OXFORD — One of the best moves new Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt made when he took over the Rebels program was bring in former Rebel quarterback Kent Austin to run the offense.

Austin comes back to Oxford after spending 15 seasons as both a player and a coach in the Canadian Football League.

Last year, he led Saskatchewan to the Grey Cup, the Canadien equivalent of the NFL’s Super Bowl championship.

Austin hopes to bring much of the passing offense that is popular in the CFL to the Rebels this season.

“I think we are going to have a very smart game plan,” Austin said. “We’re going to put these guys in the best position schematically in order to succeed.”

Ole Miss did little succeeding in 2008. They finished 3-9 and did not win a game in the Southeastern Conference.

Ed Orgeron’s three-year stay was over. Orgeron is now the offensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints.

Enter Nutt, who won 49 games in the SEC during 10 years at Arkansas, including a win over eventual national champion LSU last year in Baton Rouge.

“The biggest thing I’ve recognized is that we have had a gym full of Ole Miss fans who want to get behind this football team. I think they’ve showed, they’re coming back,” Nutt said. “And I’m glad to have Kent Austin here because he is going to bring so much to our passing game. He is a good fit.”

For Austin’s offense to thrive it will need a big season from University of Texas transfer Jevan Snead.

“He is physically talented but what I really like is that he is a good decision-maker. He has toughness but he can also make great decisions under fire. He will put our offense in the right situation,.” Austin said.

“Jevan had a very good spring and he’s a good decision-maker. He’s accurate and gets us out of the bad play,” Nutt added.

Snead said he was looking forward to the season and working under Austin and Nutt. He had to sit out last season because of NCAA transfer rules. Former Hinds Community College standout Seth Adams played quarterback last year.

“Coach Nutt has been just great and Coach Austin is the smartest coach I’ve had. He’s gotten us to recognize the defense pre-snap and that gives us an idea what the defense is going to do,” Snead said.

“For a play to execute, it takes all 11 guys. You want to have that physical running game and we have a big physical offensive line, but you don’t want to get in a situation where you’re playing left-handed,” Nutt said.

Snead should have time because the Rebels offensive line is a team strength, led by returning All-America candidate tackle Michael Oher.

“It was tough not winning a game in the SEC last year, but I was able to take a lot from last year,” Oher said. “We’ve got a lot of great players here. We have a quarterback with a strong arm who’s accurate and I know I’m a lot stronger. There is no pressure on me.”

While Oher is expected to dominate, he’s not into making any bold statements.

“I don’t do bulletin board material,” he said.

Defensively, Nutt has brought in former South Carolina coordinator and Southern Miss player Tyrone Nix to run the unit. Nix has already had a tough preseason as starting defensive end Greg Hardy and defensive tackle Peria Jerry have both been injured.

Hardy said, before he got hurt, that we was looking forward to Nix’s scheme.

“We have a new focus and it has helped us a lot,” Hardy said.

“Our whole deal on defense is to get the guys to run to the ball. I have a lot of confidence in coach Nix,” Nutt said. “I feel good about the D-line and I like our secondary. The one thing, and its unlike some other teams in the SEC is that we do have areas where we can’t get hurt.”