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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Head Coach David Cutcliffe Weekly Press Conference Transcript
10/1/2001 | Football
Oct. 1, 2001
,OPENING COMMENTS
I want to open up by saying that our sympathies go out to the Tosh family, a very strong Ole Miss family, for the loss of their son Tommy, who was in a car accident en route to the game in Lexington. I want them to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them all. We had a good win in Lexington. We ran into a highly-motivated Kentucky team that played well after looking at the tape. It was a very physical game that left us banged up significantly. We've got three defensive starters that are questionable and we have numerous other players that are hindered as far as what they will be able to do in practice today. I am concerned about the physical well-being of our team. We had a lot of things in the game, after looking at the tape, that we need to improve on quickly in all phases. We have a game under our belt which we can look at. We are going to face a highly-motivated Arkansas State team that has had two weeks to prepare for us. They are a well-coached team. They have some weapons on offense and a really outstanding defensive scheme in my opinion, and they execute it well. This is the third season that they have been in this scheme. We know we are going into a hostile environment and I am anxious to see how we will respond. We have a week to get better and see what we can accomplish on the practice field.
Q. After the game you were concerned about tackling. After watching the film, are you more concerned about it?
A. We tackled well at times. We are going to have to continue to try and knock some people back. They gained some yards inside after first contact. We need to fix some areas like assignments and responsibilities and little things like that enter into it as well. If you take out some of the big plays, we managed them pretty well. We have to avoid giving up those big plays in critical situations.
Q. Who are the injured?
A. L.P. Spence has a back and groin injury. Josh Cooper is out with an ankle and Marcus Woodson is out with a shoulder. We should everyone else on the practice field, but some of them may be limited. We have some people with bruised knees and various things, but those are the most critical.
Q. What is German Bello's status?
A. German is going to be prepared to play. He had limited practice last week and he would have been there in case of an emergency in Lexington. I think we will see him back playing this week.
Q. Curious to know what you found wrong with the offense?
A. We had a lull in the third quarter that concerned me. They brought the game within four points, and we had two three and out series. You can't have that in a very critical part of the game. We also had one time where we punted from our 20-yard line, and they returned it to the 22. We basically set up a score offensively, by not changing the field position. We got it back and then went three and out again. They came back and made the field goal on their next possession. That was a 10-point swing, and we can't afford to have that lack of execution. I was extremely pleased that we took the ball back down the field and answered that score with a touchdown. We completed only one pass in the third quarter and we can't do that and expect to be successful. We have to execute four quarters of football. That is what it is going to take to beat people the rest of the way.
Q. This appears to be Ole Miss' first game in Jonesboro. From the outside looking in, Arkansas State would appear to be a team with everything to gain and nothing to lose. What are your thoughts about having to go to Jonesboro?
A. They (ASU) are going to be extremely motivated. It's certainly a big football game for them. Correct me if I am wrong, we are probably the first Southeastern Conference school that has gone into Jonesboro for a game. It will be an exciting atmosphere. They have had two weeks and are going to be eager to play. We are going to need to be prepared to play our best football game. This will be a challenge coming off a physical game. We have to show that we can play well back-to-back.
Q. What is your response to Ole Miss fans who say we have no business going to Arkansas State?
A. That's not an issue with me. The schedule was set long before I came here. This is an opportunity for them to showcase a Southeastern Conference opponent, so I am sure they are looking at it from a positive standpoint. I don't really have any feelings about it. It's on the schedule, and we are going to go play it. We have to play well regardless of where we play an opponent.
Q. Cody (Ridgeway) looked better this weekend didn't he?
A. I think it's true with all positions, but especially the placekicker, the punter and the quarterback, if you prepare as well as you can, and you have the skill, you are supposed to go out and have fun doing it. That's the frame of mind I wanted him in. I asked him Saturday if he was prepared well. He looked me right in the eye, and said "Yes sir." I told him to go out and have fun. He's very capable. He has to maintain that mindset. I told him Les Binkley was a great example of this. He had a great routine and covered all his bases. I always knew whether Les made or missed a kick that he had done the best he could, because he always prepared well. Cody is learning to do that. That will breed confidence.
Q. Is there anything you have been doing to help him mentally?
A. It's like anything else. When you have a skill, everything has to be in a groove, your balance, your steps and your drop. When you prepare well and you are confident, you can't think about those things in the moment of doing it. It becomes a habit of doing it the right way. Hopefully he will continue to get better as time goes by.
Q. How do you prepare someone like Jonathan, when he hasn't had the opportunity to kick a field goal?
A. I joked with him a week ago in preparation for the Kentucky game that we may not kick one all year, but to keep practicing. You just go about your business. It's an extended extra point for him right now. He's kicked under pressure. Jonathan has learned in his preparation to make practice like a game. When you've done everything you can, you just go kick it.
Q. You said you were a little concerned about how many times Eli got hit?
A. It was a combination of things. He held the ball a few times. A couple of times, he needed to hold the ball. We protected the quarterback fairly well. They had a couple of times, where they broke the guy free. All in all, we protected the quarterback well. We are still throwing the ball on time. We don't like giving up sacks anytime. We gave up one sack that cost us the ball. We want to avoid that under all circumstances.
Q. Talk about Chris Collins?
A. The best thing that I saw Chris Collins do in the game, other than what was obvious to all of you, he had a bone-crushing block on the punt return. That's an indication of the football player that he is. He competes at whatever he is doing, whether it is covering a punt, returning a punt or kickoff, or making a catch. He is a competitive guy. You can see why he has been so successful in track. He is able to push himself. I want him to stay hungry and remember that mindset that has gotten him where he is. He likes playing the game, and we are going to put him in a lot of situations where he can compete for us.
Q. Assuming the worst that Cooper, L.P. and Marcus can't play, what are the scenarios?
A. Yahrek Johnson played a lot and we played Cory Robinson a lot. They'll play again. They have to continue to grow and step up. In the safety situation, Von Hutchins give us some flexibility, playing either safety spot. Then we have Eric Oliver and Matt Grier We'll see what is going to have at outside linebacker. Brian Lester made some plays, but he made some mistakes. He needs to take it to another level. Germaine Landrum has to pick things up. They are very capable if they'll do that.
Q. Talk about Eli and the noticeable improvements he makes each week.
A. As I've said all along, he's a very well-prepared quarterback, with his preparation and the job coach Roper has done in coaching and teaching our quarterbacks. The thing you can't give them is experience. There are going to be tough times. Experience is a harsh teacher sometimes. He remembers. Once he has been through something, he understands how to respond. I was really pleased with his ability to come up with plays on critical third down situations. In the second quarter, when it became obvious we were going to have to score touchdowns to stay ahead, we were 6-of-7 on third down conversions.
Q. Talk about Joe Gunn and his performance.
A. Joe ran well. You have to give credit to our offensive line. The layoff and the work on being more physical paid off. We were more physical. We got our backs started, and then they made things happen from there. We were able to put the defense in some situations we wanted to and gave us opportunities. We have to keep running the football successfully to take the pressure of the passing game. If you can have that kind of balance, you are going to have a chance to score 42 points.
Q. Talk about Toward Sanford and his ability in short-yardage runs.
A. He's a good back. He is a 235-pound guy. We used Charles Stackhouse, who is 245 pounds, in there too. It gives us a little different dimension, which has been a good thing for us.
OLE MISS QB ELI MANNING
Q. Talk about your and the team's performance against Kentucky after the long break between games.
A. It was important for us to get a good start and get into our rhythm early. On our first three possessions, we drove down the field and scored, and that was important for us. In the second half, we hit a dry spell when we had eight incompletions in a row. I need to come out next time and have a complete game, avoid that dry spell and just compete the entire game.
Q. Did you have any concerns during that dry spell in the second half?
A. When Kentucky cut the lead to four points (35-31) in the second half, we (the offense) knew we had to move the ball and add another score to hopefully take home the victory. We got a first down, and then I hit Jamie Armstrong on a post pattern down the middle, which he made a good grab on. It felt good to finally get another drive going and get the ball moving again.
Q. Does it also feel good that you have back-to-back game weeks?
A. It feels really good. Three weeks is a long time not to play a game. I thought our focus, as a team, was good during that break, but it is a really long time not to play a game. It feels good to get back out on the practice field today knowing that we have a game on Saturday, so we can start preparing for Arkansas State.
Q. You took several hits in the Kentucky game. Any injuries from those hits?
A. When you play quarterback and you throw the ball a lot, you expect to get hit a few times. Kentucky was blitzing a lot. They were bringing more people than we could block, so they were leaving some of our receivers open. The hits shouldn't affect me too much. I may be a little sore, but nothing is hurt.
Q. You have a nice 11-yard rush at Kentucky. Any chance to see you running the ball more?
A. I'm not a big rusher. On that play, they dropped eight players back in coverage and had only three rushing, so there was a hole up the middle. I should have slid a little earlier. I didn't know that I already had the first down, so I took a hit I really don't want to take if I can avoid it.
Q. Talk about Chris Collins' performance versus Kentucky.
A. Chris really showed up. He didn't play in the Auburn game because he was injured. I know missing that game was hurting him inside. He wanted to get back out there. He's a good receiver. He makes big plays when he has to, and he doesn't drop many balls. He came out ready to play and was excited about playing in the Kentucky game since he missed Auburn. He made some big catches on third down and one on a fourth down. He also had the reverse where he out-ran everybody. He really stepped it up this week, and performed like an experienced player.
Q. Had Ole Miss run that reverse before Saturday's game versus Kentucky?
A. No, not this year. The last time I remember that we ran the play was my true freshman year at South Carolina when Deuce (McAllister) ran it. That was the first time that we ran that play this year.
