Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze spoke to the media following the Rebels’ 42-3 loss to TCU in Wednesday’s Peach Bowl. Here’s some of what he had to say.
Opening statement…
Obviously, very disappointing day and really got to go around that locker room to see every single senior and to see them hurt like they’re hurting today is not much fun. It’s not enjoyable at all. And it’s hard for me to put into words to them how much they meant to this program in turning it around to making it relevant again because they’re human and they can’t feel that right now. They feel disappointed. We obviously did not perform well today. TCU did. I take credit for that, responsibility. I didn’t have our kids prepared to play at a level that they deserved to be able to play and compete today. But extremely proud of our kids and how they’ve turned this program in a short three years to being relevant and competitive and just, you know, sickening that it wasn’t that way for them today because we all are partial to our kids and we believe they deserve to give an adequate representation and feel like that I let them down in getting them ready for it.
On Ole Miss protection problems and TCU’s defensive looks…
They won a bunch of one-on-ones. They didn’t bring a lot of pressures or it wasn’t anything that I could sit here and say that — they drew up great. Their kids played with phenomenal effort, just like we knew they would. We obviously have been beat up some in the offensive line, played some young kids, made a few mistakes in protections with their movement. Then, of course, lost Laremy and Robert too, Conyers, so we were struggling with depth there and playing people a bit out of position. But even before that happened, we were — they were getting pressure on us. They are certainly had a good plan and we’ve got to go back and make ourselves better in a lot of ways in making sure that — they had a good scheme for us and felt like they knew when we were passing and when we weren’t. Boy, they won a bunch of one-on-ones.
On if Laremy Tunsil’s injury changed momentum in the game…
I don’t know that we ever had any momentum. Our defense did create some turnovers and I thought we stopped the run for the most part. But they just had to stay on the field the entire day. When you see Laremy go down and we’re already down there, I’m sure it went through people’s minds that, man, we really are struggling right now to get people in the offensive line in positions that they’ve played and guys that have played a lot of snaps this year. The only thing I know to fix that is recruiting and we’ve got to go and build some depth there and talent.
On if TCU deserved to be a playoff team…
TCU is a very good team. They deserved every mention they got this year to be in the hunt for one of the four. They certainly, rightfully, deserve to be in it with the others. That’s a tough deal. Glad I’m not on that committee. To pick the four is a very difficult task. They certainly could compete with any of those in it, no question in my mind.
On if he felt TCU should be the preseason No. 1 entering next season…
They would certainly get my consideration if I were on a voting panel for preseason number one with that many people coming back.
On why TCU’s run defense was so effective…
They won their one-on-ones. They don’t do — they’re constantly moving. They cause problems with all of their moving. They’re quicker than you know, than you feel like when you’re watching their film. Their down four guys are extremely quick. They’re well coached and they have good schemes. At the end of the day, it came down to them playing a six-man box and they stopped the run by their movement, their quickness, their toughness.
Quarterback Bo Wallace also spoke to the media after throwing for 109 yards and three interceptions in his final college game. Here’s what he had to say.
On the performance by TCU’s defense…
I just think they’re a good defense. They won some one-on-ones. And credit to them, they had a good plan against us. You have to give them the credit.
On his performance in his final game as the Ole Miss quarterback…
It’s pretty obvious that I didn’t want to go out this way. I didn’t want the seniors to go out this way. Really, we had a chance to help next year’s team in the preseason ratings and that was important to me. This program’s given me a lot and I felt like winning this game could be me giving them something with a top 5 rating in the preseason next year.
On what he saw from the TCU defense when he threw his interceptions…
Oh, I saw Cody Core (on the third interception coming in the end zone). I tried to throw it at his feet to not take the sack. The guy made a great play on it. On the first one, the safety just — I should have never thrown that one. The other one, I just should have led them down the field more.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
