Ole Miss Football Weekly Press Conference Transcript

Nov. 10, 2003

Ole Miss Head Coach David Cutcliffe

Opening Comments
After looking at the tape, I was pleased for the most part, particularly in some critical areas. The way we played put us in a position to have a chance to win. A huge factor was our play in third down situations. Both sides of the ball played better. On defense, in third down situations they were getting off the field, and then the offense came up with some big conversions. Taking care of the football on offense was extremely important. They (offense) carried the game in the fourth quarter and gave us a chance in a hostile environment to do what it took to win. We have a big challenge in front of us in a lot of ways. We have to get some people healthy. Justin Sawyer looks better, and Tre' looks a little better. Stallings does have an MCL sprain. With Justin, it looks like the x-rays are negative and appears to be a really deep bruise. When we will get them back remains a mystery. We have a number of people banged up. That may alter our plans this week, but we will probably practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and do some form of conditioning on Friday. We are anxious to get some people back healthy because we are going to need it playing a great LSU football team.

Q: Did the guys that took the place of the starters on the offensive line look as good on tape as they did during the game on Saturday?
A:I thought Bobby Harris and Stacy Andrews in particular did a tremendous job. Bobby, we were planning on playing a good bit going in. Stacy played a lot more than planned, although we have been talking a lot about him each week. He is getting better and better and getting more comfortable out there. We thought he did a tremendous job. He played really well.

Q: Have you guys been planning on getting Stacy Andrews more playing time or was this just something that you just happened to notice?
A: No, I wish we would have started him when he was a freshman. But, he had to make up his mind if it was something he really wanted to do. Last year, it took a year just to get used to playing football. This year, he is getting more comfortable and understanding the game well enough to contribute. Hopefully this is something where he can certainly be a part of the rotation.

Q: How has the team been handling the excitement of the season so far?
A: I think we have handled it up to this point very well. It has been exciting and more fun for them. I think that increases focus rather than hurt you. We have really taken the theme of one game at a time. And we are going to continue to that and try to do what it takes to try and succeed in that game. The team has done a good job up to this point of staying focused on what they have to do.

Q: Have you noticed more community excitement surrounding the team and the situation that you are in so far?
A: Well, I don't get out very often. I'm kind of a hermit. But I did get out a little bit yesterday. People are excited. And that is fun for all of us. Let's just hope we can maintain that.

Q: Can you talk about your relationship with coach (Chuck) Driesbach?
A: Chuck and I had a relationship through mutual friends. He had been in the business a long time and I had too. We had worked with people at different times together. I had met Chuck before. That is how our relationship initiated. He had a great reputation, and I talked to a lot of people during that stretch when we were looking for a defensive coach. His name kept surfacing, not only with friends, but also with other people I had respected. So I started talking with him on the phone and he obviously had a good interview.

Q: Talk about the differences in personality between the two of you.
A: I don't know if I could answer that very well. I'm sure we are a little different. Chuck has got a great temperament for a coach. He is a fun guy. I think he brings a lot to the table in every way, but I like his personality.

Q: Talk about how he relates to the players.
A: He does a good job relating to the players. The players think he is fun. He is a great storyteller. He gets excited and the players know that. The players enjoy playing for him.

Q: After having to rotate so many people in the offensive line on Saturday, does that give you a little more confidence in your backups?
A: Well, certainly Stacy Andrews played better. We have developed a lot of confidence in Bobby Harris. We have a rotation that we have been playing with, and Stacy may add to that. With the way people are beat up, we are going to need everybody we can get down the stretch.

Q: Talk about Ryan Jones.
A: He came in the game during tough circumstances against Auburn. I don't know how many snaps he had played before, but Ryan came in and did a good job. He continues to get better and has improved every week. He still has some work left to do, but he is certainly one of those young men who puts a lot into it.

Q: After the dropped pass in the endzone by Auburn, can you talk about how sometimes breaks in a close game can go your way in the season?
A: You have to win close games to have a good season, particularly in the SEC. I think part of that is that we remember those plays when we win and they seem more significant. Sometimes they occur and you still don't win. But they certainly come across as significant. Sometimes the ball has got to bounce your way. Fortunately, for us on Saturday it did. There are a lot of ways you can look at it. You have to position yourself by playing well to get in those situations in the fourth quarter when you are ahead or close or in a situation to win.

Q: Was there anything Auburn did different from a blocking standpoint that caused some of the injuries to the offensive line?
A: No, it just happened. It was just football. Auburn is a very physical football team. I think that is part of what took its toll on so many. But there wasn't anything particular going on.

Q: Have you ever experienced an injury situation like that?
A: Not as quickly as it did. I remember after Justin got hurt I said 'Alright guys, that's it. Nobody else can go out. We've lost Tre' and now Justin. Most of them took me to heart.

Q: What is your schedule for next week with the offweekend ahead?
A: We need the break. We are not going to practice today (Monday). We are going to work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday on the practice field. I haven't decided what we are going to do. I may lighten up a little bit from what I thought I might do, particularly early in the week. We are going to focus on fundamentals, because I think that is important this time of year. We are going to try to get a jump start on our LSU gameplan. We will also do some conditioning. I think games help you condition and we are not playing this weekend so we are going to try and do a little bit of conditioning. We are going to try to keep our legs fresh and get some people healed and get better.

Q: What about your staff's schedule?
A: We will be doing a lot of recruiting at night. We will have some time during the day to do that so we will turn our attention to that. We recruit all the time, but this just gives us a little extra time.

Q: Talk about your tailback situation and how far along Vashon Pearson is?
A: He (Pearson) is not at full strength, but he is better. We are still going to watch him this week. I'm hoping that with this week we can put that injury somewhat behind us. It was some pretty significant shoulder bruising, but I'm hoping that if we hold him out of contact this week during practice that he will be somewhat close to full speed next Monday. That is what we are shooting for. Both Brandon (Jacobs) and Tremaine (Turner) are healthy.

Q: Will you go full gear this week?
A: We may one day. I don't know. I haven't made up my mind yet on what we are going to wear as far as practice goes. Again, that depends on the information as I get it tomorrow from our trainer.

Q: Talk a little bit about Lee Rogers.
A: Lee has been really consistent this year. And one of the best parts of our special teams unit, knock on wood, has been our kickoff coverage. He has been accurate for the most part. He kicks it deep for the most part. Lee has been good for this program for quite sometime. I'm real proud of what he has done with his career here.

Q: Talk about the impact Patrick Willis has had on the defense this year.
A: When Patrick showed up on campus, all I kept hearing from some of our older defensive players was how they thought that Patrick Willis was going to be something special based on his informal workouts and his conditioning. That has held true. He has made a difference on defense. He has made a difference on special teams. He is a very special young man. He is a very dedicated and committed young man. I think he has great future in front of him.

Q: Is it easier to recruit when you are 6-0 in the conference than it is when you are 4-2?
A: If I had to pick one of the key factors in recruiting that helps people and programs, it is winning. People like playing for winners. We should strive to reach a consistency level from a winning standpoint. Hopefully we can do that, but I definitely think it helps your recruiting.

Q: Talk about how you were able to contain Carnell Williams in the second half.
A: We tackled better as the game went on. He is a difficult young man to tackle. We kept him from getting started to often. We did a better job controlling gaps along the line of scrimmage, making him bounce some, and just leveraging the ball some. I think the biggest key was just tackling better as the game went on.

Q: Talk about the secondary and some of the bad breaks they have had this season.
A: We haven't had a lot of bad breaks. People have executed extremely well against us, and made great catches, phenomenal circus catches. So I guess every now and then it is nice to catch a break. But one of the things I will point out about all those young men, is that they have been resilient. They know they have not been perfect, but they have been resilient. They have been tough mentally, and they keep coming back. Hopefully they will have their day in the sun before this is all said and done."

Q: Has there been more talk about Eli and the Heisman with the successful season?
A: We have not said one word about it. I really haven't gotten caught up in it. I don't where he stands, so I'm not going to be able to give you a very educated answer. I think that he is playing as good a football as anybody else in the country. I will make that statement.

Senior quarterback Eli Manning

Q: How much knowledge do you have of the Ole Miss/LSU series and what it means?
A: Growing up, I have been to a number of Ole Miss/LSU games in Tiger Stadium and a few at Ole Miss. Since I have been here I have learned more about it. It has always been a big game. There's a lot of tradition involved. Not much love is involved between the two teams, so it is always a big game. Since I have been here it has always been a well-played game. The games have been very physical and have come down to the very end. We will see what happens.

Q: Did it give you a confidence boost with the way the backups on the offensive line were playing in the fourth quarter?
A: It gives you a lot of confidence. Whoever they put in, whether it's guys who have experience, or moving guys from right tackle to left tackle. They are well coached and know the system and know what to do no matter where they are

Q: What is your reaction to seeing your name on the watch list for the Heisman Trophy?
A: I don't get involved in it. If I see it, I don't think twice about it. You don't worry about it. It doesn't get me excited. It doesn't make me feel any better about what I'm doing. You just see it, forget about it, and move on.

Q: What was going through your mind in the fourth quarter when the backups for the offensive line came in?
A: I never thought about it. It wasn't like we had a bunch of people that hadn't played with me all season. When Justin went out of the game, it was Chris Spencer, who had actually started at center for that game, so he knows what he is doing. Stacy Andrews had to come in and play some right tackle, and he has some experience playing this year. He is big and physical and knows what he is doing out there. I was never worried about my offensive line protecting me. I was just worried about trying to move us down the field and trying to score points. It never bothered me. I never thought about it once.

Q: Are you excited about the season and how it has turned out?
A: Yes, I am excited about the season we are having. After the game I was fired up, and on the plane ride everybody was just real anxious and just excited about everything that is going on. Everybody is excited about the opportunity we have and the place we are in. We are where we want to be. The season is not going to get any easier from here. LSU and State are going to be two tough games. It starts with LSU and that is going to be a battle. Hopefully we will go out there and play smart football and have a shot to win the game.

Q: Talk about the development of Chris Collins.
A: Chris is an experienced player. He makes plays. He knows how to get open. He has a feel for the game, and he knows what he has to do. He has good hands. He is just a natural playmaker for us, and he certainly has improved a lot this year. Once he gets the ball in his hands he is making people miss on short passes. He is good with running the ball after he catches it. He is a threat to make a play anytime he is out there.

Q: Talk about how your fullbacks have played this year, particularly Lorenzo Townsend and Rick Razzano.
A: Both of them catch the ball really well and they run well with the ball. Obviously they are getting a good bit of catches for us during the games. Lorenzo has been a big help to us this season. On that last play in Auburn, he ran a wheel route just to get down the field quicker and just put a bind on the defense. He was able to catch it and get good yardage. Both of those guys have been a tremendous part of the team on blocking as well.

Q: How would you rate your performance this season?
A: I think I'm playing smart football. I'm not making a whole lot of mistakes. I'm not forcing the football, I'm throwing it away when nobody is open. I'm trying not to take a lot of sacks in bad situations. Obviously, sacks will come up. But I try to avoid it and limit the loss as much as possible. I try to get us some good running plays. If there is a bad play, I try to change it and play smart football. I've tried to put us in positions to convert third downs and get first downs and put points on the board when we can.

Q: How many times did you audible on Saturday?
A: It's hard to say. I don't know how many times I did that. They were walking around and trying different things, so I was walking around and trying to communicate what kind of defense they were in so we could get our blocking correct. But I audible a pretty good bit on running plays. It was no more than normal. It may have looked like I was audibling more because I had to go down the line. It was loud down there.

Q: What are your plans for the open date? Are you and the guys going to watch the LSU game on Saturday?
A: I think so. I don't know what everybody else's plans are. But we know what we have in front of us. We know that we can't stay out late and do anything different than what we have been doing. We have to have a great week of practice on the days we do practice. We can't think that because it is an off week we can relax. We have got to get better this week and stay in the same rhythm.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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