Ole Miss player becomes latest to commit cardinal sin against Miami leading up to Fiesta Bowl clash
Another opponent gives the Hurricanes some added fuel leading up to their game.
Ole Miss WR Harrison Wallace III is a terrific player. There’s no doubt about that. The talented wideout is coming off a massive game in the Rebels upset win over the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. And it’s certainly good to have confidence in your teammates’ abilities.
But Wallace III might have just repeated a big mistake that Texas A&M and Ohio State did in advance of their matchups with — and eventual losses to — the Miami Hurricanes: say out loud what he should have kept inside his brain.
Harrison Wallace III becomes the latest to give Miami Hurricanes some bulletin board material
Wallace III, who totaled 9 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown against Georgia, was asked some questions during his press conference on Sunday about Miami’s defense. He gave credit to Miami having a very good defense that will be a great challenge and talked about Miami’s aggressiveness and intelligence on the back end. However, when asked about whether Miami’s pressure can change the type of routes the run, Wallace III had a lot of confidence about his offensive line against the Hurricanes’ front.
“Yes, it can, but at the same time, I wouldn’t really say it’ll really affect our whole route tree just because we do a lot of quick game, deep balls, and we’ve got a great o-line that’ll hold up and protect,” Wallace III said. “So it don’t really change a lot.”
It might not appear to be as much of a direct slap in the face of Miami as in previous weeks. Texas A&M tackle Trey Zuhn III said “I don’t think he’ll be a threat that we need to worry about too much” about Rueben Bain, Jr. Jeremiah Smith talked about how Miami fans were still stuck on the 2003 Fiesta Bowl and said that “we’ve got something for them come New Year’s Eve.”
However, Miami hears everything that’s being said about them and uses it against their opponents, particularly up front with their pass rushers. Bain, Jr. talked about how he had Zuhn’s words on his iPhone screen. He also kept notes about Notre Dame in his notebook and talked after the Florida win about how he’s fueled by disrespect. It doesn’t take much to end up on his list and give him added fuel ahead of a matchup.
As such, while Wallace III might not have been as bold about it as others in recent weeks, it’s still a challenge to the Hurricanes’ defense in advance of the game. And lately, Miami’s defense has been answering that challenge at a championship level.
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