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A final look back to 2023 and a quick look ahead to 2024 from a retired (for now) coach

umgrad92

Second Team QB
Gold Member
I apologize for my tardiness on this post. Life gets in our way sometimes. I won't bother you all with the details. I will break this post up into disappointments and highlights of 2023, a quick look at what we need to happen in the portal, and a 50,000 foot view of 2024.

2023 Disappointments

1. I will start with the bad first. We went to Alabama in September with a 3-0 record, fresh off a fairly impressive win over Georgia Tech, with a ton of optimism and hope. Alabama wasn't playing very well, was having QB issues, and had just taken a whipping at home against Texas. I took a lot of heat on this site in August when I predicted an 11-1 record with a win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. I felt the QB position would be an issue for them, and it was. I thought that their lack of QB play would open an opportunity for us if everything fell right. We got half of that last statement. We did have an opportunity, but we went there to play without all of our weapons. Tre Harris was not back to form, Prieskorn had not played a meaningful snap yet, and Judkins was not 100%. Three really important pieces of our offense not being at full speed trumped their poor QB play, and that, coupled with a couple of bad plays defensively, saw Ole Miss let a golden opportunity to steal a win in Tuscaloosa slip away.

2. We had a couple of players that we were counting on to be big contributors not live up to their billing. I am not going to call names, as there is no sense in kicking the dead, but I will say that there were at least a couple on both sides of the ball that we were counting on to provide big minutes and make big contributions who just didn't contribute much. Not sure what the issue was, whether it was a lack of confidence, an overly optimistic evaluation by the coaching staff, a lack of buy in, or whatever reason. Most of those that I am speaking of are no longer on the roster. A couple still are. A new season is upon us. It is my hope that those that are still with us figure out what it is they are doing, or most likely NOT doing, that is keeping them from being a contributor.

3. As I said in point 1, we had some very untimely injuries. Tre Harris is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. Not having him for the Alabama game (I know he played, but he wasn't full go) was huge. Same can be said for Prieskorn. I knew he HAD to be better than who we were playing at the position, but I had no idea how good he was until the LSU game. Our running game really changed the dynamics of our offense once we got a healthy Judkins AND a healthy Prieskorn on the field.

2023 Highlights

1. Our demonstration of grit and moxy against Tulane was very impressive to me. I think Ole Miss coming back and winning that game, a game previous Ole Miss teams definitely lose, served as the foundation for winning several other games that could have easily gone the other way; LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M, and MSU for example. We found a way to win instead of stealing defeat from the jaws of victory. Winning the Tulane game, in the heat and humidity in September, set the stage for the special season that was to come.

2. The LSU game. I have never been to a more exciting Ole Miss game (where we actually won) in my entire life. I love the LSU rivalry. I wish it was at the end of the year and the MSU game was in the middle of the schedule. Everything went perfect that night. Anthony's hit on Jayden Daniels to force the fumble is the highlight of the season for me.

3. Dart, Dart, Dart. The talk of the offseason was how he was going to be replaced by Sanders. I never doubted Dart would make a big jump from 2022 to 2023. Why was I steadfast in my opinion that not only would Dart win the job, but he would take every meaningful snap? Simply put, he has IT! The dude is a dog! He is someone that I would give command to a subordinate unit that I wanted to accomplish the most challenging mission and not even worry about it getting accomplished.
That said, I am not sure I thought he would improve as much as he did. His improvement, growth, maturity, whatever you want to call it, with decision making was very impressive. I truly believe he is a legitimate contender to not only be in the Heisman conversation, but to win the trophy. Only he (or injury) will prevent him from leaving Ole Miss as (gasp) possibly our most decorated, celebrated QB. (Wonder if we will change the speed limit to 2 MPH?)

Portal Needs

1. Captain Obvious here; we need offensive linemen. From my foxhole, which has no inside information, (just my opinion) we need at least 3 more guys. Assuming (I know about assuming, but anyway) that everyone that can stay does, plus what we have already added, we need at least one more guy on the outside, one more guy on the inside, and one more guy who can snap. We need a couple of guys currently on the roster who haven't performed up to expectation to take next season personally and make a commitment to making each day THE DAY that they decided to do something about it instead of being satisfied with just being on the team.

2. We need Judkins (and Bentley, frankly) to make the decision to run it back. Judkins can own the record books at Ole Miss with another good year next year. He can leave here an Ole Miss legend. If he goes elsewhere, he will have tarnished his legacy here and will be little more than a one year wonder wherever he goes. Bentley returning will give us the another year of the perfect combination of speed and power. He can really explode through the hole. He and Judkins both benefit from their contrasting styles. It is my hope that both decide to stay and help this team make history in 2024.

2024

1. I have not been this excited in January (actually started in December) about a football season that is still 9 months away. I have been on this Earth 54 years and I do not remember any time where everyone seemed to be pulling the wagon in the same direction with the same amount of energy and effort. The schedule sets up well. The team is more talented than we have ever put together. The team is unified. The coaching staff is solid. All arrows are pointing go! We must throw more wood on the fire and keep the flames roaring, all the way to the CFP in 2024!

2. We must ALL acknowledge that the journey won't be easy, and there will be trying times along the way. There will be injuries. There will be distractions. There will be attitudes. There will be a real threat of complacency (complacency is thy enemy!). All of these must be dealt with in a positive manner and keep the ox out of the ditch! One day at a time. Positive energy is a force multiplier. One workout at a time. One practice at a time. One game at a time. EVERYTHING MATTERS! This is Ole Miss's time! We must all do our part to make it happen! Have we all joined the Grove Collective? Have we invited at least 5 people to join?

3. Respect our history, but don't become a victim of it. 1987. 1999. 2009. 2015. Those 4 years in my lifetime (1970 too, but I was only 1 so I didn't put it in there) were years where Ole Miss was EXPECTED to have a banner season. There are a few others I might could add. Not all of those seasons ended as tragically as 1987, where we finished 3-8 after being a preseason top 20 team, but none of those seasons ended with results meeting or exceeding expectations. What does our history of not meeting high expectations have to do with 2024? Nothing!...Everything!
Nothing in the sense that the individuals, the players, coaches, admin, fans, alumni, etc. are made of different people now than before. There is no such thing as WAOM. It is DEAD! 2024 is totally separate and will be judged on its own merits. Period.
Everything in the sense that we need to be cautious and vigilant about the reasons why Ole Miss failed to meet the expectations that those seasons had. How do we handle the attention? How do we approach our daily routines? How do we conduct ourselves in public? Does the expectation make us more hungry or are we satisfied with what we could be? The players and coaches will have to answer those questions. We as supporters have to maintain a controlled excitement. Not too boastful, Not too frenetic. Bottom line, we ALL have to act like we have been here before!

These are my thoughts. It is my hope that each of you have a safe, prosperous, new year in 2024. Thank you all for your support this season as I wrote these posts each week. Your kind words, "likes," and respectful input motivated me to continue to make these posts after every game this year. It was therapeutic for me to analyze from the stands, watch the tapes, and reflect on the happenings, both good and bad, of my beloved Alma Mater. I look forward to next season more than any season in my lifetime. All the way in 24'! NATIONAL CHAMPS! LFG!
 
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