Football Weekly Press Conference 11.16

Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt and quarterback Jevan Snead, among others players, met with the media on Monday and discussed the Rebels' win over Tennessee and upcoming home finale against No. 8 LSU.

Houston Nutt

Opening Statement

We got back on the field yesterday and tried to get a little of the soreness out. We had a good film study. Now we are trying to get prepared for this game. LSU, they look good and they always do. It seems like their defensive linemen have been there forever. They are very talented, so fast and strong. They probably have one of the best defenses we will face, along with Alabama. It is going to be a real challenge. Offensively, they are very athletic. They have two of the tallest and quickest receivers we will face. Their running backs run hard. We have to be ready to go. We have to have a good plan. We have to go get ready, and I'm glad we are playing them here in Oxford.

Q: How has LSU's running fame changed with Charles Scott being out?

They didn't change anything. They've kept the same running plays, and just put another one in there. Keiland Williams, he looks pretty good. He is strong, runs hard, his feet move on contact and he has a good second effort. (Stevan) Ridley is another one, he is good too.

Q: Do you try to run a lot of trick plays for Dexter McCluster or do you just let him go?

I don't know about tricking anyone. It is hard to trick these guys in the SEC. These defensive coordinators are very good. We did a good job of believing in what we were doing. Guys came off the ball and blocked very well to give Dexter a chance. They were the same plays we have been running. When we asked Jevan Snead to throw, he did it very well. Shay Hodge made some big catches. Ferbia Allen made one of the biggest catches of the day to keep a drive going and get a new set of downs. That's what it takes on offense. It is just being consistent with blocking and execution. Being accurate with the football and protecting the football.

Q: Is the offensive line that played against Tennessee going to stay the same against LSU?

Yes we will, we are going to stay with the same one right now. I thought Bobby Massie did very well. He had an illegal procedure and maybe one other deal, a couple of missed assignments. Overall, to have seven knockdowns and a pancake in a big ball game, I was very proud of what he and John Jerry did on the right side. We knew what John Jerry would do, he was outstanding. Daverin Geralds, Reid Neely and Bradley Sowell - all of those guys are getting better. They did a good job with run blocking. We have to continue to work on our pass blocking. We are getting ready to face a real rush now, and we have to do a very good job with protection.

Q: Did you make any defensive adjustments against Tennessee at halftime?

We didn't make any. I think the one thing that Tyrone Nix did was play a little more zone. We had been playing a little more man coverage. We just did a very good job of stopping the run first and foremost. All eyes were on the run. We stopped that. We didn't want to give up that play-action deep ball. The safeties were focused in on (Montario) Hardesty first, and then they went and reacted to the ball.

Q: How does Brandon Bolden change the pace of the running game?

Brandon Bolden gives us the most athletic backfield. When you have Brandon Bolden, who has been a tailback, and move him to a fullback or H-back, it allows you to throw the ball to basically a tailback. He gets on backers quicker and does a really good job. It just helps us a lot in the passing game. Andy Hartmann is our physical guy. We still throw him the ball a little bit, but he is more of our blocking back. We have the combination of Dexter and Brandon, basically two good tailbacks that help one another. You aren't afraid to throw them the ball. Brandon is unselfish enough to go block for his teammate. That helps Andy so that he is not just pounding for 70 plays. It gives him a little bit of a relief.

Q: What have the seniors meant to this team?

They have been really something. I have been really proud of them. Maybe two weeks ago, most people didn't think we would win another game but they did. They believed when everyone else didn't. That is what they are about. That's the ownership they have. That is what you rely on. Kendrick Lewis is all over the field, he is on the kickoff team and punt team. Marshay Green is a guy I will never forget. He had played wide receiver all of his life and we asked him to go play defensive back. He has just been awesome. Marcus Tillman and guys like Patrick Trahan, Gerald Harris and Emmanuel Stephens, you just won't ever forget them. They just kept believing and to be able to go to back-to-back bowls, I know that was really big. We just rely on those guys.

Q: When did you hear about Dexter McCluster's wreck in the summer and what went through your mind?

I knew pretty quickly, probably about an hour afterwards. I can't remember if he texted me or if Coach Don Decker did, it was one of the two. The first thing I asked him was how hurt he was. When I got to talk to him that evening he was still pretty shaken up. He knew how fortunate he was, there is no question about that. He knew how fortunate he was to be alive and well. He maybe had a couple of bruises.

Q: How will the seniors keep the team focused, even after becoming bowl eligible, on getting to a better bowl?

I think they know that. With all of the information that is out there, I think they know that. What we have talked about is how you prepare. If you go through the weeks that we came out ready to go, it was about preparation and that leadership. They see the light now. That is what that commitment and attitude is all about. Anyone can let go of the rope. Anybody can quit. That is where you fall back on those seniors. I think they will be really successful when you look at Kendrick Lewis, Patrick Trahan, Marcus Tillman and Billy Tapp. They will be successful because of their character and their attitudes. I think they see that. I don't think we have to worry about that. It is about winning. We told them Saturday night that the more you win the better it gets.

Q: How is Patrick Trahan's foot and did you ever pinpoint what was bothering him last week?

We never pinpointed what was wrong. Our doctors deserve a lot of credit for getting these guys on the field. There was some mass build-up around the ankle. He has had some tough ankle problems throughout the year. This is the time of year where things are tough. They never really found out the specific problem. He looked bad in warmups and we were surprised when he came back, had a good game and played hard. He is not 100 percent, but doing a lot better.

Q: How is Brandon Bolden adjusting to his new role?

He has such a great attitude. He doesn't look at it like he isn't the feature back. He is looking at it like he is part of something special, part of a team. When his number is called, he does what we ask him to do. If we need him to run it into the end zone, he does, just like he did against Tennessee. He is a good blocker. We also ask him to run routes. There are very few backs that can run good routes with precision. He has hands like a receiver. He has multiple roles, so it isn't like he isn't the feature anymore. He is a very valuable piece to the puzzle and he knows that. What an unselfish guy.

Q: How is your team's conditioning at this point in the season?

We are in really good shape with all of the guys we have had beaten up without an open date during the last night weeks. We are in really good shape. Coach Decker and his staff do a really good job in the summer. We keep our strength levels up (during the season). Our guys can go for a full four quarters. You just don't see many guys bending over. We are in good shape.

Q: Were you able to get a lot of guys rest a few weeks ago against Northern Arizona?

We held out Jesse Grandy with a deep-thigh bruise and we held out Dexter McCluster. That helped a lot. They were really about the only two that we held out. We were able to play a lot of different people.

Q: Has Emmanuel Stephens improved a lot, or has he been a little overshadowed?

It is a combination of both. He has gotten better, but I think he has been overshadowed a little bit. This guy has one speed. He plays so hard each snap. He is very valuable to us and he is a guy that can be on different special teams, kickoff and punt return. Now with three ends, we are keeping him fresh and he is doing a good job for us.

Q: Are NFL scouts surprised when they see Dexter McCluster in person because of his size?

We get that a lot. They can't believe that it is really Dexter when they see him in person, especially if they are here on Thursday without shoulder pads. When they see him play against Tennessee and Alabama - the big guys - they better take another look. This guy can be a kick returner, punt returner, slot back, tailback and wideout. He can do it all. He deserves a real good look and I think he is going to get that, regardless of the size.

Q: How many offensive positions does Dexter McCluster know how to play?

He knows all of them. He has extremely high football intelligence. Kent Austin was saying that after the first spring we were here. You only have to tell him how to adjust something one time. It is amazing. He knows tailback, fullback, H, Z and X receiver positions and Wild Rebel.

Q: What needs to be done to get Pat Patterson back on track?

He is a guy that has been a mystery a little bit to us. He has to be consistent with his life and at practice. We all know he has tools, but this is the fastest game in America. This isn't Friday night football anymore. I think it will come. It isn't easy for guys that have been a top recruit and have a lot of name recognition. The SEC has the fastest corners in America, it isn't easy. It comes down to consistency everyday in the film room. Then you have to take that to the field and get better. He has to work at it.

Q: What do you look to see from LSU's quarterback position this weekend?

We expect Jordan (Jefferson) to play. He sat out last week and we are fully expecting him to play. We don't know that for sure. We will prepare for both of them. We knew about Jarrett Lee coming out of high school. He was a highly recruited guy with a good arm. Jefferson can do a little bit more with his feet. He is a little more difficult to stop because when things break down he can make it happen. He can hand it off to a back and then of course they have outstanding receivers. Both of them are very good. Jefferson has improved a lot from last year.

Q: Do you get a little more amped up to play a team like LSU?

You better be ready to go against the LSU Tigers. The one thing about LSU is that you know they are going to be big, fast and well prepared. You have to have everybody on deck and ready to go. This is always an exciting time. We always play them towards the end of November. This place is going to be rocking Saturday, CBS, it doesn't get any better than that. If you can't get excited about this, something is wrong.

Q: What is the biggest improvement you have seen from LSU's defense?

The biggest thing that I see is they're not giving up very many plays over 15 or 20 plays. They run to the football. You think things are open, and then it closes up real fast. Their linebackers can run. Chad Jones is something else - 6-foot-3, 231 pounds and can knock your head off. He covers like a corner. That is the kind of guy we want. That is how you draw up a safety in the SEC. Since Kendrick Lewis is leaving, we've got to go out and find one. They are just playing better. I think Coach (John) Chavis has done an awesome job with them. They believe in him, they are in sync, they mix up their blitzes and they have a rush. They have some guys coming off that edge. They can move and run to the football.

Jevan Snead

Q: What have you seen from LSU's defense?

I haven't really had a chance to watch them too much yet. I have been working out today, but I am actually about to go watch the film and take a look at them. From what I have seen on television and what I have heard, they always have a strong defense. I expect no different this year.

Q: How is your ankle feeling?

It is ok. I have been doing some rehab. I have been in there twice today trying to get the swelling down. I don't expect it to affect me at all this week.

Q: How do you feel you managed the game against Tennessee?

I definitely thought that I did a good job managing the game. A lot of it had to do with the offense and how we were playing as a unit. I think we did a great job and I think the offensive line did a great job of protecting. A lot of it had to do with them and the job that they did.

Q: Was the win over Tennessee and becoming bowl eligible a little of a relief?

Definitely. I think that coming into this season that was one of our goals, to become bowl eligible. From here on out, it is just about seeing which bowl we go to and how big a one we go to. It is big to get that out of the way and to now just focus on each week and preparing for a win hopefully.

Q: How did the new-look offensive line perform against Tennessee?

I think the offensive line did a tremendous job. The younger guys really stepped up. John Jerry did a great job moving over. They all really stepped up and did a phenomenal job.

Q: Were you surprised at how well Brandon Bolden has adapted to his new role?

I'm not at all surprised. From the moment he got here, throwing in 7-on-7 in the summer, I knew that he could run routes and catch well. That is one of the first things that I noticed when he got here as a freshman - his hands. He has great speed and an ability to move down the field. I am not surprised at all about that and I just think it is a great dimension for us to have.

Q: Do you get a little more excited about playing a team like LSU?

Definitely. It is just one of those atmospheres that you dream about playing in. It is just one of those great rivalries. I do consider it a rivalry for our school. Now we have the Magnolia Trophy and so we are excited about trying to keep that here. We know they are a good team and we know we are going to have to have a great work week. That is what we are planning on.

Q: Is it tough to keep the team motivated for back-to-back big games like Tennessee and LSU?

I don't think it will be that bad. I think we built a lot of momentum as an offense and as a team. I think that momentum is going to carry into this week. A lot of it has to do with the focus we have during our work week and during our practices. I know the team is going to be extremely focused. We know how big of a game this is for us and I expect the momentum to just carry over.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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