After a heartbreaking loss to LSU, the Ole Miss Rebels entered their bye week with a 1-2 mark in conference play. During this time, offensive lineman Reece McIntyre and the rest of his unit went back to the basics.
The offensive front has been struggling during SEC play, but not all is grim in the trenches. McIntyre gave insight on how the line has combated these struggles, especially during the off week.
“Just honing in where we can improve in our areas, communication and footwork,” McIntyre said. “When stuff gets hard, just fall back on your training and trust what you’ve been taught.”
The offensive line and the rest of the Rebels will also be facing a tough opponent in Oklahoma this weekend for just the second time ever and the first time in regular season play. So far this season, Ole Miss has allowed 17 sacks, 15 of which have come against SEC foes. The Sooners are currently averaging 4.25 sacks per game and rank second the conference with 25 quarterback takedowns.
Improvement for the Rebels up front is a must, and McIntyre believes his position group can respond.
“We can improve tremendously,” McIntyre said. “None of us are at our best, and none of us have reached our full potential. We all have room to grow, and we’re all learning each and every day”
The Rebels return home to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday to take on the first-year-SEC Sooners in an important matchup to keep the playoff dreams alive in Oxford. Ole Miss hopes to have some key offensive linemen returning who have been out with injuries, and that provides some much-needed depth and competition to a room that has been struggling in recent weeks.
“It helps. It pushes everybody to be your best,” McIntyre said. “You’ve got eight or nine guys who can play, so it makes you go harder. They can all play and have played a lot of ball.”
