FOOTBALL: Wednesday practice notes

Both Jerry brothers were absent. Ed said injuries were the cause on both counts, but both should be able to play Saturday, he said.

WR Marshay Green is also questionable, as is RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Both got dinged pretty good at Auburn, though Green-Ellis stayed in the game.

Ed says Viciente DeLoach, Antonio Turner and Kentrell Lockett are competing to start at the end spot vacated by the suspended Greg Hardy.

The job is DeLoach’s to lose.

– PA

FOOTBALL: Orgeron from SEC teleconference

 (Opening statement)

I was really pleased with the play of our linebackers. Tony Fein is really playing well. Viciente Deloach stepped in (at DE). We’re looking forward to playing Northwestern State and finishing yard with LSU and Mississippi State.

(With your team being the only one in the SEC without a chance to become bowl eligible, has that hurt your focus?)

We have a lot of things to look forward to. We want to beat Northwestern State and then give them a little time off (open date follows). We have two of our biggest rivals coming up. We played good at LSU last year, and we beat Mississippi State. We have to play hard and finish strong. We have games left. Regardless of if you’re going to a bowl, you love to play and you love to coach. Our guys will be excited.
(Is there anything you can add on Greg Hardy’s status?)

He is suspended indefinitely, and that’s all I will say about that.

– PA

FOOTBALL: Analyzing the situation

Here’s a column of opinion I had on Ed Orgeron in today’s print edition.

http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=256140&pub=1&div=Sports

I’ll have more items to post later this morning and afternoon.

– PA

FOOTBALL: Votes of confidence

Chancellor Robert Khayat told me Monday that he’s firmly behind both football coach Ed Orgeron and athletics director Pete Boone. I’ve seen responses both for and against Orgeorn on this blog. Here’s the link: http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=256038&pub=1&div=Sports Given the status quo, if you could be chancellor for a day, what decisions would you make to improve Ole Miss athletics?

– PA

FYI: Radio shows today

It’s a Mississippi State lead-in, as Gregg Ellis discusses State’s bowl chances and other things. It’s never too early to talk Egg Bowl. SEC Beat is at 4:30 on WAJS-FM (91.7), followed by Sports Zone at 5. They’re on the web at www.wajs.afr.net.

 – PA

FOOTBALL: Hardy’s future

Greg Hardy’s dad indicates that Ole Miss might not want the talented defensive end — who currently leads the SEC in sacks — in the program.

That isn’t true, of course. You always want a player of Greg Hardy’s caliber, but you can’t have anyone act as though they’re above the program. Sad but true. That just causes greater dissent within the program, and that isn’t something Ole Miss needs right now.

Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron announced Monday that Hardy was suspended indefinitely for undisclosed team rules violations. I doubt he plays again this year, which could mean he may not play at Ole Miss again. That is just speculation, of course. Hardy is a high strung, emotional person. It’s not too crazy to believe that a suspension like this when there have been other issues (remember the first-half suspension at Georgia) could cause Hardy to opt out of the program and transfer.

According to Hardy’s dad, Orgeron has already said Hardy would not be released to transfer to an SEC school or Memphis.

Greg Hardy is a tremendous talent, has been since the day he stepped on campus. Hopefully he will respond to this setback, grow from it and reach the potential in a sky’s-the-limit career.

– PA

FOOTBALL: Interesting press conference

Not as much tension as you might expect for a 2-7 team. There were several light moments. Also some questions about job security and the future. The administration says it is firmly behind Ed Orgeron, and that stance has been communicated to him. More on that in Tuesday’s Daily Journal.

– PA

FOOTBALL: Suspended indefinitely

Greg Hardy’s indiscrection could cost him the SEC sack title. He has been suspended indefinitely. Despite missing the Auburn game, Hardy continues to lead the league with 8 sacks, ahead of State’s Titus Brown with seven. …

In other news … Seth Adams remains the starting QB … RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis and WR Marshay Green are banged up. They will miss practice time but are not expected to miss the Northwestern State game Saturday.

 Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron was adamant that he will not play young players for the sake of just getting snaps this week. He will always play his best players as long as is necessary to win.

 – PA

FOOTBALL: Sanford’s back

A nerve problem in his shoulder had kept strong safety Jamarca Sanford on the sideline since early in the Louisiana Tech game.

He felt no effects of the injury when he got back in the lineup against Auburn.

“I just had to take a few weeks off to strengthen it. After the first contact I was comfortable coming downhill and hitting. I wasn’t scared to get up in there,” said Sanford.

The return of Sanford sent freshman Johnny Brown — who has emerged as one of the team’s best open-field tacklers — back to free safety and Kendrick Lewis back to a reserve role.

– PA

FOOTBALL: Press conference today

I’ll post some notes as the day moves along.

– PA