Arkansas vs. Ole Miss: 5 Halftime Adjustments for the Rebels

The Rebs are shocking the world against the 9th ranked Razorbacks.  The Rebs dominated all three phases in the first half and currently hold a 17-7 lead.  Here are 5 things Houston Nutt and company will need to do to close the deal:

Keep it Positive

The Rebels dominated play on both sides of the ball in the first half, but have been unable pull away from the Hogs.  There will be a time when the uber-talented Hogs' offense makes a run.  When this happens, the Rebs need to stay within their game plan and strike back.

Playing Like Veterans

Perhaps the greatest thing about the Rebs' freshmen are that they can’t remember last year. The Rebs' freshmen have been phenomenal so far, but this one is far from over. If the Rebs are going to pull the upset, the young team will need to stay focused and keep the peddle to the metal in the second half.

Nik Brassell’s Stamina

Freshman Nik Brassell has been an impact player on both sides of the ball.  He’s helped move the chains as a WR on offense, and has played shut down defense on some of the best WRs in the country.  If I were Tyrone Nix, I wouldn’t let Brassell go in the game on offense in the second half.  The Rebs are going to need him to be fresh in the fourth quarter, when the Hogs' passing game inevitably heats up. 

Big Play on Defense

Donte Moncrief’s 31-yard TD catch on the first play of the second quarter not only gave the Rebs a double digit lead, it ignited the Vaught-Hemingway faithful.  It was easily the biggest play of the first half.  If the Rebs are going to pull the upset, the defense is going to need to come up with a few big plays of its own. 

Crowd

The involvement of the home crowd is key to any SEC game.  If the Rebs can keep their home fans in this thing until the fourth quarter they will be headed back to The Grove for a victory party.