Head Coach David Cutcliffe Weekly Press Conference Transcript

Aug. 25, 2003

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Head Coach David Cutcliffe

Opening Comments
"I am ready for it to finally be game week. I know our players are excited that it is game week. It seems like we've been going at it awhile in camp. They reported August 3. They are anxious to get started. One of the key things for us is that I will know a little more about our injury situation after today. Right now it looks like Eric Rice and Bill Flowers are questionable. Justin Sawyer is also in that category, but he will get some limited work today. There are some others that we are evaluating. Marcus Woodson is out indefinitely. Everybody else is day-to-day. Vanderbilt is going to have a good football team. They were a team that got better every week a year ago. They played some close football games. They are extremely well-coached. They have enough weapons on offense and they will continue to improve there. I like what they do. They are very versatile. You have to be prepared to play the option and the passing game. They return a lot of good players on both sides of the ball. They will be better now that they've had experience. We have a big challenge ahead of us to go on the road in the Southeastern Conference. I expect our seniors to understand what it takes to go on the road in the SEC and win. We'll learn a lot about our team this Saturday."

How much has your staff worked to prepare for Vanderbilt?
"Everybody in college football works hard over the summer, especially in strength and conditioning. Vanderbilt has young players that have played a lot. When you get in the weight room and work like we have, you have to get better. I expect a better Vanderbilt team. I have no doubt that they are an outstanding football team. With this being an SEC game, we will have our hands full."

How is the tailback situation?
"We will play a number of people. There are a lot of people involved there. I have an idea in my mind who we will go with, but I'm not ready to make that decision yet. I have not sat down with the players and told them what their roles will be. I do expect everybody to play. This week's practice will help make things clear."

Do you look at this opening game more importantly being that it is an SEC game, or do you approach it as you would any other game?
"I think this early in the season, you can't afford to have a 'make-it-or-break-it' game. Either way it goes, win or lose, you have to be prepared to pick up the pieces and move on. All teams are striving to improve early. Nobody knows as much as they would like to know. We don't have exhibition games. You see scrimmages, but you still learn a lot about your team early on."

Who will start at Tight End if Eric Rice is out?
"Jimmy Brooks will start, but we will also see how well Lawrence Lilly does this week. We will try to play them equal time if Lawrence is healthy."

How many freshmen do you think will play this Saturday?
"That is an interesting question since we are still talking to our freshmen. There may be some freshmen not on this trip that play later on. Some may not be ready now, but later they may be. We have not set a travel squad. We will do that later on this week. We will look at everybody this week."

What kind of camp did McKinley Boykin have after missing the spring?
"He looks 100 percent to me. He is playing like he is 100 percent. He is in much better shape. He is ready to play and he has had an excellent camp."

Talk about the injuries around the league and on the team. Do you think the new 2-1-2 practice scheme helped or hurt?
"I think we have had an unusually high number of injuries and a lot of people out. It seems as if I'm questioning our trainers everyday about why this happened, or how it happened. I don't know if the new 2-1-2 practice scheme helped. We are still evaluating that. We did not have as many heat related problems. We had some, but not as many as we have had in the past. The jury is still out with me on the new format."

Talk about Bryan Brown.
"Bryan Brown has had a good camp. He has been beat up and hurt a little lately. We need him back at full speed. He has not only played well at corner, he is also a factor at punt returner. He is good when he gets his hands on the ball. When he came back from basketball for spring practice last year his attitude had changed. He worked hard in the spring and has continued to get better from that point."

Can the situation with trying to use so many tailbacks become a distraction?
"I don't know if it is a distraction having so many good players competing for playing time. That is every coaches dream. It can be difficult to handle sometimes though. Skill position players want the football, but everybody has a role to play and we will see how it plays out. I don't think it will be a distraction."

Talk about the defense.
"Our defense has been more aggressive all the way through spring practice. Most of them are veterans. They know what to do. We do have some areas that are a little thin, so hopefully, everybody will stay healthy.

Talk about Chris Spencer.
"Chris Spencer has done a remarkable job at center, having never played the position before. When it comes to the snap, whether it's the exchange with the quarterback or shotgun snap, he has handled it quite well. He is a very talented player. Strong, quick, he brings a lot to the table. He has done well with all the mental assignments and all the calls. It helps to have a player like that."

Talk about Eric Oliver.
"He is a very aggressive football player. The position he plays allows him to be involved with tackles. He is certainly involved with the run game. He has to be disciplined and make great reads on play-action pass. You have to watch that at the free safety position. He robs running situtations."

Talk about Tremaine Turner and Von Hutchins.
"They are typical of this senior class. They have played a lot of football. Both are fifth-year seniors. Tremaine has the ability to play at tailback and fullback, and even spread out and play wide receiver for us. He does a lot of things well. Von Hutchins is a great leader, one of the better corners in our league. He has great man-to-man cover skills. He's smart and he is a good tackler. He played safety before. We are glad both are on our team."

Have you addressed the team concerning last years Vanderbilt game and the rushing attack they had?
"Certainly, they where a good running team a year ago. I think they where third in the conference in rushing last season. They have a good scheme and good players. You have to defend the tailback, fullback, quarterback, whatever it is they choose to do with the option. We know we have to defend it, and that is a big area of emphasis on defense."

Talk about Jamil Northcutt.
"Jamil Northcutt is a special young man. He is the Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner. He is a hard nosed football player, a good tackler who loves to compete. He is another one of those seniors you are glad to have on your team."

Talk about Cliff Woodruff and his progress in camp.
"He has had a good camp. He really works hard. He is also one of those fifth-year seniors that has worked hard his entire time here. He is a very strong and physical player. He has worked at his quickness and balance and things that it takes to play on the offensive line. He has been good so far this fall."

Talk about the special teams.
"We have some specialists in the kicking game that are capable of being outstanding. Jonathan Nichols has been consistently good his entire career here and I expect him to continue that. I am looking for bigger and better things out of Cody Ridgeway. He improved last year. We need some consistency in the punting game. Sidney McLaurin has been outstanding as the long snapper. He has great velocity and accuracy. We have great people in the return game: Mike Espy, Bryan Brown, Ronald McClendon, Vashon Pearson, Chris Collins, and a number of other people who will be involved in the return game. We know how important that can be in the SEC."

Talk about the halo rule change.
"It's really not any different. They are taking the halo out because it was a tough judgement call for officials. Instead, they will protect the return man. If you don't give them a fair opportunity to catch the ball, they will call defensive interference. It will be a 15 yard penalty. But we have not changed anything. We are still playing it the same."

Do you have to go into this game with a different mindset since this is an SEC game?
"This is the first time I have ever opened with a conference game in my 22 years in this conference. It changes your summer, your intensity level. We all know that conference games count twice, once in the overall record, and in the conference record. The preparation has been intense because of that."

Has it changed your workouts?
"The players realize when you have a big opener, it takes their workouts to another level. Their intensity increases. We talked about how critical this was in the spring and summer. We have to be in our best shape and condition."

Senior QB Eli Manning

What different atmosphere are you dealing with having a conference game to start the season?
"Obviously it will be different. This is a huge game-it's not only the first game, but it also counts on the SEC record. We know we can't go in there and make any mistakes. We can't turn the ball over or have too many penalties. You can't make too many mistakes in the first game, because you can't afford to lose any SEC games."

Do you expect a shoot out every time you play Vanderbilt?
"Every time we play Vanderbilt it seems to be a different type of game. We played them close (12-7) the last time we played in Nashville. Last year we had an early lead then they came back in the fourth quarter and we had to score late. The fourth quarter clinched the game for us. Hopefully, our offense will go in there and produce some points and our defense will play well so we won't have to make a come back in the fourth quarter."

Besides getting a win this week, what would be a good game for you?
"Hopefully we will establish a running game offensively, and throw the ball well. We need to get some first downs and not have a lot of third and long situations. If we have good first down and second down production, then we'll have a high third down conversion rate. I just want everything to work out smoothly where we don't have any turnovers and we just play smart football."

With Vanderbilt being the opening game, will this make it a little more challenging for the team, because there is not a lot to go on?
"When you go into opening games you really don't know what to expect. You just hope to go in there and play the game. You just have to see what type of game it's going to be, whether it's going to be a low scoring defensive battle or a high scoring offensive battle where the teams are just running down the field. You really just have to see how it's going to start off and what type of game it's going to be and go from there."

What do you think this team has from looking at practice that last year's team didn't?
"We have a lot of leaders on the team. We have twelve guys that are fifth-year seniors that have played a lot of games. We have other seniors and even some younger guys that have played in a lot of big games, and have won some big games. The older players are helping the younger players by teaching them what to do. Hopefully, that will help us in these games. Whether it is a close game or not, they will have the experience of learning how to win games."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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