While Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke is pleased with how his team performed against top-ranked Alabama on Saturday, he listed several negatives throughout his Monday press conference.
The Rebels’ 59-31 loss brought optimism among fans and the team because the performance of several freshmen, and the coach said the team is focused ahead of the homecoming game against Vanderbilt.
“They’re the number one team in the country for a reason,” Luke said. “There are a lot of things we have to get fixed. Third downs showed up again… We’ll build on the things that were positive.”
Luke gave several injury updates on Monday. True freshman nose tackle Patrick Lucas Jr.’s season came to an end on Saturday with a torn Achilles tendon, while Ryder Anderson went down with both ankle and knee issues. The defensive end will have surgery on Thursday and is expected to be back in four to six weeks. Safety Jon Haynes also tweaked an ankle and is taking his recovery day by day.
The most important update, however, was on the offensive side of the ball, as Matt Corral continues to recover from his bruised ribs suffered against California.
Corral’s injury gave John Rhys Plumlee his first start, and the freshman did not disappoint, as he led the Rebels in passing and rushing yards against a very formidable defense from Alabama.
“That’s obviously a tough thing to do — to get your first start on the road in Tuscaloosa. I was very proud… The moment didn’t look too big for him. I was excited about that,” Luke said “(Plumlee) did enough where you’re going to see him no matter what happens, but again, we have to see Matt (Corral) go out there before we make decisions.”
Luke gave no direct answer to what the future will hold for the team as far as a starting quarterback, but Plumlee’s performance on Saturday was enough to earn playing time. Freshman quarterback Grant Tisdale also impressed during his limited action toward the end of the game.
“It makes you feel good that you’ve got three good freshman quarterbacks,” Luke said. “He had a look in his eye when he was out there. He made the throws… I was happy to see him take advantage of his reps when he got there.”
Corral is will likely be healthy enough to start on Saturday, and should that happen, there’s a scenario where Plumlee is used heavily in a run heavy package throughout the game. The threat of Plumlee’s speed and ability with the football in his hands gives the Vanderbilt another weapon to prepare for. Offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez said he’ll continue gauge his options as the week moves forward.
“Let me be honest with you. If I knew exactly today who was going to start or what we were going to do, why the heck would I tell you,” Rodriguez told the media on Monday. “There’s absolutely zero chance of me telling you anything about the quarterback situation until post game Saturday.
“The plays we were running with John Rhys were the same plays that we were running with everybody since spring ball. Obviously he’s got some dynamic running skills so we ran him more than we ran Matt previously.”
The coaching staff will monitor Corral closely to make a decision for this weekend’s pivotal game against SEC East foe Vanderbilt.
“This is a huge game for us. I have a lot of respect for Coach (Derek) Mason and Vanderbilt,” Luke said. “Keyshawn Vaughn is one of the premier backs in our league. They run around, play really well on defense. I’ve been impressed watching them on tape. This is a huge game for us, and we’re looking forward to a great atmosphere on Saturday in Vaught-Hemingway.”
