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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Monday's Weekly Press Conference Transcript
9/2/2003 | Football
Sept. 1, 2003
HEAD COACH David Cutcliffe
OPENING COMMENTS
Good morning. I should say I am proud of the effort our players gave. We got better as the game went on for the most part. We didn't play as well as we would like; that's pretty obvious. After looking at the tape, some of the things you thought after the game were true. There were little things on both sides of the ball. Offensively we weren't as good as we needed to be in the passing game. We did some good things, but the entire execution of it could have been better. I want to see us stay on our feet and finish blocks. I was asked about the running game. We ran the ball pretty well at times but we could have had some big plays with just a little bit more here or there and just finishing better on that side of the ball.
Defensively our coverage wasn't near what it needs to be. Too many times it wasn't difficult for them. We didn't apply as much pressure on the quarterback as we would like to, nor did we cover as well as we need to cover. That's a big challenge going into a game against Memphis, which has the ability to run and throw the ball. They are a talented team.
The kicking game did some great things as far as placekicking goes. We gave up two big plays that have to be eliminated. We have to get to the point where we don't allow any big plays in the kicking game. Those are such big momentum swings. We did have some of our own big plays in the kicking game.
Overall, we were pleased. You learn a lot from first games. I think our players will learn when they see the tape today, which will be significant, and getting back out there and having hard work. A lot of these things will be fixed with hard work.
On injuries, we probably won't know anything conclusive on Tavarus Horne until tomorrow with the MRI. He doesn't have a lot of swelling but we still think it's a knee. A few guys like McKinley Boykin and Justin Wade are a little beat up. How much work they get remains to be seen. We're in pretty good shape. We have a lot of guys with bumps and bruises and a lot that will require treatment, but hopefully we'll have everyone back.
Q: Coach you got real thin real quick in the secondary. How did your young guys and replacements respond there? A: I thought when we lost people to cramps during the game, and then we'd lost Tavarus Horne, Charles Clark played significant amounts in the second half and did a good job. He's a good football player. He knew what to do and played aggressive. He played well. Trumaine McBride did well at times. He had a little injury during the game himself, so I don't know if that bothered him some, but he did some good things. They had to respond and weren't given a choice. We know what our situation is there now. We're thinner than we need to be in the secondary, but you do what you have to do.
Q: Coaches talk about improvement between the first and second game. Do you agree and what do you want to see?
A: I do agree. I don't think there is anything you can do in practice to simulate the speed of the game except to scrimmage yourself. As you wind down camp you back off that. A game is different. The anxiety and things take more out of you. It was hot up there (in Nashville). Once you start playing games, you improve because you've played games. You improve as the game goes on. We are going to have to get better to go on the road and try to win against a good football team.
We need to get better at tackling and staying on our feet. Our coverage needs to be better as does our pass rush. Offensively we need to finish blocks, protect the passer better and get better in the passing game. Our rhythm and timing needs to be better. It all goes back to looking at the tape and critiquing ourselves hard. We have to get better on the practice field. We have to play significantly better in the second game. Memphis is going to have the same opportunity to improve.
Q: What would you like to see guys get better at from week one to week two?
A: A few specific things we need to work on are passing, staying on our feet better, finishing blocks, protecting the passer in the passing game, rhythm and timing. All those things should be a great deal better. It goes back to looking at the tape. We have to critique ourselves hard. We have to get better on the practice field and we have to get significantly better in the second game, because Memphis is going to have the same opportunity to improve. Q: Talk about Bryan Brown and LP Spence.
A: Bryan had some cramping but he did well. It was a learning experience for him. It was his first start and his first time to play college football. He was thrown right in the mix and he did some good things. He will get better.
The play of LP was that of a veteran. LP had some big plays in the game that were pretty obvious. He had an interception and a big play hit in the backfield. LP has a lot of talent but he needs to play in this scheme. It was good for him to get a game under his belt as well.
Q: Talk about the first-time starters.
A: They did pretty well. They played hard. Cliff Woodruff, Jimmy Brooks and Chris Spencer were all first time starters. Of course Chris has played a lot of football and Cliff has played quite a bit, Jimmy has played some but it was as a defensive end. He competed really hard and did some nice things. Again, all of those guys will get better as we move along.
Q: How is Doug Buckles?
A: Doug is alright. He busted a bursa sac. We just need to get the swelling down. He will be limited today but he will be fine come game time, from what I am told.
Q: Talk about Memphis' offense and QB Danny Wimprine.
A: I think Danny Wimprine is a very outstanding quarterback. He is mobile and is a very accurate passer with a strong arm. He is a proven winner. He plays extremely well. Memphis' offense is diverse. DeAngelo Williams is certainly a threat running the football and he is a threat catching the football. Their receivers have more speed than they have had in years past. Any time you score 40 points in your first game, you are playing well.
Q: What problems does Joe Lee Dunn present?
A: We have been playing against Joe Lee Dunn for quite some time so we have a bunch of tapes on his defenses. He presents you a lot of problems matching up in the pass protection and the run game. I don't know how much he showed last week, but I am sure there is a lot left in his package and a lot to prepare for. His scheme is so multiple and they come with so many different things that preparation is difficult and tedious.
Q: Talk about shutting down the Vanderbilt running game as the game progressed.
A: We played the run pretty well all day. We were committed to doing that going into the game, but not at the expense that they threw the ball as well as they did. The players felt better as the game went along. It is hard to simulate the speed of Vanderbilt's offense in practice. We were concerned about the looks we were getting from the scout team. The players got more comfortable with the speed as the game went along. There were a few adjustments but not anything major. We were able to make some big plays against the run and I think our players just got better as the game went along.
Q: Talk about the running game and Vashon Pearson.
A: As I said, I thought our running game was close. That does not mean good, but we were close a number of times to having a much better day. Whether it was a missed cut here or a block not finished, there were some little things we could have done better. Vashon Pearson only had six carries in the game. He did not really ever get started. Tremaine Turner did some good things and Ronald McClendon did some good things. We are still a work in progress. We were better than we have been in some ways, but still not as good as we need to be. I will say this, the game was unusual. We only had four first-half possessions. We ran the ball fairly effectively. We averaged eight plays per possession. That is good, but we did not have the football enough. In the second half, we had some turnovers and were playing from behind and that limited us in the running game.
Q: Talk about Jonathan Nichols.
A: I think Jonathan has done a great job of becoming a more focused athlete in practice. Those type of specialists have to fight against being able to really make practice a game-like situation. He has a really good focus at practice and makes every kick a real game kick. He has also gotten stronger in the weight room.
Q: Talk about playing the early game.
A: It is hard. Playing in that kind of heat you have to play a number of people. We had 70 players with us and we used a great deal of them. The pre-game warm-up was not bad but the humidity got really bad. I thought we got better as the game went along. It was a good indication that our conditioning level is very good.
Q: Talk about the rivalry with Memphis.
A: It is a natural rivalry. We are not far apart. We have played a lot of games against each other. A lot of tradition has been built around this game. We have a lot of fans in the Memphis area, and it is a big game as far as recruiting. We realize just how good a team Memphis has so it will be a big game for us.
SENIOR QB Eli Manning
Q: Coaches say you improve the most from the first game to the second. What would you like to see the offense improve on?
A: I think we had a couple of fumbles between the center and I that we worked on. We need to get third down conversions better. We need to run the ball better. We need to get our offense clicking. We didn't get clicking. We didn't have a whole lot of offensive possessions in the first half, but we didn't get a lot of three and out. We didn't click and get enough drives where we got in scoring position.
Q: Did the offense get better as the game progressed?
A: I think the offense got better as the day went on. We were moving the ball pretty well all day. We just didn't get any long drives to get into scoring position. We had some dropped balls we have to work on because we can't have that. We have to keep working at it and get better as the season goes on.
Q: Can you talk about Memphis' quarterback Danny Wimprine?
A: I knew Danny from high school. We never met but I knew his name and got to see him on highlights in high school. We got to meet this year at the Manning Passing Academy. He came as a counselor there. He's a good guy and we became good buddies. He's a heck of a football player.
Q: How is your arm?
A: It's fine. My arm was just a little bruised, but it feels fine. There won't be any problems.
Q: Can you comment on Joe Lee Dunn's defense at Memphis and having played against it at Mississippi State.
A: I've seen a little film on (Memphis') first game. They like to blitz and bring people. That will be a challenge for our line and backs to pick it up, and for me to see who's coming. I'm sure they'll have something new for us and try to confuse us. We'll have to see what they do.
Q: Has Joe Lee's defense been a problem for you to read in the past? Has it confused you?
A: Sure. He's done some different things on defense, some things you don't see every day. He uses different types of blitzes and different types of fronts with people lining up in different positions. If you watch enough film on it, you get used to it and you understand who each player is and whether he is a linebacker, defensive end or a safety. That helps a lot. You have to watch a lot of film and see what he likes to do.
Q: Talk about Chris Spencer and how he performed at center.
A: Chris played well. We had one little fumble exchange. It ended up being me not getting the ball on a quarterback sneak or something we hadn't worked on. It can be different for the center and for me getting the ball. He played well and Justin Sawyer played well at center.
Q: Do you know Joe Lee Dunn personally, and the times you have played against his defenses at State, it looks like you have had some picks but some big plays too. Do you just have to take what's given to you with the blitz?
A: That's exactly what you do. They are going to bring people and blitz a lot, but that leaves a lot of one-on-one with our receivers. We have to make plays when we get the opportunity. When they bring a lot of people, the receiver has to get open fast and I have to stay in the pocket and make my throws. If you break one tackle you can have the big play. We have to play smart football and make the plays when we need to. I haven't spoken to Joe Lee Dunn except for perhaps after a game.
