Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze talks with reporters during the Southeastern Conference football Media Days in Hoover, Ala., on Tuesday, July 16, 2013.OTHER PICKSLSU 28, Mississippi State 17Virginia 26, Ball State 19Va. Tech 25, N. Carolina 24FSU 42, Maryland 21Boston College 29, Army 16N.C. State 31, Wake Forest 10Clemson 30, Syracuse 13East Carolina 27, MTSU 22Oregon 44, Colorado 15Ohio St. 33, Northwestern 28Stanford 35, Washington 20Louisville 40, Temple 9Baylor 63, West Virginia 26Michigan 38, Minnesota 23Texas Tech 41, Kansas 18Arizona St. 17, Notre Dame 14Oklahoma 44, TCU 31
LAST WEEKWinners - 20Lane Trains - 5Pasquali is now 111-14 overall (88.8 percent) this season.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn talks with reporters during the Southeastern Conference football Media Days in Hoover, Ala., Wednesday, July 17, 2013.In 2004, Hugh Freeze was in his final season at Briarcrest Christian near Memphis, while Gus Malzahn was in his next-to-last season at Springdale High in Springdale, Ark.
Two football coaches who experienced meteoric rises to the Southeastern Conference will vie Saturday night when Malzahn's Auburn Tigers host Freeze's Ole Miss Rebels. The two are known for their up-tempo offenses, and they have been friends since their days in the prep ranks.
"I don't mind saying that both of those guys are two of my favorite coaches," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. "They both wear visors, and they both call the plays."
Freeze told his wife on their honeymoon that he wanted to be an SEC head coach, but he admitted Wednesday that his dream started to fade after 13 years in high school. He became an assistant athletic director for football external affairs at Ole Miss in 2005 before returning to the field in '06 as tight ends coach for the Rebels.
Malzahn said he didn't start thinking about coaching in college until his last couple of years at Springdale. His big break occurred when former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt hired him as offensive coordinator and signed Springdale quarterback Mitch Mustain, the 2005 Parade player of the year.
"I certainly know many other high-school coaches who could do the same thing," Freeze said. "It's just the opportunity does not come along that often, which makes it very unique."
Pasquali's Pix:
• Georgia State at Alabama: This could be the fastest second half in the history of college football. Crimson Tide 51, Panthers 0.
• Georgia Tech at Miami: At least the Yellow Jackets don't have to face Bud Foster again this season. Hurricanes 27, Yellow Jackets 24.
• Georgia at Tennessee: Aaron Murray is 99 yards shy of David Greene's school passing mark. Justin Worley is 9,738 yards shy of Peyton Manning's school mark. Bulldogs 38, Volunteers 20.
• Western Carolina at UTC: The biggest blowout win of the Russ Huesman era came against the Catamounts (51-7) two years ago at Finley Stadium. Mocs 42, Catamounts 13.
• Arkansas at Florida: The Razorbacks are the only program nationally playing four preseason top-10 teams in a four-week stretch. Gators 31, Razorbacks 9.
• Ole Miss at Auburn: The Rebels have not defeated the Tigers in consecutive years since 1951-52. Tigers 27, Rebels 26.
• Kentucky at South Carolina: Spurrier is as honest, or blunt, as they come. "Kentucky is a team that has struggled this year, which was expected," he said Wednesday. Gamecocks 37, Wildcats 10.
• Missouri at Vanderbilt: The Commodores are 10-2 in their last 12 games, their best such stretch since the 1955-56 seasons. Tigers 24, Commodores 21.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.