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Ole Miss Football: From one Rebel to another

By Hunter Kinniburgh

OXFORD, MS - SEPTEMBER 24: Players of the Mississippi Rebels greets fans during the walk into the stadium before a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on September 24, 2016 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
OXFORD, MS - SEPTEMBER 24: Players of the Mississippi Rebels greets fans during the walk into the stadium before a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on September 24, 2016 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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The resignation of Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze left fans feeling puzzled, betrayed and without hope for the 2017 season. I was one of them.

I was as shocked as everyone. The news popped up on my phone, a notification from the Ole Miss twitter page. Hugh Freeze had resigned. Immediately one would think, that it was related to another NCAA case. This was different though. Freeze had acted in a way that was not becoming of the head coach of an SEC program, or any program.

More: Where will Hugh Freeze coach next?

I watched the press conference from university chancellor Jeff Vitter and AD Ross Bjork. Reactions on twitter from other Ole Miss fans and recruits was somewhere between outrage and sadness. Hugh Freeze came to Ole Miss in 2011 at the programs lowest point and he built the football program back up to prominence. Ole Miss fans believed in the man because of what he had done for the university.

In the immediate aftermath of the resignation I talked to my father who is as big of a Rebel fan as there is in the world. My dad was as shocked as anyone. We always talk about anything and everything that has to do with Ole Miss sports. He said his classic phrase, “guess I really will never see us in the SEC Championship before I’m gone.” I can understand where he’s coming from. I’m more than half his age and yet I feel the same way. So is the life of an Ole Miss fan; one blow after another. Should we discuss them? 2002 Arkansas seven overtime game, 2003 LSU game, 2010 Jacksonville State game, 2014 Auburn game, 2015 Arkansas 4th and 25 game. It is easy to see why being a Rebel is discouraging.

Contrary to popular belief, Ole Miss is a top tier program. The history of the program shows that. From three national championships, to six SEC championships, top ten in bowl winning percentage and bowl appearances, and dozens of players that moved onto the NFL. Hugh Freeze proved that you can win in Oxford, Mississippi.

“It’s Time”- Chucky Mullins

My father and I continued to discuss where Ole Miss goes from here and we immediately came to this conclusion. The university, the fans, players, students, administration all need to come together more so than ever. With everything that the program has been through in recent years, it is imperative that Rebel nation come together.

Most casual onlookers of the program and other fanbases despise Ole Miss at this point. It’s time to prove that the program can and will weather this storm. Ole Miss fans have to stand behind new head coach Matt Luke. He needs all the support that can be given as he leads this team into the 2017 season. He is our head coach.

Next: 10 best players of the Hugh Freeze era

The 2017 season is not lost. The Rebel family can and will galvanize. There are still 12 games to be played. The football team is still talented, with a potential All-SEC quarterback in Shea Patterson. The team has a talented coaching staff that will give their all this season. As fans, we have to support them as well. So fill the Grove, fill the stadium fill your living room and watch on TV if you have to, but be a Rebel. Hotty Toddy.

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