LSU vs Ole Miss: Q&A with Ole Hotty Toddy

As we look ahead to Saturday’s LSU vs Ole Miss matchup at Tiger Stadium, we sat down with Dave Bevan, the editor at Ole Hotty Toddy, follow @OleHottyToddy on Twitter, the Ole Miss fan site on the Fansided network. Dave, who you can follow @DaveOHT, was kind enough to answer some of our questions in regard to this weekend’s game.

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Death Valley Voice (DVV): Talk a little about the excitement in Oxford. How do Ole Miss fans feel about the team’s chances to run the table, potentially win the SEC championship, and get into the playoff?

Ole Hotty Toddy (OHT): Right now our fan base is taking one game at a time. We want to focus on each week’s opponent first, before we jump to any conclusions. This season has by far been the most exciting season many of us have ever experienced. Yes, it is in the back of minds, and now with the mainstream media giving us the best chance to win the SEC West, each week is becoming more realistic of a possible championship berth.

DVV: What were the expectations from the Ole Miss fan base coming into this season? Was there any sort of feeling that this could be a special year?

OHT: It definitely wasn’t a 7-0 start to the season. Yes, we had bigger expectations than last season, due to our recruiting class of 2013 having a year of experience, but we could have expected a couple of losses by this point in the season. The Alabama win was a bonus. No one would have expected us to have held them to just 3 points in the second half.

DVV: How did the Ole Miss defense get the “landshark” nickname?

OHT: The term is not new. It only seems new to everyone around the nation, because they’re now hearing about the Rebels for the first time. The Landshark Defense first made it’s appearances in 2008-2009. Toney Fein has been known to have been the creator of the name. He and Jerrall Powe were the first ones to throw the fins up after a big play. Fein died not long after entering the NFL, and I believe that is why it has become a tradition that will be carried on for generations, in honor of him.

Many seem to confuse the landshark term as a replacement for the Rebel Black Bear mascot. There is no such thing as a landshark mascot, and I really don’t want to see one out on the field one day. It is simply a term we use for our defense that is it and nothing else.

DVV: Do you think that one of the reasons the Ole Miss offense is so good this year is because you have a very experienced quarterback in Bo Wallace? While we’re on the subject of Wallace, could you give us some insight into “good Bo” and “bad Bo?” It seems to me that LSU has never seen “bad Bo.”

OHT: Bo Wallace doesn’t get most of the credit that he deserves. It seems like we all want throw out what he did two years ago. Two seasons ago, Bo had an injured throwing arm that he later had to have surgery to rehabilitate. So yes, there was a reason he was crowned interception king. However, I do think he gets overly excited sometimes when he feels the pressure. Bo also puts a lot of trust in receivers and expects them to be on the route. Sometimes all of that can factor into a bad night. We witnessed this in the first half of the Boise State game, but Wallace pulled it out in the second half, throwing three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

To me, Wallace has always been a second half quarterback. In the wins over LSU and Alabama, he showed his true skill in those games and it came late in the game. Wallace’s three touchdown passes came in the second half against Alabama. It’s like he turns on this switch in the most important games and under the toughest situations that makes him so talented. I guess that is why LSU has never seen him at his worst. But, I can say without a doubt, this team would not be where it is today without Bo Wallace.

DVV: Name three Ole Miss players that LSU fans should keep an eye on, and what type of impact might these players have playing against LSU?

OHT: Tony Conner is a sophomore. He plays an old style defensive position called huskie. It is basically an optional position of safety or linebacker. He has been a key player this year with the defense and currently leads the team in tackles.

Senquez Golson is a senior cornerback and will be covering your best wide receiver. He has speed and rarely gets fooled with mismatches. He has seven interceptions in seven games this season, which leads the SEC. LSU will definitely have to find a way to stop him.

I could go on about defensive players, but I need to throw some offense in there too. Laquon Treadwell has been quiet for the most part this season. He’s had some big touchdown plays against Alabama and Texas A&M, but hasn’t really racked up the yardage as expected with moving him to the outside. He is the most talented I’ve seen in a long time for the receivers. If he and Wallace can find some chemistry in Death Valley, watch out.

DVV: What are the strengths of this Ole Miss team?

OHT: The biggest strength is the defense all around. I can easily say we have the best secondary in the SEC, and probably the nation. Guys like Cody Prewitt, Conner, and Golson do not let up easily. They are going to be on your receivers like glue. The defensive line has talent that can break through the toughest offensive lines. Robert Nkemdiche is one of them. But, it is also Marquis Haynes I would keep an eye on. He leads the team, and ranks third in the SEC with 6.5 sacks on the season.

The offense has it strengths too. The passing game could be one of the best you run into all year. State fans are all hyped up on Dak Prescott, because Dak can run. But, Wallace is without a doubt a better passer. The offensive line is very talented and experienced too. It is not going to be easy to get through guys like Laremy Tunsil and Fahn Cooper.

DVV: What are the weaknesses of this Ole Miss team?

OHT: The run game has been a struggle since Jeff Scott was injured last year. There is some talent there; the run game has just not been executed well in my opinion. Jordan Wilkins is a good running back. You might see him a lot, but don’t expect us to come in and run three hundred yards on you.

Special teams have had its hiccups this season too. Markell Pack is a freshman wide receiver, and is our primary punt returner. He has made some poor judgment calls in situations this season, but that also has a lot to do with unexperienced in those situations. But, our problems on special teams are nowhere near the worries we have in the run game.

DVV: What’s your prediction on the game’s outcome? Can Ole Miss pull off a win in Tiger Stadium with an undefeated season still hanging in the balance?

OHT: I think the game will remain close until the end as it is being predicted. I do think the Rebels will go in as expected with a win in Death Valley. The score is going to remain close. I’d say, 20-13, or 17-14, in favor of Ole Miss.

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