As they continue to prepare for LSU, the Rebels face a common struggle for programs across the country this time of year — keeping focus and grinding through the everyday routine.
“I think it’s always a challenge as you get toward week seven or week eight. You know the monotony of practice,” head coach Matt Luke said. “But having these big SEC games really helps with their focus and getting prepared. Having momentum and home-field advantage and all that stuff is a part of it, but the preparation every day is the most important in creating good practice habits.”
Beyond remaining true to and focused on daily practice routines, Ole Miss’ defense will have its hands full getting ready for the high-power offense the Tigers bring with them to Oxford.
“The hard part is that it’s hard to simulate it in practice,” Luke said. “The speed and how fast it gets on you (is hard to replicate).”
Specifically, the focus has been on preseason Heisman trophy candidate running back Derrius Guice. While simulating the experience of playing against such a versatile player like Guice is difficult, having played against good running backs already this season is something Luke hopes will help.
“The positive thing is that in this league you face very, very good backs, and he’s another one,” Luke said. “He’s very talented and playing several very good running backs up to this point. Hopefully (the players) kind of have the feel for what it’s like.”
Offensively, the point of emphasis is cleaning up the little things. Although quarterback Shea Patterson, the prolific receiving corps and running back Jordan Wilkins combined to score 57 points against Vanderbilt, the group is still looking to improve and fix the mistakes that were made.
“It’s about taking another step,” Luke said. “The goal is for the team that plays Saturday night (against LSU) to be able to beat the team that played against Vanderbilt and have all these young guys get one game better.”
Part of moving forward and getting better, Luke said, includes finding ways to motivate the team. After two tough losses in the state of Alabama, the game against Vanderbilt was a stepping stone in the right direction, but there is still more to be done.
“This is a young team, and I want to be careful and just make sure they go get better each week and take the steps to get there,” he said. “I think motivation is what everyone looks for, especially as you get toward the end of the season, motivation ends up being a big thing.”
There is a long and storied past between the two teams that dates back 106 games, and Luke is trying to use the history of the rivalry to motivate players. Having played in the game himself, he is no stranger to what it means to the university, the fanbase and the players. This year’s matchup, however, brings an interesting twist with the return of former Ole Miss/current LSU head coach Ed Orgeron to Oxford.
“I think it’s important for them to know the history of this rivalry,” Luke said. “More so than just the coaches but the history of all the great games between Ole Miss and LSU, and I think that’s important for everyone to know.”
Ole Miss and LSU will duke it out for the 107th time at 6:15 p.m. Saturday. The game will air on ESPN.
