SEC PREVIEW MISSISSIPPI STATE

Accentuate positives

Freeze: Off-field distractions won’t sap joy

FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2015, file photo, Mississippi football coach Hugh Freeze watches his team warmup before an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M in Oxford, Miss. Speaking at the Southeastern Conferences annual meetings Tuesday, May 31, 2016, Freeze delivered a lengthy, prepared statement and then took several questions about violations involving first-round NFL draft pick Laremy Tunsil. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

HOOVER, Ala. -- Hugh Freeze recognizes it has been a rough few months for Mississippi, from the notice of allegations the school received from the NCAA committee on infractions in January, to self-imposed scholarship losses, to the NFL Draft night disaster for offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil.

But Freeze, who has a 34-18 record and consecutive victories over Alabama during his first four seasons, said he won't let those issues define his outlook on life or coaching.

MISSISSIPPI

2016 schedule

Sept. 5 Florida State#, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Sept. 10 Wofford, 3 p.m. (SECN)

Sept. 17 Alabama*, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)

Sept 24 Georgia*

Oct. 1 Memphis

Oct. 15 at Arkansas*

Oct. 22 at LSU*

Oct. 29 Auburn*

Nov. 5 Georgia Southern

Nov. 12 at Texas A&M*

Nov. 19 at Vanderbilt*

Nov. 26 Mississippi State* # Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.

  • SEC game

Ole Miss glance

Last season 10-3, 6-2 (2nd) in SEC West

Coach Hugh Freeze (34-18 in fifth year at Ole Miss; 64-25 in eighth year overall)

Returning starters (10): Offense 3, defense 5, specialty 2

Key returning players QB Chad Kelly, TE Evan Engram, WR Quincy Adeboyejo, DE Fadol Brown, DB Tony Conner, DE Marquis Haynes

SEC title scenario The restructured offensive line must give quarterback Chad Kelly, a 65 percent passer with a 155.86 efficiency rating last year, room to operate and provide balance with a running game.

"If you are a coach and you have the rocky times and trials and tribulations and it causes you to lose all of the joy that comes with working, with the relationships that you have within your building and on your team, man, you're going be like a roller coaster," Freeze said.

Ole Miss' NCAA infractions case, with nine of the alleged violations occurring during Freeze's tenure, has been prolonged because of the draft night events, which included Tunsil saying he asked for and received money from Rebels' coaches. Tunsil sat out the first seven games of 2015 for receiving three loaner vehicles over a six-month period without payment and other NCAA violations.

Freeze, faced with repeated questions about the NCAA investigation at SEC media days, said he eagerly awaits the Rebels' chance to meet the committee on infractions.

"We look forward to that day," Freeze said. "But with everybody's narrative going on, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle and the facts are this: There will come a day where we get to stand before the committee on infractions ... and we will be held accountable for any wrongdoing that is found and that's the way it should be. I have zero interest, zero interest, in cutting corners to be successful, and our staff knows that very well."

Senior tight end Evan Engram, a preseason second-team All-SEC pick, said the Rebels are not letting the NCAA issues hinder their preparation.

"We just worry about football," Engram said. "We show up to work every day to ... work toward our goals, which are winning in Atlanta and competing for a national championship. So all the outside stuff, we're not paying attention to it, and we're definitely not letting it distract us."

The cloud of NCAA scrutiny did not prevent the Rebels from landing a consensus top 10 recruiting class in February.

Ole Miss returns eight starters, one of the lowest numbers in the SEC, but media members picked the Rebels to finish third in the SEC West, behind defending College Football Playoff champion Alabama and LSU.

The Rebels return quarterback Chad Kelly, who passed for 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns and rushed for 500 yards and 10 touchdowns. They also have plenty of returning talent on their defensive front, led by ends Fadol Brown and Marquis Haynes and tackle D.J. Jones.

"If you were to start to build a football team to compete in the Southeastern Conference, you would start with quarterbacks first and defensive line next," Freeze said. "I think we have those two spots.

"I love Chad Kelly's work ethic. He's a gym rat and studies more film than probably the coaches do. He's going to lead our football team very, very well."

Kelly, who torched Arkansas for 478 total yards and six touchdowns in a 53-52 overtime loss last season, isn't lacking confidence entering his senior year.

Asked at SEC media days whether he was the best quarterback in the league, Kelly replied, "I'm the best quarterback in the nation.

"I want to be remembered as the greatest quarterback that ever played."

Kelly passed up a chance for early entry to the NFL to finish his collegiate career in Oxford, Miss.

"I wanted to win the SEC championship and a national championship more than anything," Kelly said when asked why he returned.

The Rebels have a difficult opening month, beginning with their Sept. 5 opener against Florida State in Orlando, Fla., on a Monday night.

"With our schedule this year, it's really tough at the beginning, pretty much a big punch up front," Engram said. "We have Florida State, and two weeks later we play Alabama. It goes on from there. But I think that's competing in the SEC, and that's why it's so successful."

After taking on the Seminoles, the Rebels play their next four at home, including SEC contests against Alabama and Georgia, then have an open date before their SEC road opener at Arkansas on Oct. 15, when Ole Miss will try to break a two-game losing streak in the series.

Sports on 07/22/2016