Head Coach David Cutcliffe's Weekly Press Conference

Nov. 22, 2004

Opening Comments
We accomplished some things at LSU, but didn't accomplish our ultimate goal which was to win the football game. I talked last week about playing with more emotion, and I think we did that. I thought we competed well, but we just didn't compete well enough. We still have areas that need improvement. We are going to be challenged this week with a Mississippi State football team that has improved over the course of the season. Down the stretch, they have made plays on offense, defense and in the kicking game. This game is obviously a big rivalry and there is a lot of pride at stake for both teams.

Q: Can you give us an injury update?
A: We had between 15 and 20 guys in the training room on Sunday. The list is pretty long. Bobby Harris (knee and ankle), Corvelli Haynes (shoulder) and Kelvin Robinson (knee and shoulder) won't be able to work today. Tony Bonds will be limited and Travis Johnson continues to have trouble with his hamstring.

Q: Can you talk about your schedule this week?
A: We will practice Thursday morning before giving the players Thanksgiving Night off. We will resume back on Friday afternoon. Some of the players live close enough to Oxford where they will be able to spend the holiday with their families. Others will be around campus all week. The kids don't have class this week, but we are still trying to conform to our regular schedule.

Q: What does the rivalry against Mississippi State mean to the coaches and players?
A: This is an extremely important game because there is a lot of pride at stake for both teams. Saturday will also be the last game for both sets of seniors. I think our players and coaches understand the importance of playing well against Mississippi State.

Q: You are 3-2 in "Egg Bowls" (against Mississippi State). Is that head-to-head advantage helpful in recruiting and other areas?
A: I think it's always helpful to win instate rivalry games. Recruiting is intense, competitive and you're trying to find any advantage you can.

Q: What did you know about the Ole Miss-Mississippi State rivalry before you arrived in Oxford?
A: I've always known that Ole Miss and Mississippi State are big rivals, but didn't truly understand how intense the series was until I got here. It's a big game for the teams and fans.

Q: Mississippi State has been effective running the football in the second half of the season. Have you found a specific reason for that?
A: Mississippi State's offense starts with (halfback) Jerious Norwood, who is a terrific football player and very difficult to stop. Their offensive line has played well and (quarterback) Omarr Conner is also a dangerous player. You have to respect him and what he is capable of doing.

Q: What can you tell about Mississippi State from watching their game films throughout the season?
A: You obviously pay more attention to the recent games to see how they are playing and the types of things they are doing. Mississippi State has improved in many areas as the season has gone along. They've made some nice adjustments and will be a challenge for us this week.

Q: Mississippi State starts two freshmen linebackers and one sophomore linebacker. What have those three brought to the table?
A: Mississippi State has definitely improved its team speed with the use of those young linebackers. They play a lot of people on defense, play with a lot of energy and you can tell they are a well-coached football team.

Q: Can you compare and contrast playing the Egg Bowl on a Thursday (past years) versus playing it on a Saturday (this year)?
A: I like the Thanksgiving Day television exposure, but playing on Saturday gives us the normal time to get ready. We returned from Baton Rouge at 5:15 a.m. Sunday morning, so playing Mississippi State this Saturday certainly gives us more time to prepare.

Q: Will you begin to prepare for the future with this last game against Mississippi State?
A: We are always preparing for the future, trying to find answers and trying to develop confidence in players, but this week's focus will be on winning Saturday's game.

Q: Can you talk about your relationship with (Mississippi State head coach) Sylvester Croom?
A:> We've never been close, but have known each other for a long time. I have great respect for Sylvester Croom. He's a great person and a great football coach. He and his coaching staff have done a tremendous job in their first year at Mississippi State.

Q: Can you reflect on the senior class?
A: We have a lot of terrific seniors this year. I am going to miss a lot of them, not only because of their playing ability, but because of the people they are. This year's senior class is a special group that has accomplished a lot over the last five years. This season certainly didn't go according to script, but I give them a lot of credit for remaining positive and working hard throughout the process.

Q: How would you assess this year's leadership?
A: It could obviously be better as a whole, but there are certain young men who have stepped up and done a great job for us. A handful of our seniors have given great effort in times of adversity and I give them a lot of credit for that.

Q: Can you talk about the impact of Eric Rice?
A: Eric is a great young man and has been a steady player for us. He has made some big catches at the tight end position. He's been a much better player than people have realized.

Q: Your run defense has struggled lately. Have you found specific reasons why?
A: First off, our tackling hasn't been up to par. I'm guessing LSU had over 100 yards after (first) contact and you can't beat good football teams when that happens. When you get a chance to tackle one of these running backs in the Southeastern Conference, you better take advantage. Secondly, I don't think our defensive line is doing a good enough job of getting off blocks. To get to the football, you need to whip a blocker and make a play. They can't count on an unblocked player to be there.

Q: Can you explain your thinking behind the decision to play Robert Lane more in the LSU game?
A: After looking at the LSU game plan, we felt like we needed the more mobile quarterback on the field. With that being said, we felt like Robert would give us the best chance to win. We didn't want to shake up the starting line-up, but knew that Robert would get the most snaps over the course of the game.

Q: Looking back at the three-quarterback system and now the two-quarterback rotation, what is your evaluation of playing more than one quarterback?
A: The South Carolina situation was truly unique and gave us a boost that particular day, but we haven't used the exact same rotation since then. Over the course of the season, we have been looking for one of our quarterbacks to take the bull by its horn, but it hasn't happened that way. So, we've played three guys with the intention of putting the best player on the field for each respective situation.

Q: We've all seen what happened at the Pacers-Pistons game (on Friday) and South Carolina-Clemson game (on Saturday). Will you have any reminders -- along those lines -- for your players this week?
A: Saturday will be a very intense and emotional environment, but I wouldn't expect that type of behavior from either one of these teams. What occurred over the weekend was very ugly and very sad. I will mention the topics of sportsmanship and appropriate conduct to our team before the game and let them know what our expectations are from a competing standpoint.

Q: Is sportsmanship something that you stress quite often?
A: Yes, sportsmanship is something that has to be stressed all the time and the demands have to be met each week. When you're competing at this level and you're as emotional as you can be, it's all about the habits that you develop over the course of the season. I expect this team to compete, but compete with class.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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