doppelgänger, Mick Cronin, and his Bruins. They probably deserved a second overtime period, but that’s not how sports work.
Gonzaga and Baylor play Monday night for the title. I can’t help but wonder if Gonzaga coach Mark Few is going to win a title in Spokane and leave for Chapel Hill. I also can’t help but wonder if we’re undervaluing Few’s ability as a coach. Baylor is red hot and talented. The Bears just destroyed Houston earlier Saturday, setting up Monday’s showdown between the sport’s two best teams this year.
I’ve gone with Gonzaga from the start of the tournament and so I’ll stick with them now, but the Zags will have their hands full with Baylor. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get another classic on the heels of a game that will be discussed for decades to come.
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 81 —Focaccia… Revisited.
Some of the best things in life are simple. Bread is a science but a simple one, once you know the exact ratios. Here is a tried-and-true recipe for you and yours to consistently have a great bread to impress your taste buds and your guests. Thank you, Italy.
Tidbit #1: This recipe can easily be doubled to have a bigger loaf. You will just need x2 for each ingredient.
Tidbit #2: If you want to add ingredients into the dough, add them near the end of the mixing process in the stand mixer.
Tidbit #3: If you want to add ingredients to the top before cooking, remember that you will be cooking at a high temperature. So, they could burn. Onions are really nice on top, with rosemary and sea salt.
Tidbit #4: You need time to let the dough rise twice, 1 hour for each essentially. So, if you are around the house one day, make this while going about your business.
Tidbit #5: When yeast blooms, this means that it is re-activated. To do this, you put it into warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes. The water will become murky in color and this is how you know it is ready.
Things you will need:
3 -4 People
Pasta dish for the evening
Preparation time - 15 minutes
Resting time - 2.5 hours
Cook time - 25 minutes
Utensils needed:
Work surface
Digital scale
Stand mixer with bread hook
Plastic wrap
Dough scraper or hand
Casserole dish
Oven
Ingredients needed:
500 g flour
325 g warm water
1/2 pack dry yeast
10 g salt
Olive oil
Make the dough
Step 1: Measure out your warm water into the stand mixer bowl. Then add your yeast. Let this sit until the yeast “blooms”, about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add the flour, salt to the mixing bowl and put in your stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 8 minutes. After, pull from the mixing bowl, on your work surface, and form a ball. Place back into your bowl and wrap with plastic wrap. Put in a warm place until it doubles in size. About 1.5 hours.
Prep the dough for cooking
Step 3: After the dough has made its first rise, take it from the bowl and place it on your work surface. Fold the sides into the center as if making an envelope. Turn off and reform into a ball. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Step 4: For your baking dish, drizzle oil into the bottom and rub along all of the surfaces. Place your dough into the dish and gently pull the dough so that it takes up most of the space. Drizzle the top with a little olive oil and then cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.
Step 5: With the 1-hour mark almost ending, pre-heat your oven to 425°F.
Step 6: Pull the film from the baking tray and drizzle a little more olive oil over the top. Using your fingers, press holes throughout the entire dough. Immediately go into the oven and cook for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Pull and let cook for 10 minutes in the baking tray and then turn out onto a plate. Serve up while fresh for a bread offering, or cut in half to make sandwiches!
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss baseball, football, basketball and whatever else arises this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure. Happy Easter.
How college football teams fake injuries, and the NCAA's plan to finally penalize it – The Athletic
Charles Barkley is fed up with NCAA's Barney Fife act — and Greg Sankey is, too | Estes
Beyond the brawl: Nick Castellanos brings the edge the Reds need – The Athletic
YouTube Appears to Be Covering for Joe Biden. Here's The Proof.
