Nutt Speaks With Beat Writers

Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt spoke with the media on Sunday and reviewed the Rebels' win over UAB and discussed the upcoming SEC encounter against Arkansas.

Opening Statement

It was good to see that we got better fundamentally. We blocked better and opened up some holes for our backs. Jevan Snead played extremely well. He was very accurate. The receivers caught the ball well. That's what we expect from them, and I'm hoping we can build off this game and be consistent, score points. Defensively, we can do better, but I want to give Joe Webb, their quarterback, a lot of credit. He's a very good athlete and a guy who gives you problems. We're anxious to get back out on the field today and get ready for a big week.

Was this game good for building confidence?

Absolutely, especially offensively. We didn't do very much the previous week against a very good defense. As you could see, South Carolina only made one more field goal than we did. (Alabama) is very good. (The UAB game) was about confidence and execution, everybody doing what they are supposed to do, full speed and with a sense of urgency. We were on the same page, especially the receivers with Jevan. It shows what we can do, now we have to do it consistently.

Does this week against Arkansas still stir up the same emotions as last year?

Pretty much, that's just the way the game is. It's important because it's the next game on the schedule and who it is just makes it that much bigger.

How do you feel about Rodney Scott's game?

He did a great job last night for his first time with significant carries. He played well without the ball. He had two knockdowns too. He gives us some real energy back there that we need. He doesn't have the knowledge and everything of Brandon Bolden or Cordera Eason, but what he does bring is a real package of toughness, quickness, ability to see the hole, break a tackle. I was excited about Rodney.

Why do you think Dexter McCluster is not having the same production he did last year?

Everyone is aware of him now. He's getting double covered, and every snap, they find out where No. 22 is located and watch him closely. South Carolina doubled him and Alabama had a pair of eyes on him most of the time. He's a marked guy now.

Is Dexter McCluster frustrated by that?

No, he hasn't shown any signs of frustration. He's a team guy and wants to do whatever we need him to do. Of course he wants the ball and we'll find more ways to get him the ball.

How are Kendrick Lewis and Brandon Bolden injury-wise?

Kendrick hit a nerve and couldn't feel anything for a little bit. It kind of scared him a little bit, but they x-rayed him and he was fine. Brandon got hit on the knee pretty good, but he came back and was fine. I think we are ok there.

Do you expect Pat Patterson and Rishaw Johnson to play this week?

Rishaw probably not, Pat Patterson should.

How is Marshay Green?

He will practice today, but he can't have any contact. He will be evaluated again Tuesday. We'll find out then if he will be cleared for contact. We've still got to make sure everything is right, his kidney. We do not know for sure yet.

What are your thoughts on Arkansas?

(Ryan) Mallett is probably playing as well as anyone in the league right now. I had him in my camp since the sixth grade so I know all about him. He can really throw it, probably better than (Sam) Bradford and (Colt) McCoy as far as just throwing the ball. He's so accurate and he has some good receivers that we signed when we were there. We know how good those players are. They are more comfortable with the system and executing better after a year in the system, but it starts with Mallett.

Talk about your recruiting effort with Ryan Mallett.

We would have signed him, but we went the Mitch Mustain route so (Mallett) went to Michigan. We felt from the calls we had gotten from him he would leave Michigan though and would come back home after a year at Michigan.

How is Brandon Bolden doing so far this season?

He's doing fine. We've had our problems on the offensive line and we are working through that part of it. Brandon had a good game last night running the ball and on the screen pass.

Will Rodney Scott's role expand, especially with Enrique Davis injured?

We'll see how he practices this week. He excites us. I hope he can keep building on his performance. As long as Enrique (Davis) is out, Rodney will be getting his reps and should benefit from them. I don't want to be too quick judging him yet, but we are very excited about him and Rodney is excited as well. That was just his first time out and our line was blocking well last night.

How did Rishaw Johnson's replacements do this week?

I thought Brandon Green hit very hard. He had three knockdowns and three finishes. I felt like he gave tremendous effort, didn't have any penalties. I was very proud of Brandon. A.J. Hawkins had 31 plays and did well. He has to do better, but for the first time he did well. Bobby Massie had 17 plays, and we really got to play a lot of people, which was good. Brandon was the guy who showed up well though, and he will start this week.

How did you decide which games Rishaw Johnson would miss, and why the Arkansas game?

I started him early in the year because he had turned his life around and had had a really good summer. He was looking good and working hard. He deserved to start. I didn't want to take away what he had earned early in the season. I knew he would have to miss some games, so I wanted to start the season with him. Then we got to this point and we stopped with UAB and let Brandon (Green) go.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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