The Ole Miss defense dominated this year’s Grove Bowl on Saturday, emerging the 27-21 victor over the Rebels’ offensive unit.
It was a cold and wet day with low fan turnout as the Ole Miss offense took the field in red and the defense donned the traditional blue.
The Rebel defense was given a 27-point advantage to start the game, and the offense would need almost 15 minutes before its first score. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu completed a 53-yard pass to wide receiver D.K. Metcalf for the touchdown. He later made another 3-yard touchdown pass to Metcalf before finishing the game with a 10-yard rush as the offense closed in on its 21-point ceiling.
Throughout the day, the offense struggled to break down a sturdy defensive front. Defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff credited his group’s efforts in practice after the game.
“You have to realize that players learn different. Some guys can go from the meeting room directly to the field and can execute a play,” McGriff said. “But some guys need a walk-through. So I thought we did a better job as a staff of walking through, slowing down and repeating it and teaching it to them instead of going down and trying to run more.”
Last year, the Rebel defense finished 115th out of 129 FBS teams against the run. Ole Miss also allowed its opponents to convert 41.5 percent of third downs, 89th in the country. But the unit appeared to have turned over a new leaf Saturday.
On the other side of the ball, Ta’amu and his offensive cohorts were not without a few impressive moments of their own.
“I felt like our offense as a whole progressed throughout the whole spring. Getting the first downs that we need, and working fast down the field, I felt like we did that,” Ta’amu said.
The “Throwin’ Samoan” is poised for a breakout season after spending much of 2017 on the bench behind former Rebel Shea Patterson.
“Being a leader out there is a big role for me. Making sure the team has my back and being an example has really worked out for me,” Patterson said.
Tight end Dawson Knox, running backs D’Vaughn Pennamon and D.K. Buford, offensive linemen Sean Rawlings, Alex Givens and Eli Johnson and defensive linemen Austrian Robinson, Qaadir Sheppard and Benito Jones were all sidelined with injuries Saturday. Additionally, A.J. Brown, DaMarkus Lodge and Demarcus Gregory have worn non-contact jerseys during spring practices and thus did not participate in the Grove Bowl.
Prior to Saturday’s scrimmage, C.J. Moore was awarded the Chucky Mullins Courage Award. Mullins played football in 1988 before suffering a spinal injury against Vanderbilt in 1989 and later dying in 1991.
Each year, the recipient of the award also receives the honor of wearing Mullins’ No. 38 on his jersey. The coaching staff picked Moore in recognition of his exceptional on- and off-field character.
“You can’t have enough kids on your roster that are made up like C.J. Moore. That kid is very unselfish. He embodies the type of person that you want in your program,” McGriff said after the game. “It was a very easy selection when you’re talking about who you want to represent the Chucky Mullins Award. He’s the type of young man that you will give your wallet to and he will take care of it.”
