Ole Miss Head Coach David Cutcliffe's Weekly Press Conference

Opening Comments

I feel, after looking at the tapes we had, this was a good team win. A lot of people and a lot of parts of the team contributed to the win. There are certainly many things that we are going to have to work on today to get better quickly.

I felt that, first of all, our defense played physical and played fast, which was good to see. I would like to see our offense be more physical than we were. Maybe we were a little bit too dependent on big plays, although I think we had some people who are capable of making big plays. I would like to see more consistency there. In our kicking game, I would like to see more consistency. We certainly have to go to work in that department this week and elevate our kicking game in all phases.

We have a few people nicked up. Ben Claxton, our starting center, has a fracture in the lower leg so he is out indefinitely. At this time, Eddie Strong is still day-to-day. We're still treating him and seeing where he is, and we will find out early in the week what he looks like. There are a few other people who just have nicks and bruises, but those are the only two significant injuries.

We know we are facing an outstanding Auburn team and a very athletic Auburn team. I am extremely impressed with their speed and their athleticism. As was a year ago, Ben Leard is a very confident and experienced quarterback who makes great decisions and does outstanding things on the field. They obviously helped themselves with their tailback Rudi Johnson on offense. Defensively, they are a very fast team with a lot of experience in the secondary. They really played well, in my opinion, in their first game.

Q. Do you expect, in terms of your running game, to focus on Deuce and Joe. Romaro came through last week. Do you see more of the same this week out of the Auburn line?

A. You never quite know what people are going to do. We obviously feel like we should run the ball better than we did, even against some of the stacked numbers that we saw. I don't know if they will go to the point that Tulane did or not. We know we will see some of that off and on all season, so we're going to certainly have to continue to respond in the passing game. I said going in that we were better in that area and we'll get better. We are not where we need to be yet, but we are going to certainly get better in that area.

Q. Talk about Charlie Perkins.

A. Well, I've said all along it's nice to have a senior backup who has experience. I know Charlie will come to fight and give it a day's work. We will work John McGarvey behind him and work some others. You never can have enough people. I'm sure Charlie is going to respond and respond well.

Q. Did someone fall on Ben Claxton's leg?

A. He was on the ground and the pile came down and fell on him, kind of a freak accident, but that occurs in football.

Q. Talk about the tempo in the season opener.

A. You never have as many scrimmage stats as you would like anymore, but I think any team is that way with the limited number of players we have. You're not going to go out and get 300 or 400 snaps in scrimmage, so game experience early really improves you as a team. It's part of your "getting better" process. There is no question about it. I think we simulate the speed of the game quite often. We are going best against best quite a bit as we do here, so it really was not the speed of the game. It's just getting enough scrimmage snaps. The biggest part was Tulane's commitment. Personally, I have never played anybody who put that many people near the line of scrimmage as often as they did. If I saw that again, I'd probably throw it even more.

Q. Would you like to see the running game improve from a blocking standpoint or a running standpoint?

A. Just in general, the whole thing. It certainly starts with our blocking and being more physical. I wasn't displeased with our runners. I don't think we ever got started. Certainly, there were two or three really good runs. We didn't really have anything where we ever got our guys started where they could get going down hill.

Q. Talk about the backup center situation.

A. John McGarvey will be the first one we work behind Charlie Perkins. We are going to look at some other combinations, different people right now. It is hard to say who is going to respond the best playing there. Some of our starters in other positions will get some work there too.

Q. Talk about Grant Heard.

A. It is great to get Grant back. I'm sure Grant feels much better after getting a game under his belt. It has been a long time. He had a short showing in the Vanderbilt game a year ago and then had to immediately come back out because he wasn't ready. I think it took him a little while to find himself getting comfortable. It is good to see him back out there. He has been a playmaker for us. He's a better physical specimen than he was. I think Grant will have a big year.

Q. On Saturday, did anyone emerge game-ready that you may not have thought were?

A. Nobody comes right to mind. But I wasn't displeased for the most part with the young people who played. We are still going to play a lot of people. We'll rotate a lot of people on defense. Lanier Goethie played well as a young linebacker who played more than he has in the past. That was encouraging to see. A number of others did well, and I think that it's going to make us a better team. We are going to commit to playing more people. We played over 50 people in the first half on offense and defense, and I believe we'll benefit from that.

Q. Were you happy with the coverage on punts and kickoffs?

A. No, I really wasn't. Kickoff, for the most part, was good. Lee Rogers did a nice job kicking the football and the kickoff coverage, for the most part, held up pretty well. Our punt coverage wasn't what we wanted. In the return game, we didn't get a lot of chances, but when we get chances, we've got to take advantage of them. We're working hard in the kicking game. We think we're more athletic there and we expect that to help us have a winning edge. We've got to play it better than we did this past week.

Q. Talk about the emotions surrounding the Auburn game.

A. It's not really an issue with the team. As I've said Saturday, we're trying to first focus on Ole Miss. We have to be as good as we can be. The Auburn team and the players are what concern me. They're good football players, and we've got to be prepared for them. I haven't really talked a lot to the players. I haven't heard them say anything to be honest, but you may have. That is something I haven't heard them talk a whole lot about. We better be emotional and play well. It's a big conference game and a conference opener against a very fine opponent. That should be enough. I know our fans are talking about it a lot, and it's not something we are ignoring. I think that's a positive. The more they talk about it, the more our players are hearing it going to class. That is keeping their minds on our business a good bit of the time, which I think is a plus.

Q. For the players, did a lot of the Auburn hype end with last year's win?

A. I think the first year is more emotional, comparing last year to this year for those youngsters. Then there are some players on this team that don't have any relationships. Each year it grows more that way. I'm sure it dwindles some from that standpoint, but as I've said, this is going to remain a big game regardless of who is coaching either team. I think the focus once you kick off, as I said last year, is playing football. You better be well prepared to play football and that will be the key.

Q. Talk about Romaro's performance.

A. I thought Romaro played extremely well. He had one or two throws that he might like to have back and throw a little bit better. Outside of that, his decision-making was really good, and his management of the offense was outstanding. His accuracy was to the point where he could have had two or three other catches that weren't caught. He could have had one of those days where he could have been 21 or 22-of-26, or right in that range. He played real well, and I've said all along he would be more comfortable than he was last year. He feels much more prepared, and it's a lot easier to play quarterback when you have that level confidence.

Q. We're you happy with the pass protection against Tulane?

A. Well, the number one unit certainly did a good job for the most part. We had a couple of pressures in there that we felt like we shouldn't have given up. With our number two unit, I wasn't as pleased with our pass protection. I didn't think Eli really had a chance to ever get started because of that. I would just like to see us more physical all the way around on offense, at every position. I want to see us be more physical than we were all the way around on Saturday.

Q. Talk about Shawn Johnson.

A. Shawn is a guy who, since he's hit the field, has been a player who makes big tackles, bit hits. He's a fast guy who can run to the football, and is a very active football player, a very powerful football player. He has a knack for making big hits, whether it's open field or in tight. I think when Shawn hits you, he's one of those guys who you know you've been hit.

Q. Talk about Ken Lucas.

A. Ken Lucas I thought played really well, and competed hard. He was around the football constantly. I've said all along he's what people are looking for as a cover corner. A year's experience has made quite a bit of difference, and he's playing with a lot of confidence. He is a guy who'll battle you from start to finish. He's getting more consistent and that's the thing you have to have is that consistency to be successful. That is a tough position to play when you're having to play out there isolated on the corner.

Q. How much does a running back like Rudi Johnson change your game plan compared to last year against Auburn?

A. There is no question he gets your attention. He is a big powerful runner who obviously has speed to go all the way. He breaks tackles and that size back is the kind of guy you better be in a position to get more than one person to him to get him on the ground. There has obviously been a commitment on Auburn's part to run the football better. That is very evident and they have fine backs. Heath Evans is a fine back and they've got others. Johnson is a guy who gets your attention so you know you better tackle well or you won't get him on the ground.

Q. Do you have to address the hype of the Auburn game with your players?

A. It would be the same thing I said earlier. They will be very aware of it. Like I've said, I haven't heard any conversations at this point. Sure, we'll address it up to a point. But, most importantly, we are going to be preparing to play the game. It does pretty much take care of itself. Because once you kick off, you better be well prepared to play the game.

Q. How important is it to win your SEC opener?

A. Well, I don't know that the opener is any different than the last one or the middle one. I think the way you've got to look at it in the Southeastern Conference is, you better come to play every time you hit the field. Everybody would like to win their opener, we all know that, but it's not the end of the road if you don't. You just have to take each game that you play. We try to do that obviously even with our non-conference opponents, but certainly within the conference each game is of equal importance. As it winds down, you may have a huge game at the end of the year that dictates whether it goes one way or the other. You are trying to win and battle for every SEC win you can get.

Q. Does Rudi Johnson remind you of any other player?

A. Well, he maybe somewhat like Travis Henry, but having not seen him in person, it's hard to say. It looks like he has that ability to not go down very easy. He can run through a lot of tackles and has more speed than a lot of people think he has. He is definitely an outstanding back.

Q. Is Eli Manning going to see more time?

A. We'll have to see as we get into preparation. As I've said all along, a lot of that is determined on how well we're practicing. If the group is practicing well and deserves to play, then that's what we'd like to do is to play people in games. So, early in the season, it's something we try to do and pay great attention to. As they earn that on the practice field, guys will see playing time. So, it may mean that the second unit does come in a unit. I like to do that when we can on occasion.

Q. Would you like to see Deuce get more opportunities because this game will be on national television?

A. The implication whether the game's on television or not would have nothing to do with it. I would like to see Deuce get the ball quite often. Our tailback carries weren't the same number they normally were. We had some opportunities for him in the passing game. They didn't kick it to him too much, so he lost some touches there. But, we certainly would like to see his tailback carries in the run game increase, and I would like him to catch more. We threw it to him some, but we'd like to catch more balls than that each game. I think it would make a significant difference for him in the passing game. I'd like to see him get five or six catches a game. I think he had two, which we can increase that. But, the most significant difference would be the number of carries he got as tailback.

Q. Talk about Ole Miss dropping in the polls.

A. I didn't even know we had. That's how much I pay attention to that. I'm neither surprise nor do I pay any attention to it.

Q. Talk about Doug Ziegler.

A. Doug Ziegler is outstanding player, and he's going to continue to get better and better with playing time. He's a young player, thank goodness, but he's a very talented young man. He really improved himself physically in the run game, and he's always been able to run. He's going to be a weapon and a guy who will make plays for us hopefully all year.

Q. Talk about the replacements for Eddie Strong.

A. I think our linebackers played pretty well. As I've said, I thought Lanier Goethie played well and did some really good things. Kevin Thomas played a lot of plays, maybe more than he would normally play, and he did well. We have to be that way as a team. I thought we stepped up and played well there for the most part. But, obviously we'd love to have Eddie back and back quickly. If we don't get him back, then those guys will continue to get better.

Q. Talk about the defensive front.

A. I thought our ends, particularly Derrick Burgess and Shane Elam, played extremely well, and played like we thought they would play. We would like to see more consistency from our tackles over a period of time, but our tackles played okay. Anthony Sims played pretty well, and the rest of them got better as the game went on, and you saw some people make some plays. We'll grow there and we'll get better there. We knew we were going to play a number of people. Antoinne Scott had some good plays. So, for the most part, you had to be pleased. We hit the quarterback a lot, and for the most part, we contained their running game. I thought we played fast up front, which is what we wanted to see. It was a good start and we have to build on that.

Q. Talk about Justin Coleman.

A. Justin Coleman had a really camp and a good spring, preparing to start the entire year. He played well. Obviously, he's got some things he can do better, and some things to work on. All of us do. He'll get better. He got better as he played a little bit more last year. I think that is a big part why he made such a jump in spring practice, and is becoming a more consistent player at corner. He has a lot of skills and a lot of capabilities. The more snaps he sees, the more consistent he will become, and I expect him to do that.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Related News

Related Videos