New Coordinators Help Address Critical Areas

Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze had specific deficiencies that he wanted his coordinator hires to address. On offense, he wanted to improve the rushing attack, third down efficiency, and red zone scoring. On defense, Freeze wanted his new coordinator to have a record of stopping the run, limiting explosive plays, and keeping teams out of the end zone in the red zone. Phil Longo and Wesley McGriff were hired because they fit those criteria.Â

Ole Miss' offense has been dynamic in many categories since Hugh Freeze arrived in Oxford. Longo will look to continue that success while also filling some voids that have hampered the high-powered Rebels from being a truly great offense.Â

The Rebels struggled to find balance on offense, many times leading to drives stalling out in the red zone. Since Longo took over as Sam Houston State's offensive coordinator in 2014, only one team in all of Division 1 football scored more red zone touchdowns. The Bearkats found the end zone in the red zone 145 times.Â

While Longo runs a variant of an "Air Raid" offense, he's not bashful about running the football. Sam Houston had more than 4,500 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in 2016. No FBS team will accomplish that in 13 games this season.Â

Sam Houston State converted on 47 percent of opportunities this season on third down in 2016. In the FBS, that would have ranked 19th in the nation. Ole Miss ranked 65th this season on third down at 40 percent. The best way to help out a struggling defense is to keep the offense on the field, and that was something Ole Miss didn't do enough of this year.

As for Wesley McGriff and the defense, it's easy to see how Freeze decided to go in that direction. Ole Miss' defense really struggled in 2016, and McGriff brings a track record of limiting some of the weaknesses.Â

In 2015 before McGriff arrived, Auburn's defense struggled in the areas Freeze mentioned as wanted his defensive coordinator to improve.Â

McGriff Effect

Auburn Defense Before and With McGriff

Â Â Â Â 2015 2016

YPG Â Â Â Â 405.2 348.4

Rush YPG 182.7 124.8

Plays of 10+ 190 144

Red Zone TD % 51.0 34.2

Check, check, check. While McGriff doesn't have prior coordinator experience, every big name on the defensive side of coaching has to get an initial opportunity. Ole Miss' defense needed new energy after the poor 2016 season, and it seems like McGriff will bring just that.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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