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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Head Coach David Cutcliffe Weekly Press Conference
10/22/2001 | Football
Oct. 22, 2001
Opening Comments
This past week's game was a positive indicator of teamwork. That was the most impressive thing about Saturday's win, and the fact that we got to play a lot of people. We improved as a team, and we improved as the game went on. We certainly have a lot of areas that we still need to work on quickly. This week, we'll be challenged going to Baton Rouge playing a well-coached, balanced LSU football team. They are as balanced a team as I've seen. They play offense, defense and the kicking game extremely well. They have a lot of weapons on offense, a very talented defense that is aggressive and an outstanding kicking game. I really don't see a weakness in this (LSU) football team, so we are going to have to be at our best. This week's practice is going to be extremely important.
We're still trying to get some people back healthy. Chris Collins won't get any work at all today (Monday). We're evaluating him day-to-day. Marcus Woodson won't work today and is still out. We're going to put some people on the practice field today and evaluate them. We are going to get a peek at guys like Josh Cooper, L.P. Spence and Robert Williams, and see how far they have come. Justin Coleman and many others are banged up, and we are going to see how they respond today. Most of these players I believe we can get back. Our trainers and these players are going to have to work overtime in doing that.
Q: Is Chris Collins' injury not as serious as originally thought?
A: The x-rays were negative, and that is a plus. He didn't think it was real serious, but as far as I'm concerned, it is serious when it keeps you from playing. He can't practice today. We tried it once before where we worked him going into the Auburn game and thought he was going to be able to play. However, once we got to the game, he was unable to play with the injury. We just have to gage this day-to-day.
Q: Are you surprised that you are getting production out of some players you thought would take another year to adjust to the college game?
A: Not completely. Most of the kids believe if they go out on the field and work hard and put themselves in a position where they have earned playing time, then we're going to play them. Hopefully, that will help us continue to grow. We're seeing a lot of times this season where somebody is stepping up and playing where someone got injured. If you are not playing a lot, then you treat every practice like it's a game, and that will put yourself in a position to play. We thought most of our young receivers could make plays, and they did in the spring and preseason drills. It was just a matter of getting them in positions to make plays in the ball games.
Q: Talk about Bill Flowers and his progress.
A: First of all, Bill has outstanding speed. Bill came into our program with great credentials, and there is no question about that. He had to get stronger and had to learn more about our system. He has continued on that path. He is a guy who will not allow anyone to out-work him on the practice field.
Q: When recruiting, is speed the only thing you look for in a receiver?
A: Not necessarily. There are certain things I like to see in a receiver. Like everybody else, I love those receivers who can run and are big. Strength in receivers pays dividends, especially with all the press coverage you see and the one-on-one match-ups battling for the ball. We want a guy who can change direction. We want receivers who will compete for the football. Watching high school receivers is funny. Sometimes they are playing in offenses where they don't get the ball a lot, so have to watch them compete in other areas. I like to see a guy who is competitive all the time. We have a wide variety of receivers from Jason Armstead to our bigger receivers.
Q: If you don't see what you want to see from a receiver who is a prospect, do you look at what he does on the basketball court if he plays that sport?
A: I think that helps. By the time the receivers are seniors, we know what we are going to do. That will help solidify how you feel about a receiver - how he moves on a basketball court. You can see his quickness and explosiveness. But, most of the time, we have already made up our minds about a player.
Q: Were you surprised that Bill Flowers came to your office and talked about his role on the team?
A: Not at all. It's what all players should do when they want to understand the circumstances about their roles. It also gives me the opportunity to face them one-on-one and explain to them what they have to do to earn time in the playing rotation. He responded the right way. I was real proud of him.
Q: Talk about the play of the defensive front, especially Kenny Jackson.
A: Kenny Jackson has played really well and has had an outstanding senior season. We've had a lot of injuries up front, and those starters have had to play a lot of snaps. Anthony Sims has come up with big play after big play, despite playing a lot of snaps, and that is difficult to do. Our defensive coaches have been flexible in moving those players around and using a lot of different looks. They (defensive front) have responded in big situations where they had to be physical, and they came through when they had to do that. Certainly, we are going to have to do the same down the stretch because that is a big part of the challenge ahead of us.
Q: Is Kenny Jackson the only player on the defensive front close to 300 pounds?
A: I think so, and I don't think we have anyone else who is close to 300 pounds. We want to keep Kenny around 300 pounds. He's a player we worry about getting too much over 300 pounds.
Q: Is Kenny Jackson one of the team's most improved players this season?
A: Yes, and I believe Kenny is a product of hard work. He didn't come into our program in the kind of shape we wanted him to be in, and it took him awhile to get where we wanted him to be. I'm really proud of what he has accomplished. His goals - academically, socially and athletically - have improved. Kenny has matured. He has gotten married. A lot of positive things are going on in his life, and he needs to stay on that track. He is going to do well wherever his future takes him. I'm excited about what he has done in the last six-to-eight months to pick himself up and make gains in the right direction.
Q: Talk about LSU's offense.
A: They are a multiple-offensive team, and they have outstanding balance. They have a talented receiving corps and have a lot of guys they can go to. They also have an outstanding group of tight ends. Their quarterback (Rohan Davey) is big and strong and has an outstanding arm, and he is making good decisions. He is a player who can ignite things in a short period of time. They are throwing the ball extremely well. (LaBrandon) Toefield is a terrific back. They line up and play power football with anyone. Those are the kinds of offensive teams that I like, and I think that they are very difficult to defend for that reason.
Q: Talk about what you need out of your secondary this week.
A: They will be challenged with the best group of receivers that we have seen or probably will see all season. Their receivers are fast and big, and they can run with the ball once they make the catch. When they do make catches, we have to minimize the gains after those receptions. You have to get those guys on the ground quickly. We will have to tackle well and compete hard. Our secondary is also going to have to be involved in run support against a team that can run as well as LSU does. It will be a difficult week for our secondary to get prepared to play against a balanced offense like LSU's.
Q: Do you see any similarities between Rohan Davey and Eli Manning?
A: I really haven't looked at enough tape of Davey to draw any comparisons between the two. I have watched enough tape to know that he is an outstanding player with an excellent arm. He is a big player, like Eli, who can see the field. He knows their offense, and knows where the receivers are and gets the ball to them. He is a very, very effective quarterback.
Q: Are there any problems that (wide receiver) Josh Reed presents?
A: He causes all kinds of problems. When he catches the ball, he is terrific with it. He's a deep threat, and he catches the short and intermediate passes and runs well after the catch. He's a terrific football player and a great competitor.
Q: How much is Davey like a Tee Martin?
A: Davey is a little bigger than Tee. He may be not as fast as Tee, but he is mobile and has the ability to run. They have very similar arm strength. They both are accurate passers and can put the ball where they want it. Davey is difficult to sack. He is a big, strong guy, and the same was true of Tee. They are similar in that regard.
Q: What do you recall from the night environment in Baton Rouge your first year?
A: I had been there before, but I hadn't been there with Ole Miss. I got a taste of the rivalry when we rolled in on the bus. It didn't take long. Obviously it's a great atmosphere for college football, and has been for a long time. It's a challenge to go down there and play. It's a great rivalry, and it's stood for a long time between Ole Miss and LSU. I really sensed that that night.
Q: Talk a little bit more about that bus ride.
A: Well, you could tell we weren't well liked in Baton Rouge. They have good fans and loyal fans. They were very vocal and loud near the stadium. You could see intensity, and you knew what kind of intensity the crowd was going to have and the game was going to hold.
Q: Do you think the 1999 LSU game was one of the best for the offensive line?
A: We played about as well as we could play with the running game. Now we have a completely different LSU football team with an entirely different scheme. For the most part, there's a whole host of new players.
Q: Talk about Trev Faulk?
A: First of all, they have three linebackers - Faulk, (Bradie) James and (Jeremy) Lawrence - that may be the best threesome in the country. Faulk makes play after play all over the field, but they all three do. They ask Faulk to do a lot of things. I think they're in great command of their defense. They know where people are fitting. They know where people are lining up. They move their front people. They are equally as good against the pass as they are run. So there are a lot of things that those types of athletes and football players bring to the table. I think they're outstanding.
Q: Talk about Terrence Metcalf.
A: I think Terrence Metcalf has played extremely well. He's playing very very physical. I think he's having his best year by far. He continues to lead the team in so many ways. He grades out great at his position and what he's doing. But he's taking it beyond that. He's captain of our team and very intense. I couldn't be more pleased. You can see the strength and power of his back, and he's being dominating on the field.
Q: Have you seen anything different from Eli with him returning to his home state?
A: I haven't, and I don't think you will. He realizes like all of us that it's certainly a tough road game in our conference. I don't think it's an issue with going back to Louisiana with him.
Q: Do you have to do anything different with the team with the game at 8 p.m.?
A: We'll have a little different schedule than we normally do. We'll fill it with some meetings, and we'll push some things around to use some time up. We have different itineraries we use for different kickoff times so we'll just kick in to that itinerary. Part of the day, you're just going to be laying up in your room. That's just part of it. There's no way around it.
Q: Do you like an 8 p.m. kickoff?
A: I'm not going to complain about an opportunity to play on television. It's good for our program. But for football players and coaches, those are long days. We all like to get up and play. But you don't always get what you like.
Q: Are you confident Eli will respond well to LSU's hostile crowd?
A: I think so. No question that's part of the measure of a team is how you handle hostility on the road and setbacks, and not only how you play against an outstanding team but how you play against them in their own back yard, which is a difficult thing to do. But you focus on the ball game, and my first concern is a fine LSU team and how to execute against them. We'll work crowd noise, and we'll work our focus drills. We'll do all the things we hope will help us handle the tough environment on the road this week during practice.
We bring in speakers and turn them up about as loud as we can. We play true crowd noise we take from games. It can be really loud. The only problem is when you're doing it, it's a little more difficult to coach because they can't hear you. We do it during select team periods and at different times, and I think it's a good focus point. We really focus on our cadence. It's a matter of being as focused as you possibly can be, and it's still tough.
Q: Is it surprising to you they are giving up so much passing yardage?
A: Obviously there are a couple of games that enter into it, with big plays that happened. We all play these teams with great players that are so capable of making big plays. You can see some of the plays Florida made that were absolutely phenomenal. I don't think anybody else could have them other than the couple of guys that made them on that day. LSU is consistently good though. They know they can rush the passer. They can play zone. They can play man. They can blitz you. They can zone blitz. They can do a lot of things, so they've got a good coverage package. They also do a good job of defending the run and being in the right place. I think they're an outstanding team, and I really don't pay that much attention to numbers, particularly when it comes to big plays that we're all susceptible to giving up against these great athletes.
COMMENTS BY ELI MANNING
Q: What concerns do you have about crowd noise?
A: Obviously that will be a factor and something we'll work on during the week in practice. We'll get the speakers out there and get some resemblance of that. We had to experience it during Auburn so we've gotten used to it. You just have to be loud when you're checking the plays, and make sure all your lineman know you have enough time on the clock. We have to get our plays in a little quicker, so you have time to make your audibles and go along the line and tell everyone what you're doing.
Q: Do you know any other stadium that is more hostile?
A: Tiger Stadium is a special place. The fans are always good. It's going to be loud and a packed house. It's a neat place, and I'm excited about playing there given the opportunity.
Q: Have you talked to your father about playing there?
A: I've talked to him a little about it over the weekend. He said it's a neat place and you have to go out there and do your job.
Q: Any special feelings for you returning to Louisiana?
A: Not a whole lot. I'm taking it like another SEC game. You have to go out there and prepare. It's nothing real special for me.
Q: Did LSU recruit you pretty hard?
A: Yes sir they did. They were one of my top five choices. It's a good school with a great football tradition. It just wasn't the right place for me at the time.
Q: Do you know any of their quarterbacks?
A: No, I didn't get to know Rohan very well. I was on my visit with some of the players that are playing now, like Trev Faulk and some of those guys. But I didn't get to know many of the current players.
Q: Have you heard from your father or some of your teammates about how different the crowd noise is down there?
A: I was there my true freshman year. It's a loud game and a big crowded stadium where the fans are loud. You just have to go in there and see for yourself what it's like, and how you're going to make your adjustments to it.
Q: Have you sensed that LSU fans have a little more gusto against Ole Miss?
A: I know Ole Miss is always a big game at LSU. My true freshman year was maybe a little different. They weren't having a great season, and we jumped ahead. It wasn't the typical LSU crowd. This year they're having a better season, so it will be a packed house and a loud stadium.
Q: Do you expect to get ragged on by the fans being from Louisiana?
A: I don't really know. It's not going to bother me either way. I'm just going to go out there and do the same thing I've done all year.
Q: Are you aware at all of the background with your father and LSU?
A: I've heard stories of when my dad played there. I'm not really worried about that. I'm not thinking about what my dad did there or the tradition he has with them. I'm just going there to play my best and try to get a win.
