Sunday
At 10:45 a.m., the players assemble in the IPF for breakfast. The coaches huddle up for a meeting before heading to special teams, then offense and defense meetings.
The Rebels go through one more walk-through before loading the buses at 3 p.m. for their trip to Memphis.
Ed Orgeron leaves the field at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium with MPD Lt. Ed Vidulich (left) and Chief Steve Bramlet of the Oxford Police Department on Sunday. The team had been there to walk the field. The sense of place helped the players visualize the victory over Memphis.
They head straight to the Liberty Bowl, where they toss around a few balls and check out the surroundings. While some players play catch and joke with each other, others engage in that old childhood favorite, "Duck, duck, goose."
It's not long before they load buses and head to the team hotel, the downtown Marriott. After checking in, they have roughly an hour before dinner.
At 7 p.m., Orgeron makes his way into the Natchez meeting room and starts looking at film of the morning walk-through in Oxford with his defensive coaches. He suggests to Nielson that he should play defensive end Chris Bowers a lot more in the beginning, and use Corvelli Haynes to rush the quarterback.
Every film session is about teaching and evaluating.
''C'mon fellas. That can't happen,'' Orgeron says. ''Those are things that get your behind whipped. We can't have that.''
After about 25 minutes, offensive line coach George DeLeone, who was sitting in the back with running backs coach Frank Wilson, says they needed the film for their upcoming offense meeting, which was on the same tape.
''I thought you guys were here to watch defensive film,'' Orgeron jokes. ''I never see you in here. Ah, Frank is here because he saw the cameras.''
Everyone heads to the Nashville Room for a special teams meeting. Rippon, the special teams coordinator, starts it off by telling them, ''You are the attitude of this team.''
The film starts with two ultimate fighters in a ring, one pulverizing the other. Next is footage of each phase of special teams -- kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return, field goal and field goal block. In between each is a clip of ultimate fighters punishing each other.
At 8:20 p.m., the group splits for offense and defense meetings.
Orgeron starts the defense meeting by saying, ''What a special time. We get to go get the ball and score. Come ready to hit somebody. No. 20 (Williams), let him know he's going to get hit every time he touches the football.''
The players watch more film. Corrao yells out the down and distance, and the name of each play. As the clip rolls, the players yell out what defense should be employed and what their assignments are, showing their preparedness for each offensive set they expect to see from the Tigers.
At 8:40 p.m., it's time for one final team meeting. On the way back to the Nashville Room, Orgeron walks past limping freshman defensive lineman Peria Jerry. Jerry asks, ''What's so funny?''
''I just like being around you, Peria,'' Orgeron says with a big grin.
Orgeron tells the Rebels to bring their chairs closer, like a family.
''I can see us coming out of the tunnel, everybody jacked up,'' he said. ''I can see the football team running down there, wrapping up somebody like those two rednecks y'all had fighting up there (referring to the ultimate fighters). Coach, can we get a better fight than that next time, coach (Hugh) Freeze. Wow!''
The players laugh.
Orgeron begins telling them what he expects from them between now and game time. He wants them to spend the night visualizing the game. He tells them now is not the time to be getting fired up, though.
He wants to save that energy for the game. Orgeron tells them when they come out of the tunnel, to act as one. He then begins doing an imitation of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and the pregame dance he does during introductions. Next, he bangs on his chest.
''We don't do that, right?'' Orgeron said. ''Celebrate with your teammates, and do it with class. Represent.''
He tells them he doesn't have a Vince Lombardi speech prepared. That's not his style.
But he did have a tape made for them to watch.
''It's not to fire you up,'' Orgeron said. ''It's not about gimmicks. It's about us. We just play ball. I don't need to say nothing about (Memphis). I don't care what they say about me. I really don't. That don't win football games.''
The lights go out and the film comes on.
''Sept. 5, A New Era,'' it says.
It begins with sharks swimming. With soft music in the background, the Rebels begin seeing clips of them going through spring drills and preseason workouts, interspersed with slogans.
Then, the soft music stops. On comes the hit rap song, ''And Then What,'' by Young Jeezy. The room gets crunk, and the players began clapping.
More shark scenes come on. Then, there's highlights from last season, with Patrick Willis blasting runners, Travis Johnson picking off passes, Espy catching passes, etc.
Before long, everyone is into it.
''I didn't know you liked rap music,'' Wilson tells receivers coach Matt Lubick. ''I saw you bobbing your head.''
The meeting ends, and the players head to the ballroom for a snack. Bed check is at 10:30 p.m.
''Tomorrow, we're going to prove our system is what it takes to win,'' Orgeron said.
Monday
Breakfast is at 8 a.m., and after a special teams meeting, and offensive and defensive walk-throughs in the hotel, the Rebels have a pregame meal at 11 a.m. They depart for the Liberty Bowl at 1:25 p.m.
The moment Orgeron has dreamed of is here. He's about to coach his first football game.
''This is what I want, you know what I mean?'' he says. ''This is what I want, man. I cherish this.''
The Rebels make Orgeron proud, particularly the defense, which holds Williams to 85 yards on 24 carries. They keep the Tigers out of the end zone.
Offensively, the Rebels are never able to get the running game going, but senior quarterback Micheal Spurlock proves last year is behind him. Besides showing better accuracy and decision making, Spurlock scores the game's only touchdown on a 12-yard scamper on fourth down.
The decision to go for it on fourth down draws rave reviews after the game. Orgeron based the call on the fact that both of his kickers missed badly on their last two field goal attempts.
''It was a no-brainer,'' he says.
He also calls a key timeout with 24 seconds left after the Tigers march from midfield to the Ole Miss 6. Orgeron goes back to the Rebels' base defense. On the next play, linebacker Garry Pack intercepts Will Hudgens's pass at the goal line, for the win.
Orgeron is questioned, though, on his decision to pull Spurlock for sophomore Robert Lane for the final two drives of the first half when Ole Miss trailed 6-3, although Spurlock had completed 9-of-13 passes for 122 yards.
''I wanted to give Robert a chance, and I told him I was going to give him a chance,'' Orgeron said. ''I think that might have lit a fire under Micheal. It's all about competition. I'd do it again. If anybody's not performing, I'm taking him out and putting somebody else in.''
Orgeron surprises many with his relatively calm behavior on the sidelines throughout the game. There is no ranting and raving. No shirts are pulled off.
After the game, Orgeron simply walks to midfield, shakes UofM coach Tommy West's hand, and is joined by wife, Kelly, and sons Tyler, Parker and Cody for a postgame interview by ESPN's Holly Rowe. Afterward, he shakes hands with a couple of assistants on his way to the locker room.
''I think it's real important for me to be calm during the game,'' Orgeron said. ''During practice, I can go out there and show emotion, run around and provide energy for the team. But during the game, there are decisions to be made, and I have to be focused.
''I thoroughly enjoyed calling the game for the first time. There is a lot more thinking involved than just being the defensive line coach. I have to have myself together at all times. I had a great combination on Monday. I felt calm and confident going into the game.''
At the bottom of the Rebels itinerary for the day, it said kickoff was slated for 3:36 p.m.
Underneath that, it read:
''Victory! Depart for Oxford.''
Just the way Orgeron envisioned it.
At 10:45 a.m., the players assemble in the IPF for breakfast. The coaches huddle up for a meeting before heading to special teams, then offense and defense meetings.
The Rebels go through one more walk-through before loading the buses at 3 p.m. for their trip to Memphis.
Ed Orgeron leaves the field at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium with MPD Lt. Ed Vidulich (left) and Chief Steve Bramlet of the Oxford Police Department on Sunday. The team had been there to walk the field. The sense of place helped the players visualize the victory over Memphis.
They head straight to the Liberty Bowl, where they toss around a few balls and check out the surroundings. While some players play catch and joke with each other, others engage in that old childhood favorite, "Duck, duck, goose."
It's not long before they load buses and head to the team hotel, the downtown Marriott. After checking in, they have roughly an hour before dinner.
At 7 p.m., Orgeron makes his way into the Natchez meeting room and starts looking at film of the morning walk-through in Oxford with his defensive coaches. He suggests to Nielson that he should play defensive end Chris Bowers a lot more in the beginning, and use Corvelli Haynes to rush the quarterback.
Every film session is about teaching and evaluating.
''C'mon fellas. That can't happen,'' Orgeron says. ''Those are things that get your behind whipped. We can't have that.''
After about 25 minutes, offensive line coach George DeLeone, who was sitting in the back with running backs coach Frank Wilson, says they needed the film for their upcoming offense meeting, which was on the same tape.
''I thought you guys were here to watch defensive film,'' Orgeron jokes. ''I never see you in here. Ah, Frank is here because he saw the cameras.''
Everyone heads to the Nashville Room for a special teams meeting. Rippon, the special teams coordinator, starts it off by telling them, ''You are the attitude of this team.''
The film starts with two ultimate fighters in a ring, one pulverizing the other. Next is footage of each phase of special teams -- kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return, field goal and field goal block. In between each is a clip of ultimate fighters punishing each other.
At 8:20 p.m., the group splits for offense and defense meetings.
Orgeron starts the defense meeting by saying, ''What a special time. We get to go get the ball and score. Come ready to hit somebody. No. 20 (Williams), let him know he's going to get hit every time he touches the football.''
The players watch more film. Corrao yells out the down and distance, and the name of each play. As the clip rolls, the players yell out what defense should be employed and what their assignments are, showing their preparedness for each offensive set they expect to see from the Tigers.
At 8:40 p.m., it's time for one final team meeting. On the way back to the Nashville Room, Orgeron walks past limping freshman defensive lineman Peria Jerry. Jerry asks, ''What's so funny?''
''I just like being around you, Peria,'' Orgeron says with a big grin.
Orgeron tells the Rebels to bring their chairs closer, like a family.
''I can see us coming out of the tunnel, everybody jacked up,'' he said. ''I can see the football team running down there, wrapping up somebody like those two rednecks y'all had fighting up there (referring to the ultimate fighters). Coach, can we get a better fight than that next time, coach (Hugh) Freeze. Wow!''
The players laugh.
Orgeron begins telling them what he expects from them between now and game time. He wants them to spend the night visualizing the game. He tells them now is not the time to be getting fired up, though.
He wants to save that energy for the game. Orgeron tells them when they come out of the tunnel, to act as one. He then begins doing an imitation of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and the pregame dance he does during introductions. Next, he bangs on his chest.
''We don't do that, right?'' Orgeron said. ''Celebrate with your teammates, and do it with class. Represent.''
He tells them he doesn't have a Vince Lombardi speech prepared. That's not his style.
But he did have a tape made for them to watch.
''It's not to fire you up,'' Orgeron said. ''It's not about gimmicks. It's about us. We just play ball. I don't need to say nothing about (Memphis). I don't care what they say about me. I really don't. That don't win football games.''
The lights go out and the film comes on.
''Sept. 5, A New Era,'' it says.
It begins with sharks swimming. With soft music in the background, the Rebels begin seeing clips of them going through spring drills and preseason workouts, interspersed with slogans.
Then, the soft music stops. On comes the hit rap song, ''And Then What,'' by Young Jeezy. The room gets crunk, and the players began clapping.
More shark scenes come on. Then, there's highlights from last season, with Patrick Willis blasting runners, Travis Johnson picking off passes, Espy catching passes, etc.
Before long, everyone is into it.
''I didn't know you liked rap music,'' Wilson tells receivers coach Matt Lubick. ''I saw you bobbing your head.''
The meeting ends, and the players head to the ballroom for a snack. Bed check is at 10:30 p.m.
''Tomorrow, we're going to prove our system is what it takes to win,'' Orgeron said.
Monday
Breakfast is at 8 a.m., and after a special teams meeting, and offensive and defensive walk-throughs in the hotel, the Rebels have a pregame meal at 11 a.m. They depart for the Liberty Bowl at 1:25 p.m.
The moment Orgeron has dreamed of is here. He's about to coach his first football game.
''This is what I want, you know what I mean?'' he says. ''This is what I want, man. I cherish this.''
The Rebels make Orgeron proud, particularly the defense, which holds Williams to 85 yards on 24 carries. They keep the Tigers out of the end zone.
Offensively, the Rebels are never able to get the running game going, but senior quarterback Micheal Spurlock proves last year is behind him. Besides showing better accuracy and decision making, Spurlock scores the game's only touchdown on a 12-yard scamper on fourth down.
The decision to go for it on fourth down draws rave reviews after the game. Orgeron based the call on the fact that both of his kickers missed badly on their last two field goal attempts.
''It was a no-brainer,'' he says.
He also calls a key timeout with 24 seconds left after the Tigers march from midfield to the Ole Miss 6. Orgeron goes back to the Rebels' base defense. On the next play, linebacker Garry Pack intercepts Will Hudgens's pass at the goal line, for the win.
Orgeron is questioned, though, on his decision to pull Spurlock for sophomore Robert Lane for the final two drives of the first half when Ole Miss trailed 6-3, although Spurlock had completed 9-of-13 passes for 122 yards.
''I wanted to give Robert a chance, and I told him I was going to give him a chance,'' Orgeron said. ''I think that might have lit a fire under Micheal. It's all about competition. I'd do it again. If anybody's not performing, I'm taking him out and putting somebody else in.''
Orgeron surprises many with his relatively calm behavior on the sidelines throughout the game. There is no ranting and raving. No shirts are pulled off.
After the game, Orgeron simply walks to midfield, shakes UofM coach Tommy West's hand, and is joined by wife, Kelly, and sons Tyler, Parker and Cody for a postgame interview by ESPN's Holly Rowe. Afterward, he shakes hands with a couple of assistants on his way to the locker room.
''I think it's real important for me to be calm during the game,'' Orgeron said. ''During practice, I can go out there and show emotion, run around and provide energy for the team. But during the game, there are decisions to be made, and I have to be focused.
''I thoroughly enjoyed calling the game for the first time. There is a lot more thinking involved than just being the defensive line coach. I have to have myself together at all times. I had a great combination on Monday. I felt calm and confident going into the game.''
At the bottom of the Rebels itinerary for the day, it said kickoff was slated for 3:36 p.m.
Underneath that, it read:
''Victory! Depart for Oxford.''
Just the way Orgeron envisioned it.
