The 2019 season has been defined by missed opportunities.
The Rebels have a talented but inexperienced defense in need of more speed and playmakers. It supports an offense without an identity because there isn’t a true No. 1 quarterback at the end of October.
The combination makes the margin of error in toss-up games miniscule, and the young roster has not been able to execute in the game-altering situations that come up only once or twice in close contests.
“It’s the one or two plays here or there, that’s what makes it so tough,” head coach Matt Luke said. “We’re close, and we’re coming. There was a time walking through the Grove and in the middle of that third quarter where you could see the vision come to life and you could feel it turning. We’re really close, and we’re going to find out a way to get these kids over the hump. We’ll be focusing on attention to detail, getting these young kids to find a way to push through to win those games.”
A favorable bounce for Memphis falls at the 1-yard line with the Rebels down 13-10 in the fourth quarter, leading to an unblocked rusher folding Matt Corral for a safety at the Liberty Bowl, virtually icing the season opener.
Mistakes in the secondary against a struggling offense lead to California putting the game out of reach in the third quarter.
Missed tackles in the open field let Missouri run away with an otherwise tight game using two 40-plus yard touchdown runs.
And, of course, a decisive scoop-and-score fumble return gave the Texas A&M Aggies the lead for good in — you guessed it — the third quarter.
Mix in a handful of questionable in-game coaching decisions, and the Rebels find themselves at 3-5 with four games left on the schedule and only one sure win left against New Mexico State.
The notion that the Rebels had a firm hold on three of the their five losses and dropped golden opportunities leaves an extra cloud over Ole Miss fans’ heads.
The Rebels could easily be the holders of at least five wins with a clear path to a bowl game and a good chance to win the Egg Bowl. Lapses in focus and execution are to be expected with a young team, but the overall record is not the main issue. The manner in which the team got to that record is the issue.
The team is in a curious position of showing much improvement from last year’s campaign without the results in the win-loss column. That magic number six that represents bowl eligibility will always act as a benchmark for the former interim coach Matt Luke, whether it’s realistic or not.
As the fan base sees the increase in raw talent on the field for the Rebels this season and the strong potential of the 2020 recruiting class coming in, the pressure falls on the coaching staff to turn that into victories.
“I think people see that. You don’t have to pitch it; they all say it. I’ve been talking to several coaches of the schools I’m going by (in recruiting) and you don’t even have to say it,” Luke said. “Everybody sees it and I just think we’ve just got to build on it and find a way to get over that hump.”
While there have been calls for Matt Luke’s firing, any head coaching move in unlikely without a permanent athletics director and as rumors of committees and timetables circulate, the newly named chancellor, Glenn Boyce, has yet to publicize any official process in hiring for the position. Even if the permanent athletics director were named today, a head coach firing in the first month on the job would require an immediate plan for a replacement with recruiting season approaching.
Matt Luke likely has at least one more year left to reach that magic number, but to do that he must not only continue to succeed on the recruiting trail, but also help his young team learn how to win in tight games: a task easier said than done.
