Nutt Weekly Press Conference

Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt met with the media on Monday and discussed Rebels' upcoming home tilt versus Louisiana-Monroe.

Opening Statement

We had a really good open week. We really got some work done. Our intensity, attitude and effort at practice were very good. Our young people got a lot of work which is always good. The guys that are working for us on the scout team, it's a time they look forward too and they had a ball. We really had a good practice yesterday. Everybody was back on time, which is always a good sign. They don't ever seem to have a problem with their car breaking down when they leave, it's when they come back that there's always car problems. We didn't have any car problems, so I was excited about that. We're getting ready for a Monroe team, that offensively gives you a lot of problems because they are in so many different formations and do so many things. They also bring in, like everybody else seems to be doing, the Wild Rebel - putting a good athlete there for the direct snap. You've got to work on multiple sets. Defensively, they run hard and play hard to get to the ball. If you just look around, they beat Alabama last year, and they really had Arkansas beat. This is the type of game that you have to be ready for chin straps buckled up, tremendous focus and be ready to play.

Q: What is Jason Cook's status?

A: He wasn't back yesterday, but he will be back tomorrow, ready for practice. That's good, we've been missing him.

Q: How have you seen Kendrick Lewis develop?

A: I've been so proud of three of our safeties. Johnny (Brown) got hurt early. Kendrick is a guy that has really come on. He is on our kickoff team, and he's catching the ball back there in the secondary. He's doing a good job with tackling. I have been really proud of him. Jamarca Sanford has been having a very good year, and now as of late, Johnny Brown. You've got three legitimate guys who are playing very hard. Kendrick, you didn't see this in the spring, but he's at a different level now and we're excited about it.

Q: Talk about the mousetraps around the facilities. Do you feel you have grabbed your team's attention?

A: You always go by practice. These were just put in different places because we're just trying to let our players know and understand that sometimes rats will start feeling good about themselves, and all of the sudden you walk into a trap where you think there is a big piece of cheese, but there's not. It's about how you approach things, your attitude and the respect you have to have for Monroe. Don't worry about there record, this will be a super bowl for them. They're excited about playing us. I know a lot of members of their staff, especially their head coach Charlie Weatherbie, I've worked with him before. We know what to expect. We have played against them many times before. It's just a visual sign. We put them up last week. It's that type of game where you have to be ready. You can't just roll your helmet out there and show up. You can't do it.

Q: Talk about the advantage of having Kim Dameron and Ron Dickerson on your staff this week?

A: A good thing about both coaches, they know and give you the in-depth detail of ULM's players. They understand them and have been around them. They recruited some of their guys and it just gives you a better feel at each position because they know so much about them.

Q: Do you prefer Shreveport in December or Memphis in January?

A: Right now, Monroe in Oxford. That's all we can think about. There is nobody on my team, not one player that can afford to look forward to January. They haven't done that. Not one guy has gone to a bowl so I think it is ridiculous for us to think we'll have time to think about or talk about where we want to go. We've got to get bowl eligible and it starts this Saturday at 1:00.

Q: What would a bowl appearance mean for your program?

A: That's one of our goals. It just helps everything. It rewards your players who have worked so hard and made a commitment. It gives you extra practice time for your young people. It helps with recruiting. There is nothing like practicing during that time in December and having recruits in for official visits. It does so much. It's your school; it's your name that is being mentioned all the time. That's just publicity that you just can't buy. It's very important.

Q: Are you surprised at the way the Wild Rebel formation has taken off?

A: I'm surprised that it has reached the Sunday game in the NFL. I'm not surprised that a lot of the colleges are using it. It just makes sense to put one of your best players in a position to touch the ball and makes things happen.

Q: Is the formation just difficult to adjust to?

A: It's just a combination of that and it slows down very good defenses. It causes them think about who has the fast sweep, who has the quarterback or is the quarterback going to throw it. All of those things come into play. It's just a good knuckleball that slows people down.

Q: Did the rest help Greg Hardy?

A: I think so. He moved around very well yesterday. I'm excited about that. I'm really hoping he can get these next three games in and be full speed or very close to it. He looked good yesterday.

Q: Why has the Wild Rebel been run less lately?

A: I just feel like the way that everybody is playing it, that they have spent so much time on it and are ready. It's always the feel and how much production you are getting out of it. We will always use it, but how many time depends on how much we get out of it. People have been trying to discourage us away from it, but we are going to keep using that formation. It's been good to us. It's just a lot of teams spend a lot of time on it now.

Q: How did Jevan Snead do over the last week? What did he do to work on accuracy?

A: You just throw to your receivers and emphasize being accurate. I thought he had his best week last week. I really thought he came on, concentrated hard and had excellent one-on-one drills. Kent (Austin) has been wearing that net out. It's about footwork, follow through and all those things, and then doing it with a live rush. He has handled everything really good. He had a really good week last week. He came in yesterday, and he went good against good against our first team defense with blitzes and the whole bit. He was cool under pressure, and that is what it is all about. It's about feeling good about what we are doing. He knows where the receivers are, and the receivers had a good day as well. It takes everybody. It's 11-man football. Protection first, good route running by our receivers and then the quarterback has to give them the ball.

Q: What kind of year is Rob Park having this season?

A: All of our kickers, deep snappers, puntersI have been really proud of them. Rob Park, especially the last three weeks in these big games, has really done a great job of turning over the field, trajectory of the ball, punting the ball out of bounds, pinning their offense back deep and just winning the field position. He has done very well, and I'm proud of him.

Q: Is there a percentage you look for that you'd like your quarterback to be around?

A: I like it to be around 60 percent or better. I know we can't always get there with that with the defenses we play in this league because they are the best defenses in America. To be able to handle the blitz, and the speed of the game with how fast the corners are, I like him to be right there.

Q: Talk about Kentrell Lockett's play.

A: He has really come on. Coach Decker has really done a great job with his strength. I always worry about tall, skinny guys and getting beat up by this time of the year, but he is actually still gaining pounds. He is about 252 pounds. He played his best game last weekgetting off blocks, chasing the quarterback, chasing the running backs. Coach Rocker has done a great job with him with his technique. He has just really been consistent. He has become a guy you can count on each Saturday, and he has just gotten better by playing. He's been playing about every snap almost.

Q: What time of year did you play ULM last year? What did you see from them?

A: We played them much earlier. I think September. I think it's their quarterback. They always have one speed guy. Their defense gives you different looks and different fronts, and they just play so hard.

Q: How comfortable are you with throwing from the Wild Rebel?

A: It's there. We always have it. We are comfortable. We haven't had as much success that I would like throwing the ball with Dexter. You aren't always afraid to throw it, especially when they are overcommitted for the run. We just got to do a good job of calling it at the right time. Again, we aren't going to shelve it. We still believe in it as a good formation that is going to help us.

Q: Talk about Reid Neely's play, especially the last few games.

A: Reid is a guy who got hurt in the early part of the season and missed camp, but hanged in there, paid attention, has excellent character, smart guy who even on the sideline takes a mental rep. Now he is helping us. He's helping us win ballgames. He's getting in the mix. I want him to continue to be physical, and I have been really proud of Reid.

Q: How have you seen Gerald Harris progress?

A: Gerald is another young man that comes in here from a junior college, and it's tough to make that jump from high school or junior college into the SEC. He plays so hard, and his intensity is always there. He wants to please, and it's not one of those things with how many balls he catches. We aren't afraid to throw him the ball. We have asked him to do a good job of blocking and helping us protect. He's been really steady, and I'm glad he is here with us.

Q: How do you see the punt and kickoff coverage?

A: I have to give a lot of credit to Coach Shibest, Coach Dameron, Coach Vaughnthose guys spend so much time. We want to emphasize that part of the game. It makes a difference. It's a third of the game. People say that as just kind of word of mouth and that it sounds good by saying that it is a third of the game or every six plays. But it doesn't mean anything unless you practice it in practice everyday. It's the first thing we do after stretches in that we immediately go into kicking. That shows how important it is. It's a lot of pride now, and I think the players realize that when we hand pick you to be on the kick off team, that is something special. When we hand pick you to be on punt team, that's the biggest play of the game. The same goes for kick off return. All these teams have really bonded, and realize how important it is. It's really helped us as we are here in the SEC when you have the kick returners and punt returners, you better cover because those kinds of teamsthe Alabama's, the Florida'sthat is where they can break your back and spirit early on a good return. Knock on wood, we haven't had that.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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