Zach Evans, Ole Miss Running Back Room 'Hungry' For Saturday Kickoff
OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss Rebels running back Zach Evans is ready to release some frustration when he takes the field on Saturday for his team's season opener.
Evans is part of a retooled and reloaded running back room in Oxford this season, and he has a lot of energy that he is preparing to use on Saturday when the Rebels face the Troy Trojans.
"It's very big, and it's my first SEC game," Evans said. "The first game lets you know how the next game is going to go. It's the time for us to come together as a team, and I'm ready to compete.
"I'm very angry. It's going to get worse every Saturday, but it's going to be worse for Troy because they're the first game."
One large question for the Rebel offense centers around who will be handing Evans the ball on Saturday. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has yet to announce a starting quarterback, but Jaxson Dart or Luke Altmyer will get the call this week and will be tasked with running the offense.
Despite the uncertainty around that position, Evans isn't concerned about it entering Week 1.
"Not at all," Evans said. "We're going to keep pushing. We're going to let Lane and them figure that side of the ball out, but other than that, running backs worry about running backs. You've got to mow your own grass."
The Rebel tailback has been plagued with injuries during his short career, but he has a certain workload in mind for each Saturday. Still, he will share that load with three other backs in Ulysses Bentley IV, Kentrel Bullock and Quinshon Judkins.
"I'd say about 20 or 25 [touches]," Evans said. "Obviously, the whole running back room is hungry. We just do the best that we can. We don't have a lead horseman right now. We're relying on our discipline and going from there."
The Rebels and Trojans will kick off at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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