After the annual Grove Bowl scrimmage on Saturday, head coach Hugh Freeze remained cautiously optimistic about next fall, despite a subpar defensive performance.
The intra-squad scrimmage finished as expected, with the offense dominating the defense in a 31-29 win. Scoring the game was a complicated affair; Freeze gave the defense a 27-0 lead but only allowed it to score off safeties or interceptions that led directly to touchdowns.
“I thought the right team won today,” Freeze said. “The offense controlled most of the scrimmage, but we have a long way to go defensively.”
With Shea Patterson completing 21 of 30 passes for 341 yards, good enough for two touchdowns, as well as exceptional performances from receivers AJ Brown, Van Jefferson and DK Metcalf, the Rebels’ defense struggled to come up with stops.