Tuesday Report, pres. by Southern Q-Sauce: Turnage excited for SEC play

OXFORD -- Before every game, Aspen Turnage, lets her father know what she wants to see on the field.

The 3-year-old, her dad said, "knows what a pick is."

"She's always telling me to, 'Get a pick-6 so we can be rich,'" Brandon Turnage said.

This past Saturday versus Georgia Southern, Turnage recorded an interception, though he only returned it six yards.

"I said, 'Baby, we've still got a ways to go,'" Turnage said, smiling broadly.

The first-year Ole Miss cornerback, who grew up in Oxford but played at Alabama and Tennessee before transferring to finish his career for the hometown Rebels, has recorded 11 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup so far this season. The interception, however, was special.

"That interception felt great," Turnage said. "I kind of dreamed about it the night before, and somehow, it came. It was a pretty bad decision by the quarterback and I just made the play. I really couldn't even think. I was so excited. I was just happy and I knew my daughter was proud."

Turnage said the decision to come back to Ole Miss has been great, adding he wishes he'd made it earlier in his career. Being home, able to see grandparents and other family, has been fulfilling.

So has the season so far for the sixth-ranked Rebels (4-0), who open Southeastern Conference play Saturday (11 a.m., ABC) versus Kentucky (2-2 overall, 0-2 in the SEC).

"We've played fast," Turnage said. "We've played real physical. Who doesn't want to be a part of a defense like that? As a defensive back, it makes you feel great knowing everybody is flying to the ball. It gives us less work to do. We can really cover our guys and also, we can get into the run game as well. I love it."

The Rebels have held opponents to just 22 points so far this season. Of course, none of those four teams -- Furman, Middle Tennessee, Wake Forest and Georgia Southern -- possess SEC talent.

"I'm ready to see us do what we do, day in and day out, against our offense," Turnage said. "We go good-on-good every day, so it's just another test.

"It's a great offense. They throw a lot at us and we try to throw a lot at them. It sharpens us on both sides. ...I feel like it makes us all better."

Kentucky's arsenal includes speedy wide receiver Barion Brown, a game-breaking threat on every play. Turnage is very familiar, as he played him the last two years when he was at Tennessee.

"He's a great receiver," Turnage said. "He's a great guy. I'm actually friends with him, but it's the same preparation. You just go out there and play football."

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Ole Miss running back Henry Parrish Jr., is having a career month as the Rebels prepare for Kentucky. He's leading the Rebels in rushing with 57 carries for 427 yards and seven touchdowns.

Kentucky, Parrish said, is big and aggressive, especially up front, on defense.

"It's all about us this week," Parrish said. "It always has been. It's about going 1-0 and competing with ourselves."

Parrish, who began his career at Ole Miss before transferring to Miami and then returning to the Rebels, said Tuesday he's "excited I came back," noting it "felt like a new team."

Parrish said there were changes but he "caught on pretty quickly," something that's been obvious as he's emerged as the Rebels' starting running back ahead of Matt Jones and Ulysses Bentley IV.

Parrish said he's not even bothered when he loses touchdown opportunities at the goal line to defensive lineman JJ Pegues.

"I'm a team player," Parrish said. "You have to give the fans what they want to see. We're going to score touchdowns. You don't really see big guys at quarterback scoring touchdowns on other teams in the country. It's good to see."

Ole Miss safety Trey Washington said he and the glut of transfers in the defensive secondary continue to mesh well as league play nears.

"Everybody is grabbing concepts daily," Washington said. "We're all getting better daily together. There's not division or anything like that. It's exceptional for new guys coming together."

Washington said the Rebels will be tested by Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff and the Wildcats' offense this weekend.

"This is what you come here for -- games like this and games like we're going to have into the season," Washington said. "We're really excited. ...I can tell (Vandagriff) is really smart. He gets through his progressions really well and you can tell he's the captain of the offense. He does a good job of controlling the offense, taking his check-downs and reading defenses. I'm excited for Saturday."

Washington has 12 tackles and three pass break-ups so far this season.

"It's been a gift seeing the (program) growth," Washington said. "Obviously, the defensive coordinator is different but you see it different from when I was a freshman just trying to get on the field and do my part, but as a senior, you have a bigger scope of things. It's been a blessing to be here for four years and I love it."