Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze came down squarely on the side of non-traditional offenses at SEC media days on Tuesday, rebutting claims made by Nick Saban and Bret Bielema that going up-tempo exposes players to injuries.
"I don't think there is any proof of a safety concern caused by hurry-up offenses," Freeze said in response to a media member's question.
Ole Miss ran 962 plays last season, second only to Texas A&M among SEC schools. Alabama averaged about 10 fewer plays per game than the Rebels, and Wisconsin (Bielema's old school) averaged eight less.
Freeze also pointed out that since defensive linemen are generally more athletic than their counterparts on offense (especially in the SEC), they should have an advantage over offensive linemen despite more plays being run.
Look for this subject to keep on percolating during the preseason and come to a head on Sept. 14 when Texas A&M hosts Alabama.
