From the Peach Bowl: Ole Miss OC Charlie Weis, Jr. talks about challenges of facing Penn State defense
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss co-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. met with media Thursday in Atlanta to talk about the Rebels’ offense and the Penn State defense the Rebels will face in Saturday’s Peach Bowl.
“It’s been extremely exciting being here at the Peach Bowl….very fun to be here,” Weis began.
“It’s been cool seeing the competition stuff last night and kind of all the festivities you get. Our players have been great. They’ve been super focused in the preparation, getting ready for the game. Obviously it’s always unique when you have such a long break in between games, but our guys have done a phenomenal job. They’re really excited to be here, and we’re just ready for the game.”
Charlie Weis, Jr.
Earlier in the morning, Penn State defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter discussed the challenges of the Ole Miss tempo game, and Weis was, likewise, asked what his thoughts are on what makes the Penn State defense so tough to face.
“I think they’re just an extremely well coached, disciplined football team,” the Ole Miss offensive coordinator explained.
“They play very assignment sound, very minimal bust, very minimal mental errors. They’ve got great players at all three levels of the defense. They’ve got a great D-line, linebackers, secondary players. Top to bottom, they’re probably the most complete defense I’ve seen. It’s extremely impressive in having those players and getting them to play assignment sound, I think just very well-structured overall defense.”
~ Weis Jr. on what makes the Penn State defense unique
With Penn State leading the nation in sacks, the Rebel offensive line will have to be firing on all cylinders to keep Jaxson Dart off the ground. Weis Jr. was asked about how the tempo of the Rebels can help.
“Tempo is always a huge part of what we do in terms of getting the D-line tired, not letting them sub, certain things like that. That’s just a big part of who we are each and every week. At the end of the day, we’ve got to block them. We’ve got to get the ball out on time. We’ve just got to go out there and execute. It’s all about us at the end of the day is the thing that we talk about. So utilizing our tempo, playing fast, having success, moving the chains on third down. All those things go together into us having a good game on Saturday.”
~ Weis Jr. on the Rebels’ tempo
The Rebels were 15th in the country and 3rd in the SEC in total yards per game this year, while of course, the Penn State defense allowed the fewest amount of total yards in the country per game this year, including an average of less than 70 yards per game rushing.
The Ole Miss offensive line was banged up to end the regular season. Coach Weis offered an update on the unit.
“I think we’re fortunate to have guys up front that are adaptable and can play different positions…So we’re deeper there than we were last year, and that helps with it right there,” Weis commented. “Giving those guys time to heal up and recover and rest, it’s a long season for those guys. A lot of those guys in those last three games were playing a ton of snaps…Looking forward to seeing those guys a little bit healthier as we go into this game on Saturday,” he added.
Weis, who is also the Rebels’ quarterbacks coach, was asked about Jaxson Dart. He complimented his signal caller in several key areas and talked about where he’s improved.
“I think he just has an unbelievable mindset. His work ethic is top tier. The decision-making I think is the biggest thing, just total understanding of the offense. He’s able to go out there, process things at a very high level, not only just what we are doing offensively, what the defense is doing, being able to get us in and out of checks and getting into good plays, whatever that may be, and just taking care of the football. I think that’s probably the biggest improvement from a year ago. He’s always been an explosive player. Now he’s explosive, and he takes care of the ball. Very fortunate to have one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”
~ Weis Jr. on Jaxson Dart
After another elite offensive year under Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr., the Rebel offense will return many current players — on top of new talent — to a familiar system in Oxford for the 2024 season.
Up Next
Weis Jr. will be calling plays for the Rebel offense Saturday in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl versus Penn State. Kickoff is set for Noon ET on ESPN.
Kameron Wicker
Kam is an undergraduate at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he’s from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn’t stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He’s a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
