Monday's Independence Bowl Practice Quotes

December 28, 1998

NOTE: Junior split end Grant Heard sustained an injury to his right knee midway through Monday's practice. He left the field on crutches and the extent of his injury is unknown at this time. Heard was the Rebels' second-leading receiver this season with 40 catches for 559 yards and four TDs.

Head Coach David Cutcliffe:

Q: If things would go perfectly in your first five minutes as head coach at Ole Miss Thursday night, what would happen?

A: "That's a dangerous question. If things would happen perfectly, obviously, you would go out and set the tempo with the kicking game, whether it's covering a kickoff or returning a kickoff. We would like to see us create turnover situations early in the game and be able to cash in and score, execute and take care of the football. You would like to establish that you're the more physical football team on the field early in the game. All of those things are things that both coaches and both teams will be looking for. Then you realize what happens in the first five minutes will set a tempo for what's going to happen the rest of that quarter, but your going to have to play four quarters to win this football game. There's no question. You watch every game Texas Tech's played and anybody that had a chance to beat them had to play four quarters to do that."

Q: Have you decided what you're going to do offensively, as far as putting in your system or running the system that they already know?

A: We've said all along that we're destined to do what these guys already know. You can't in this short period of time put a new system in. We'll have a few little things that we'll want them to learn and do what we've done in the past, but right now we're kind of stuck in a situation where we're doing what they've done all year long.

Q: Going into your first game as a head coach, does that bother you or are you comfortable with that?

A: I'm extremely comfortable with it. First of all, I'm excited about our staff and what our staff has gotten done to this point and how our staff has gone about getting their job done. I'm comfortable with that part of it and looking forward to the ball game. I'm sure they'll be butterflies. I've had butterflies in every game I've ever been involved in. From the standpoint, of thinking whether I'm the head coach or an assistant coach, I don't think I've had time to think about that. We're just working hard tying to figure out how to win the game.

Q: Was it difficult to put your staff together?

A: There was some people that things happened fast with, that we've kind of lined things up with. It's not difficult, but I think it's the type of situation we're you try not to have a knee-jerk reaction to try and get nine people together. I think it's difficult to try and mesh the right people together sometimes. You never know whether you have or haven't until a period of time goes by. We really had an opportunity to think and work it, and couldn't be more pleased with the kind of people we brought in. I think everyday proves the way things have happened in practice, have been phenomenally smooth in what we've gotten done. Not only that, in what those guys have done off the field. The amount of work, the work ethic and kind of character they bring all will make Ole Miss benefit greatly.

Q: What about the health of the team?

A: "We're getting healthier and Romaro Miller is looking healthier. I don't know what percentage you would put on him because he's still day-to-day. He hasn't been hit live and we don't what it's going to be like when he gets hit. We're going in with the situation knowing we're going to play both Miller and David Morris at quarterback. Romaro had his best day throwing the ball yesterday. We'll see if we can put two days together back-to-back and then we'll see how things go when the contact is live."

Q: Do you feel you have a pretty good handle on what Texas Tech does on both sides of the ball?

A: "I've got a good handle and I know how difficult it is. They're extremely well coached team. They haven't changed a lot over the years. They're going to be well-balanced on offense and they're that again this year. They're going to be a physical defensive team and they're going to stop the run. They're going to line-up to stop the run. You know that going in, you know what you're going to get and they play the kicking game well. Coach (Spike) Dykes does just as good a job as anybody as there in the country. It's a great challenge. It's one we have in front of us, and one we're going to have to be ready to face."

Q: A lot of the younger guys have said they are going to use this game to make an impression on you. I can also see how you're trying to make an impression on them. What's one is it going to be?

A: "I hope they impress me. I'm not worried about impressing them as much as they need to be worried about impressing me. I want to see us play with great effort. I think they've had the chance to get to know us and what our expectations are somewhat on the practice field. We know things are not going to happen one way or the other with this football game, win or lose. We've got a lot of work to do come January for the 1999 team. This is the 1998 team and we need to send the seniors out in style. We need to go out and compete for four quarters. If we go out and do things right, we'll have a chance to win this game in the end. Winning game, like I said, is not going to guarantee anything about our future either. We've got to consistently day-after-day be the right kind of people and the right kind of football team to be consistent winners. That's what our challenge is going to be and it doesn't happen overnight."

Cutcliffe following Monday's practice:

"It's hard to evaluate and we'll have to look at the film tonight. We're working hard. It's really tough as wet as things are. It makes it difficult. We're going to try and search again tomorrow to see if we can find a place more suitable to get a better practice in. That's probably our biggest issue we have between now and tomorrow's practice, and obviously evaluate anything with Grant (Heard) or anybody else. We won't know for a while on Grant. We'll just have to wait and see."

Q: Was the wet field a big factor in Grant Heard's injury?

A: "I don't think the field was a factor. His knee has been bothering him. It's easy to sit there and try and blame it on something. Football is football. It can happen anywhere. I've seen it happen on perfect playing surfaces. It's unfortunate anytime you get this close to a ball game to have anything happen. We'll see, maybe we'll get on the lucky side." Linebacker Armegis Spearman:

Q: Texas Tech is one of those teams that like to come out and establish the run. What are your impressions of running back Ricky Williams?

A: "He's a versatile player. He has a lot of moves and is quick. It's a different running style than what we're used to. He's a great player and we'll have to do our best to contain him."

Q: What did you get out of watching tape of them? They have the heaviest offensive line in the nation

A: "They seem to be underrated because they lost a couple of big games that they had a chance to win. We're not overlooking them. They're a good team and we're getting ready for them like they're the best team we've played this year."

Q: How fun has practice been?

A: "It's been a lot of fun. We're just excited to have the opportunity to be out here."

Q: There's been a lot of talk with the young guys that they're trying to impress the new coaching staff. Are you feeling that way as well?

A: "I don't want to impress them. I just want to play like I've been playing and be natural around them. That's how Coach Cutcliffe seems to be around us. He's making us feel comfortable and we just want to do the same for him."

Q: Regardless of what Texas Tech does, are you just going to come out and try to play your defense?

A: "We don't care what they do. We're just going to come out and play Ole Miss Rebel defense. Try to keep it the same and try to be more dominant. We're going to try and pick-up the physical aspects of the game, but we're basically going to try and keep it the same."

Junior cornerback Timothy Strickland:

Q: Looking at your stats, was this a breakout year for you?

A: "I didn't get as many interceptions as I wanted. This was my first full year playing corner. I did average I would say, and I just want to look to get better for next year in my last go around."

Q: What was the reason for moving from safety to cornerback?

A: "We lost a corner, and we needed some experience out there. Actually, I kind of requested that I wanted to play corner. That's what I was playing come out of high school. I had no problem playing safety but I did want to play corner. That's probably one of the most important positions on the field."

Senior cornerback Gary Thigpen:

Q: What kind of grade would you give your secondary this season?

A: I would give us a C-. There were sometimes we did good and there were times when we did bad. I guess we accomplished what we set out to do to have another winning season. Especially being our second year off of probation. Just returning to another bowl game is a feat for us and we're going to take advantage of it. This game, we can use as another stepping stone heading into next season. As for me, I wish the guys well, but I do want to go out a winner literally. You feel good as a person, but you still want to win the game. That's what we're going to set out to do."

Q: Texas Tech doesn't have a big-play receiver like Randy Moss you faced last year. Does that change your approach?

A: "I don't think it's any different. What we need to worry about is their running game and their quick-tempo offense. As a team defensively, our defensive coordinator has to get the calls in quick and for us to get ourselves lined-up. That's how they beat most of their teams from alignment and from the defensive team not being ready."

Q: So you need to try and control the tempo from the defensive side of the ball?

A: "Exactly. It's going to be a tough challenge, but to win the game, it's something that you'll have to get done."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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