Freeze wants Rebels to stay patient
Missouri quarterback James Franklin will start Saturday night against Ole Miss after missing most of the past four games because of a shoulder injury. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze says Franklin and backup Maty Mauk are both capable of big plays.
OXFORD, Miss. — It’s never been a secret that Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze likes to push the pace on offense.
But when the No. 24 Rebels (7-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) host No. 8 Missouri (9-1, 5-1) on Saturday (6:45 p.m., ESPN), that strategy might be slightly altered.
Freeze said the Ole Miss offense can’t be impatient against Missouri, which has a knack for making the big play.
“Most teams don’t like to be patient. We want to score,” Freeze said. “They get you to make mistakes and force something. Their guys are in the right spot and make the play.”
Missouri leads the SEC with 34 sacks and 17 inter- ceptions. Defensive end Michael Sam is usually in the middle of those disruptive plays — he leads the league with 16 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks.
But if Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace can avoid turnovers, the Rebels could have success. Missouri’s pass defense ranks last in the SEC, giving up 274.9 yards per game.
Wallace ranks fourth in the SEC with 2,664 passing yards and has thrown 17 touchdown passes, compared with just five interceptions.
“Wallace — I think he is really playing well,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. “They have good receivers, and really good running backs. They have a stable full of athletes at those positions. The numbers they are putting up and the stress they put on defenses is real and they do a really good job.”
Missouri should also be productive on offense, especially since senior James Franklin is expected to start at quarterback.
Franklin has missed most of the past four games with a shoulder injury, but Pinkel said he has looked good in practice over the past two weeks. The Tigers haven’t played since a 48-17 win over Ken- tucky on Nov. 9.
Franklin has thrown for 1,577 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. Pinkel said he also expects freshman Maty Mauk, who played well in place of Franklin, to play against the Rebels.
Freeze said both are capable of producing big plays.
“They know who they are,” Freeze said. “They’ve done the exact same things with their second guy that they do with their first one. It’s not like you’re preparing for two different schemes. They have confidence in both of them and have good reason to.”
The stakes on Saturday are high, especially for Missouri. The Tigers have a clear path to the SEC Eastern Division title, but they must win their final two games against Ole Miss and Texas A&M to go to Atlanta.