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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Football Weekly Press Conference
10/13/2003 | Football
Oct. 13, 2003
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Head Coach David Cutcliffe
Opening Comments:
I was really pleased to see that a lot of people played well (against Arkansas State). We were the most physical we have been, and that's something to build on. As I said after the game, we're better be heading toward being as physical as we possibly can be because we are about to be in that part of the schedule.
As far as injury updates, we have some tough circumstances. We're still waiting on a second opinion on Jamal Pittman, but it looks like a torn anterior cruciate ligament and will be out for the remainder of the season. That's what we're looking at. Surgery will come after some rehab. We're still waiting on a final word on that. That's where we're headed.
Jesse Mitchell is planned for surgery this afternoon. We'll scope his knee, and hopefully get some quick results after that. That's following an MRI over the weekend.
We have a few other people banged up. We need to get some people well. We need to be the best we can possibly be. We need people to continue to step up where needed, and hopefully they'll do that.
Q: Both of your QBs said after Saturday's game this was your most critical week of preparation you will have. Do you feel this is the most critical week of preparation you'll face?
A: They're all critical to me. I don't know exactly what they were referring to, but we are heading into the most critical part of our schedule. We can't afford to waste a day. We're going to have to get better every day. We've got a big challenge in front of us this week. Alabama is an outstanding and very talented football team. We'll have to be at our best. It's critical in my eyes that we get on track. We have six conference games in front of us, and this is the first one. We know where we're headed with only conference play remaining. We'll have to be at our best.
Q: What is the time frame with Jesse Mitchell, and whom do you go to behind him?
A: We have the same five. Potentially, Mike Gibson may not practice today. So that's another one down at that position and leaves us four who have been playing - McKinley Boykin, Daniel Booth, Michael Bozeman and Andrew Wicker. With Jesse, you just don't know. We hope it's not very long. Sometimes they are back in 10 days, and sometimes it's longer. Sometimes it's eight days. Maybe miracles happen and he's back this weekend. We won't know how extensive it is until they get into it, but the MRI reads there is some cartilage loose. They're going to try to repair that, and we'll see what they say this afternoon.
Q: In preparing for Alabama, because of their injuries at quarterback, do you prepare more for personnel or more for scheme?
A: Well, they were very physical this past weekend against Southern Miss. They're very capable, have plenty of speed, and the ability to throw the football. But they didn't throw it. They ran the ball. They're very physical up front on offense. We know we'll see a physical attack, but we have to be ready to handle their passing game as well. When you run the ball that well, it opens up opportunities to throw the ball. Regardless of who's at quarterback, we'll have to be ready for a balanced attack.
What they were doing this past game was working. When you can run effectively, you stay with it and I think that's what they did. We know we'll be facing as physical a test as we will all year long with that big offensive line.
Q: You guys have been in similar situations before coming into this game as far as record and feel. Do you have anything you can learn as a team from prior years to be more prepared?
A: I don't think there's anything we've done in other years to be unprepared. We beat them two years ago at this stage. We beat LSU and Alabama a few years ago. Last year, we had the five-game losing streak. It wasn't all about playing bad at that point. It was about getting beat. Sometimes a team plays a little better than you do or outscores you. Our preparation will be very similar. I'm making sure we aren't wearing our team down. We practice pretty hard. We're trying to stay smart and healthy as we can. That's critical to us. This game this past Saturday was pretty costly to us. We need to stay as healthy as we can down the stretch. That will be needed and helpful for a chance to be successful.
Q: When did Jesse Mitchell get injured?
A: Jesse doesn't know a specific incident. It was back during the week, he just swelled. He got a little better, and then when he tried to play Saturday he couldn't go. That's when we made the decision to go and get the MRI. We thought it might be a soft tissue injury, but it turned out to be cartilage.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about Eli Manning's maturity and growth process up to this year?
A: He's gotten better every year. He's about as well-rounded a quarterback as I have been around. He competes well and is smart with his decision-making. Athletically he continues to get better and mature physically. The more he plays, the more he matures mentally. He's handled everything that's been thrown at him extremely well.
Q: Can you talk about Chris Collins? What has he meant to your program and what makes him such a special receiver?
A: Chris does a lot of things well. He's very bright and runs great routes. He's got excellent speed. He's sure-handed and very tough as a receiver. He'll go in the middle and get the ball. He has deep speed, so he can take the ball down the field. He does things with all of the yardage. He's an excellent runner after he catches the football. He's a very strong young man.
Q: Can you talk a bit about Taye Biddle?
A: Taye is most likely our fastest player on the team. He's certainly the most explosive. He's a track All-American and becoming a complete receiver. Taye is a great young man who has done a lot to this point. He provides a charge to our offense. A lot of the players have a lot of confidence in him. When you throw the ball deep to Taye, he'll go get it. We're pleased with where he is in his career.
Q: Can you talk about how your team has progressed from the first game struggles at Vanderbilt to the win over Florida and Arkansas State?
A: We're much better. We've continued to improve each week. We haven't played as well as we'd like, but we've had some moments. We've become more consistent, which is what it takes to win in our league. We're minimizing errors, and that will be critical down the stretch. I'm pleased with the work ethic and the way the team goes about things on the practice field. If we keep doing that, we'll keep getting better.
Q: Do you find yourself getting away from the running game more quickly than you have in years past?
A: No, I think we've run the ball more effectively this year, which has enabled us to throw the ball more effectively at this point in time. We'll face our biggest test here down the stretch. Certainly our biggest test to date will be Saturday. We'll see if we can maintain our balance.
Q: Can you talk a bit about your success in the kicking game lately?
A: We had another good outing. We have been more consistent there than perhaps in any other phase. We had a nice punt return, and it was a close call, but one that could have gone either way. We've been consistent in our coverage, but I don't want to jinx us. We've worked really hard. We work with great intensity and focus. We'll face better athletes as we go along here. It's an area we feel we have to be sound in to be successful as a team.
Q: Can you talk about the running backs?
A: It depends on what happens and who is healthy and who's getting work done in practice. We've got one less than we had. Someone's going to get more carries. I couldn't safely say who that will be right now. Marvin Vaughn will probably be held out of contact this week. He ran well during the ball game, but he's got a little shoulder injury and will be day-to-day. At this point, we're leaning toward not playing Alan Abrams, but circumstances could arrive where we have to play him. We're going to keep him ready to play.
Q: Do you think you have been more aggressive lately with the offense?
A: You have to attack and use your strengths. We're going to continue to attack and use the strengths of our team. It depends on how people play you. A lot of that can be decided once you get to the line of scrimmage with how they line up and what their focuses are on defense. We are going to have to be aggressive to be successful.
Q: Alabama seems to be a benchmark game. In your mind what happened in this game last year? Did things get away from you?
A: It's a combination of them playing extremely well and us not playing well, but it was a total whipping. As I said, I can't explain it. I don't think we went out and practiced poorly or planned on playing poorly, but we didn't play well and they played extremely well.
Q: Hindsight is 20/20, but looking back on the fourth-quarter on Saturday, did you keep Jamal Pittman in the game too long?
A: I think there were nine minutes left in the game, and he hadn't had that many carries. I wouldn't say that at all.
Q: Can you talk about your defense and how it has come along throughout the season?
A: We had a rough start. We weren't making plays. Certainly the last two ball games we have been at our best. We were more consistent making plays and being physical. Are we there yet? No, we're not by any means. We've still got plenty of work left to do. We're trying to play a number of people. We've suffered some injuries that have hurt us and set us back at times. We have to have people step up and keep moving forward. We'll be tested by a very physical team this week.
Q: Are you thinking you'll see Brodie Croyle and how will that affect your preparations?
A: I think we'll see Brodie Croyle. When we're preparing, we have to prepare for it all. We're not given a choice. We have to prepare for their passing game. We don't look at just one football game. We're going to try to stop the run all we can, but we're going on preparing for them to be able to be balanced.
Q: Can you talk about the chemistry between Eli Manning and Chris Collins?
A: They've played their entire careers together. They work hard in the summer and spend a lot of time in the off-season. Eli has a good feeling about all of his receivers, and they do a great job. Chris Collins is a senior this season and has been with him through all of this. He has a great work ethic and Eli has a lot of confidence in him.
Q: Can you talk about the development of the running game this season?
A: A year ago we were last in the conference in running the football. We made it an emphasis and hope to continue to be able to establish the run. It takes a little of the pressure off our passing game and Eli. Now the challenge comes in the second half of the season. That's when we'll find out if we are running the ball effectively.
Q: How would you compare Eli Manning to some of these guys he's passing on the all-time passing lists in the SEC?
A: He's as effective as any quarterback I have been around. People ask me to compare him to Peyton all the time. We talk about the kind of different people they are. I'll tell you they are both really good quarterbacks and can quarterback any of my teams anytime. He's as good as any I have been around. He's consistent. You know what to expect from him mentally and physically. He's extremely accurate, and as good as any there have been.
Senior Quarterback Eli Manning
Q: The Alabama game has been a benchmark game for Ole Miss the last few years. In your mind, what went wrong last year and what went right two years ago?
A: Last year we made mistakes. We weren't able to run the ball and had to throw the ball a lot. They had a plan for our offense. We couldn't execute anything on offense. We never got into a rhythm during the game. We have to execute better and play smart football."
Q: A couple of years ago, you stayed close enough where you could make it happen at the end. Talk about that.
A: That's how you want to play the game. Obviously, you would like to have a big lead, but in the SEC that doesn't happen often. You just have to play good football and keep it close in the fourth quarter to have an opportunity to win. Hopefully your offense or defense will step up and make the plays to win. Two years ago, we ran the ball decent and threw the ball pretty well. Our defense played pretty well. Everything has to click, and you can't make mistakes and give them easy opportunities to score.
Q: With the way things are in the league right now, do you feel that the conference race is just getting started?
A: It's wide open right now. It always seems that way in the SEC, especially in the West. You never know who is going to be at the top, and who's going to win or lose each week. The games are always going to be close. There are no easy games. You have to be prepared each week. Alabama is going to be a tough one this week, and we have to go out there and try to get a win.
Q: How important is it to get a fast start against a team like Alabama?
A: It's important to get off to a good start in the beginning of the game. It puts the whole team in the right frame of mind and gets the momentum going. Your confidence improves and you start to feel like you can do it every time. As an offense, that's the kind of confidence you want. You want to know that every time you get the ball, you can drive and score a touchdown. If they stop you, you can't lose your confidence. You have to keep trying to execute, get first downs and drive the ball down the field.
Q: Have you noticed teams coming to the line trying to stop the run versus the pass more?
A: People are going to have to stop the run. We've been running the ball well lately. Teams are putting more people in the box, that's why are play action has been good over the past few weeks. Hopefully we'll get our running game going against Alabama where they will have to put a few more people in the box to stop that. Then that will open up the passing game.
Q: You guys have been in this same situation the past couple of seasons with about the same record. Is there anything you learned from the past two seasons that can help make this stretch run the championship run that you are hoping for?
A: We have to play smart football. We can't get over confident. We can't get frustrated if our offense, which has been clicking over the last few weeks, suddenly struggles a little. We have to stay patient and makes plays when they come to us. We can't get greedy and try to force the ball and scramble around, because that's not our offense. Also, when the plays are there, we can't afford dropped balls and missed opportunities. Those types of things hurt you in tight games.
Q: The offense has been on a roll the past few weeks. Has it been execution or play calling?
A: Both. We've been calling good plays, and the running game has had a lot to do with it. When you can run the ball well it puts the defense in a bind. When you have good second downs, the defense doesn't know whether you are going to run again or pass. It puts them in a guessing game and then you can run some play actions. It allows you to be in charge where they have to try to stop you.
Q: Talk about the improvement of the team from the first game against Vanderbilt up until this game.
A: We've improved a lot. Our offense is better. We are running the ball well. Our receivers are getting open. Everybody has stepped it up a notch and made plays when they had to. We aren't shooting ourselves in the foot with dropped balls and penalties that stop drives. Obviously we need to improve in the red zone and score more touchdowns. Our defense is playing better. They are forcing turnovers and stopping the run. They are also getting better at stopping the pass. Our confidence is up. We have to go out and have a great week of practice and continue to get better.
Q: Is this dramatic improvement about as much as you've seen since you've been at Ole Miss?
A: It's hard to say. We've played good football at times since I've been here. I think everybody realizes we have an opportunity this year. We just have to continue to play good football. We have a lot of seniors on the team and a lot of people who have been in this situation. They understand what it takes to win and what it takes in practice everyday to get better. We have a lot of mature players on the field who know how to get the job done.
Q: Talk about Taye Biddle.
A: Taye has been a good player for us. He's made a lot of big plays. He is a big playmaker, because he has great speed. Once he catches the ball underneath, he can outrun cornerbacks and linebackers and make big plays for us. He's been a good threat for us to have on offense. It's my job to get him the ball and let him make the big plays when we need it.
Q: It looks like you are seeing the field a little better than the first couple of games. Talk about that, and do you think you've improved over the last month or so?
A: I try to keep improving throughout the season and keep my fundamentals intact. I work on reading defenses and having a good pre-snap plan before I drop back to pass. The offensive line has done a great job of blocking and giving me lanes to throw in. When the offensive line can block and keep people at the line of scrimmage, it's easy for me to sit back there and find the open guy and hit the receiver running in stride.
Q: Talk about Chris Collins. You guys have grown up together basically and seem to have a good chemistry.
A: Chris and I have been here together for our entire careers. He is a smart receiver. He understands what's going on defensively and knows when to cut off his route or do something different when the defense changes. He has a natural feel for finding the open area and getting the ball in his hands. He has improved a lot on making things happen after he catches it. He's making that first defender miss and making a 10-yard gain a 30-yard gain. We do have a good chemistry together. If a play gets messed up, I know where he is going to be, and he knows where to be.
Q: Does that come with playing four or five years together?
A: Yes it does. When you practice and play together that long, you learn about the other person. It's basically just Chris having a feel for the game, and me trusting his instincts and knowing that he is going to get open.
