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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football Continues Drills
6/21/1999 | Football
December 30, 1998
Q: Coach, how are you feeling, and how is your quarterback feeling?
A: I think more importantly is how the quarterback is feeling. The quarterback has done well the last few days. We're excited about what's going to happen. We'll have to see once the contact starts to see how his pain threshold is. I'm feeling much better, and as the quarterback feels better, I feel better.
Q: Talk about how the change is going, and with the strange defense Texas Tech runs, that must throw another wrench into things?
A: No question, we've been challenged, and it has been a bigger challenge than perhaps any of us would have thought. The players have been wonderful. We've tried to adjust to them, using their terminology, so it hasn't been as difficult for them. To communicate with them as coaches has been a little more difficult, because we're trying to use their terminology. To not be able to quite put our signature on it has been a little frustrating. We're going to have some fun with it and hopefully we'll execute. Anyone knows going into a bowl game, the challenge is to be consistent after such a long layoff. We'll be challenged that way and that's what we're looking for.
Q: Do you have any idea what you might say to these guys in your first pre-game speech as their head coach?
A: It'll be nothing really dramatic. We've talked all along. We've had a theme that we've approached, and we've had team meetings everyday before going onto the practice field. It'll be an extension of that, and an extension of what we think is needed to win the game. I'm sure I'm going to be excited. We want to send our seniors out on a positive note. I'm looking forward to that opportunity. These guys are ready to play the game, so it'll be very exciting.
Q: Seems like everybody thinks you've got nothing to lose.
A: We're decisive underdogs and probably should be, but these guys kind of like that role.
Q: Coach, you've had trouble with conditions on the practice fields throughout the week, what about the conditions here at the stadium?
A: I haven't been out there yet, but it certainly looks good from the side. Talking to some of the people here, they say it's continuing to dry out. If we can keep this sunshine going, and we're suppose to have some more tomorrow, it should be fine by tomorrow night.
Q: Have you thought about how you want your first game as head coach to go.
A: I've had time to think about it, but from the standpoint of it being important that it's my first game, I haven't really dwelled on it. I want these players to play well and feel like they can represent themselves well. Our staff has worked really hard, and I know they want things to go smoothly. This has been a challenge and a tough situation, and certainly not one where you can put your signature on it and say this how we want it to be. We're not going to live or die with this either way. If we win, we're certainly not going to poke our chests out and boast that we did anything special. If we lose, than we'll know that we've played as hard as we could play and prepared as hard as we could prepare."
Sophomore QB Romaro Miller
Q: How are you feeling?
A: I've been feeling real good. My shoulder has been bothering me and I'm ready to get out there tomorrow night.
Q: So, you feel right now that you're going to be the man tomorrow night?
A: I'm going to go to sleep knowing that I'll be in the line-up. How much they play me remains to be seen. The way I feel, I feel confident that I'll be out there a lot.
Q: How about the attitude of the team with everything that's happened the last couple of weeks?
A: I think as a team, we're real excited about coming out here and trying to get next season off to the right start. We're the last game of 1998, so hopefully, we can send it out with a bang.
Q: Can you talk about the new attitude of this team and being ready to go?
A: The guys are real excited. The new coaching staff has brought a lot of excitement to the team. Coach Cutcliffe has gotten everybody in the right position, we have 10 starters coming back so we think we can use this game as a springboard into next season.
Q: Have you been taking care of coach like he has you? He hasn't been feeling 100 percent either.
A: He's been out there battling for us. He's been sort of sick the last couple of days, and he's out there trying to give us all the help he can with his condition. We're real proud of him.
Junior Linebacker Armegis Spearman?
Q: Can you talk about the role of being an underdog coming into this game. There's a lot of pressure on the defense with all the changes on offense with the coaching staff.
A: All the pressure is really on us. We're the people that had the coach (Defensive Coordinator Art Kaufman) stay, so we know what we're doing. We just got to come out and perform like we can and pick up the slack for the offense.
Q: Are you guys ready to get the Coach Cutcliffe-era on its way.
A: That's all we want to do. We want to start 1999 with a bang. We feel like this is part of next season and that's how we're going to try and treat this game.
Q: Obviously, you need to try and stop Ricky Williams.
A: He's a great back and we're going to come out and try to contain him.
Sophomore running back Deuce McAllister
Q: Texas Tech doesn't know what you're going to do. Do you guys know what you're going to do?
A: We've got a pretty good idea. Practices have been going pretty well. The conditions have been pretty sloppy but you just need to come out and try and get mentally prepared for the game.
Q: Can you talk about playing the underdog role.
A: Our fans expect us to go out and win and we expect to go out and play hard. We're not worried about the point spread of anything like that. We just got to go out and play hard, take care of the ball, and try to score some points.
Q: With the uncertainty of the quarterback situation, a lot of the weight seems to fall on your shoulders.
A: The running game is going to have to be strong regardless of who's playing quarterback. They play an eight-man front so we're going to have to be balanced as much as possible.
Q: They like to play a gambling defense, with that Red Raider position moving all over the field. With the influx in offense, does that make it more difficult to adjust to that kind of defense?
A: We've watched a lot of film on them and know what they're going to do. They've had a lot of time to put in a lot of new stuff, so it's going to be interesting to see what they give us. When we have a chance to score, we need to score and take what they give us.
Q: Do you want to start next year off with a bang?
A: This is a new season for us, a new chance for us, and a chance to send our seniors off on a positive.
