The Rebel Walk QB Film Room: Ole Miss 40, Southeastern 29
David Walker is a former 4-year starting QB and the youngest in NCAA history to start at the position.
Editor’s Note: Welcome to “The Rebel Walk QB Film Room!” To take a look at Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral’s performance in the win over Southeastern, The Rebel Walk turns to David Walker, former four-year starting quarterback at Texas A&M. If anyone out there understands what it’s like for a young quarterback to lead a major D1 team, it’s David!
Here are his thoughts on Matt’s performance.
The Rebel Walk QB Film Room
At this early point in the season and particularly after the previous two football games, Rebels fans have to be delighted with the solid play of quarterback Matt Corral and the offense as a whole.
The 50-30 ratio in runs to passes seen against Southeastern Louisiana is likely the blueprint for success for Ole Miss. With the diversity in contributions from so many outstanding athletes, one could only surmise there are great things in store for this group of young men.
While there were several outstanding plays I could’ve also included in this week’s breakdown, these are the plays I think best represent the progress and accomplishments that these young representatives of Ole Miss are making.
Video 1
On this first look we have a balanced offensive set with 270-pound Tight End Octavious Cooley in the flex position on the right. Matt Corral makes an excellent throw through traffic and then notice the hard running by 15 after the catch. I submit to you that Cooley may very well be the biggest slot receiver in the history of college football.
Video 2
This is a difficult throw that Matt makes look easy. Out of a 2-back twins set, he fakes the handoff and zips a strike to Elijah Moore — very nicely executed.
Video 3
Here we have a one-back set with trips to the right. The Rebels are sending Jonathan Mingo, the single receiver at the top, on a streak pattern against rolled up coverage. Corral’s emphasis here is to get the ball over the CB and still beat the Safety with the throw, which he does beautifully.
Video 4
You have to like the hustle and willingness to contribute by your quarterback based on this play alone. Watch Corral as freshman RB Jerrion Ealy breaks a long one on this play.
Video 5
It’s not all about throwing pretty passes for this Ole Miss quarterback. Here, he makes a terrific read on his handoff key, the defensive end, which allows the freshman Ealy, behind excellent blocking up front, to get the score. A poor read here likely ends up in a tackle for loss.
Video 6
We’re throwing this one in for your halftime entertainment. Jones. Jacquez Jones. #TheSilverHammer.
Video 7
When Emory Bellard was teaching me his triple option when I was the QB at A&M, he never said to block my handoff key after the handoff. But here, well, Corral decides to block his handoff key, making sure the DE doesn’t fall back into the play.
Video 8
Here Corral exhibits poise in the pocket and excellent zip on the football as he hits Dontario Drummond on a deep curl on 3rd and long.
Video 9
This time we have the other Tight End aligned in the slot, Jason Pellerin, and he will weave past the under-coverage and look for the football. Corral clears the linebackers’ outreached hands with the pass and hits his receiver an instant before the free safety does — an outstanding display of fearlessness and concentration by the former quarterback from Louisiana.
Video 10
This may be the play of the game as the Rebels are both running clock and trying to score the clinching points. Behind a good cross block from Pellerin, Corral jukes and jives in the pocket and finds Demarcus Gregory on a huge 20-yard pass play. It’s an excellent sliding catch by the receiver on the clutch play of the game.
Join us again next week when Quarterback Guru David Walker takes a look at the QB play in the Ole Miss game vs. Cal….only available here in The Rebel Walk QB Film Room.
David Walker
David is the consummate true-freshman quarterback, first pioneering the position only a year after college freshmen were given varsity eligibility by the NCAA in 1972. In 1973, the left-handed all-state gunslinger from Sulphur, Louisiana started for the Texas A&M Aggies and earned the All-Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year award as selected by the league’s coaches. David is the first college quarterback ever awarded Freshman of the Year in the NCAA. He was only 17, and still holds the NCAA record as the youngest starting quarterback in college football history. He wore No. 8 at A&M in honor of one of his football heroes, Archie Manning.
In becoming the winningest quarterback ever at A&M, David was converted from a dual-threat QB to a triple option trailblazer. The two-time team captain led three record-breaking offenses that changed the direction of football at A&M forever, establishing once and for all the winning tradition that the Aggies had so-long desired.
As a high school head coach in Houston in the late ‘80s, David stationed his quarterback in the shotgun formation, having him reading defenses and throwing hot routes at a time when such offensive schemes were frowned upon by traditional fans and coaches. One of his quarterbacks tossed 57 passes in a single game, which stood as the all-time Greater Houston Area record for many years.
As you can tell from his bona fides, David is extremely qualified as our expert on all things Quarterback at Ole Miss. Enjoy his exclusive analysis only here at The Rebel Walk!
