The Ole Miss Rebels will be trying to do everything they possibly can defensively against Florida State and Dalvin Cook, who they'll face on Sept. 5 in the Camping World Kickoff in Orlando, Fla. Rebels strong-side defensive end Fadol Brown posted a video on Instagram of him going through drills — which is a big deal given that Brown suffered a stress fracture late in the season that required surgery, sidelining him for spring.
Getting Brown on the field 100% will be a major key if the Rebels want to stop Cook, a Heisman candidate running back this season. As SB Nation's Red Cup Rebellion points out, Cook is especially dangerous around the edge — especially the strong-side, which the side Cook will usually choose. Given the strength of Ole Miss' interior defense, Cook will have a much harder time running between the tackles against the Rebels as he would on the outside, especially if Brown isn't full-go.
"Cook can do damage between the tackles. His vision and burst make him a threat to shoot through interior gaps and blow by linebackers before they know what hit them. But the Ole Miss defense will be at its sturdiest up the middle," SB Nation's Jeff Gray writes. "Where D.J. Jones, Breeland Speaks, Issac Gross and five-star freshman Benito Jones form the sturdiest interior the Noles will face all season. Ole Miss wants to force Cook to earn his yards inside against that front."
We'll see if Brown is on the field fully participating on Sept. 5. Click here to read the full, in-depth piece about how Brown is a key defender for stopping Cook.
