Ole Miss' young receivers struggling to catch on

OXFORD, Miss. - When Mike Wallace caught a 55-yard touchdown pass at Alabama earlier this season, he was greeted with the best sound he&#39;s ever heard as a Mississippi wide receiver silence.<br> <br> ``Except for our few fans that they put all the way at the top of the stadium,&#39;&#39; Wallace said.<br> <br> That play was one of a very small group of game-changing receptions Ole Miss&#39; young wide receiving corps has had this season.<br> <br> It&#39;s an example of the highs the Rebels aspire to reach. The catch midway through the fourth quarter sent the game into overtime and showed that Brent Schaeffer and his targets are capable of big plays.<br> <br> Unfortunately, positive moments like that one are lost in a sea of negative plays drops on third down, mishandled touchdown passes, routes ruined by opportunistic defenders.<br> <br> The problems are easily explained.<br> <br> Wallace, a sophomore who played in 10 games last season mostly on special teams, is the grizzled veteran of the group. The other four players in the team&#39;s top five are freshmen. Not only have they all had to learn Dan Werner&#39;s new offense, but they have had to make a connection with new quarterback Brent Schaeffer as well.<br> <br> The passing game is all about timing and familiarity. It takes months or even years to achieve those football virtues.<br> <br> ``We&#39;re going to get better every week,&#39;&#39; Wallace said. ``This is all our first year playing. As the year goes on, we&#39;re going to get better every game.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The Rebels (2-7) will take a break from the rigors of the Southeastern Conference this week with a matchup against Division I-AA Northwestern State. The game offers a chance for the team to tune up its passing game away from the crushing blows and confusing coverages offered by SEC defensive backs.<br> <br> The Rebels&#39; passing game has wilted under the pressure. Ole Miss is currently 113th out of 119 Division I teams with an average of 131.9 yards passing per game. Schaeffer has completed 46.2 percent of his passes and thrown 6 touchdowns.<br> <br> True freshman Marshay Green leads the team in receptions with 17. Wallace leads the team in receiving yards with 257.<br> <br> Coach Ed Orgeron said there are many things the young group still needs to learn.<br> <br> They need to be ``able to catch the ball when we need to, able to make big plays when we need to, able to get off of jams just really fundamental things,&#39;&#39; Orgeron said.<br> <br> Orgeron said he also would like to upgrade the position through recruiting. Coaches are on the lookout for physical specimens at the position who are more than 6-feet tall and 200 pounds, and can overpower usually diminutive cornerbacks.<br> <br> ``I think that we need ... better receivers, bigger receivers, faster receivers who are able to play in this conference,&#39;&#39; Orgeron said. ``I think as we play better teams in this conference, we&#39;re seeing areas where we need to get better talent at each year.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> That&#39;s not to say Orgeron doesn&#39;t see talent currently on the roster. Only time and repetition will tell, though.<br> <br> ``We&#39;re confident those guys are going to be good players, they just need some help,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> Wallace said he&#39;s going to keep working toward the goal of becoming the team&#39;s go-to receiver. He&#39;s already visualizing his next big scoring play.<br> <br> ``I really want to catch the ball on a short pass and break it,&#39;&#39; he said.