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A few highlights from the scrimmage and a special thanks to Jake Adams and Jeff Roberson for helping out the wounded with interviews. I didn't take the crutches down the steps. ...
The freshman backs got lots of work and did lots of good things. As much camp as Jeff Scott has missed – and he was held out again today – it wouldn't be shocking to see him as a very small part of the plan for Central Arkansas.
There seems to be a great deal of confidence growing in the idea of Randall Mackey at tailback. He doesn't fumble. He runs hard and makes yards.
Mackey carried twice on the first possession, his second rush going for 35 yards after he quickly reached the second level, then side-stepped freshman Trae Elston. He finished with four carries for 45 yards.
It was a huge day for I'Tavius Mathers, who had 100 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, one of them a 58-yard run off left guard where he quickly reached the second level of the defense, then outran everybody.
Jaylen Walton carried eight times for 42 yards.
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze cited their toughness and said, “I'm crazy about our two young backs.” He hasn't ruled out redshirting one of them but says that's “not in my mind right now.”
The quarterback run will be a big part of the Hugh Freeze offense. There's been a lot of that through camp, but it's hard to tell exactly how productive the runs are, because there's no hitting on the quarterbacks. Freeze tells the officials to call things close in that regard.
“They kept saying, 'Coach, I think he would have gotten more.' It's hard to tell, but we'll find out soon,” Freeze said.
Coaches have been looking for more consistency from Aaron Morris on the offensive line, and they sang his praises today.
“I thought we were physical. Aaron Morris had some pancake blocks out on the edge that really showed what we all think he can be,” Freeze said.
Not everyone was excited about the success of the freshman backs. Defensive coordinator Dave Wommack has seen his unit have the upper hand in most workouts in camp but thought they were flat today.
“Most of them are on scholarship here. They need to earn it, and they need to go full speed with effort. I didn't think we did that today. I was very disappointed in their effort.”
Hector, I think you're in the ballpark. The middle is usually the right answer. I don't think you're going to see Maikhail Miller soon, though. They like his potential, but that's just not where the time is invested right now.