When I posted the question of the day below, Zack Stoudt had not been named the starter by Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt.

Sometimes news happens in the middle of the day.

Nutt decided he'd seen enough to name Stoudt the starter for this week's 5 p.m. kick against Southern Illinois.

At his news conference Nutt said Stoudt will get "most of the reps, and we'll see how everything else goes with practice."

When Barry Brunetti was named starter after Randall Mackey's arrest in late August, Nutt made it a point of saying Stoudt would play. Today he seemed ready to focus on one quarterback.

Stoudt clearly showed an ability to move the team that Brunetti was lacking for two quarters. The big unknown is still Mackey.

My guess is at least one of the others will play, probably Mackey, who has been in the program the longest of the three and has still yet to play in a game. He's got got speed and athleticism, and Nutt will want to see how he responds to the game.

There's another dynamic in play. Offensive coordinator David Lee likes the Wildcat package - Wild Rebel in these parts - and the trigger man, Brandon Bolden, is out.

With Stoudt as the starter, Mackey coming in as the Wild Rebel really does offer a change of pace. It also gives you a guy running that play who is accustomed to handling the ball and to passing. I'd expect to see Mackey in the Wild Rebel formation this week.

When Mackey was signed out of East Mississippi CC two years ago, there was talk of using him at another position, possibly receiver, if he wasn't the every-down quarterback. I don't think that's the case now. Nutt likes Mackey as a QB, and receiver is a bit of a crowded house.

Speaking of Bolden, Nutt confirmed it's a fracture of the ankle for his top running back. He said Bolden will be in a walking boot "for at least a couple of weeks" and did not give a timetable for his return.

His backup, Enrique Davis, sustained a hyper-extended knee against BYU. Davis is listed as a possible starter this week, though Nutt said he won't practice, and that could make it hard for him to play in the game.

Sophomore wide receiver Korvic Neat and freshmen defensive backs Chief Brown and Cody Prewitt will work at running back this week.

In other news ...

Zack Stoudt's teammates really like his presence in the huddle. "He let everybody know he had it under control. It was real good seeing his leadership like that," center A.J. Hawkins said. ...

Nutt was not impressed with the play of his offensive line against BYU. The Rebels managed just 64 rushing yards on 29 attempts. "I was disappointed in some of the blocking and there were times when somebody didn't hit the hole. It was a combination." ...

Generally speaking, players seemed upbeat about their performance in Week 1, disappointed with the loss, encouraged by the fact that they were in position to win. They feel like they'd have closed the deal by turning around a few plays.

"We're really disappointed, but not so disappointed as if we'd have gotten beat. We didn't get beat," Stoudt said. "In our minds we're acting like and playing like we're 1-0. That's what we need to do."