If face-smashing away in the defensive trenches comprises the most thankless job in American football, stalking the defensive backfield to shore up whatever leaks inevitably burst through holds a kind of quiet, violent glamour -- a peculiarity of mindset and physical aptitude that renders one uniquely suited for bashing into people at very high speeds in the open field. To that end, the Ole Miss Rebels safeties crew appears well situated to pick up where Cody Prewitt and company left off last season.
As the spread and tempo offenses have saturated the college game, so have defensive coordinators adjusted to a more rapid-fire, amorphous plan of containment.