Ole Miss Defensive News Conference

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TYRONE NIX

On CB Marshay Green: "The kid has tremendous heart. He is probably our biggest competitor on the team. He shows up to work every day. The kid has outstanding character. He has played well nearly every ballgame, and he understands the importance of competing. We are just thrilled to have him play his last game here in the Cotton Bowl. What an impact he made a year ago in this game. It was an important game in his career."

On DE Kentrell Lockett: "He has been one of our most dependable defensive linemen. He shows some emotion; he gets excited. Kentrell is a kid who, when I took over this job, came into his own. ... Kentrell is a guy we really counted on. He accepted the challenge. ... We were getting ready to play Tennessee. He gets a 102 temperature the night before the game, goes into the hospital, does this and that and then comes out and plays lights out the next day. I like the kid. He works. He does what we ask him to do. He is a great leader for us."

On DT Jerrell Powe: "He leads by example every day, every opportunity. If you give the guy a chance, he can do a lot of things. He's special. I like his commitment. A year ago, we were in this Cotton Bowl. In the locker room he said, 'I'm going to make a commitment, coach. I'm going to lose my weight, I'm going to do whatever it takes to help us get back here and compete at a high level.' He has worked his butt off. He has earned everything he has received. I just hope and pray that he continues to have success and stays healthy."

On FS Kendrick Lewis: "He's a great leader. He's smart. Kendrick is a heck of a football player. ... I can always go to him when I'm questioning whether they're ready to play or not. He gives it his all. He's a winner. He's a competitor."

On LB Patrick Trahan: "He's a true competitor. He has been banged up a lot this season. During these bowl practices, it's probably the best I've seen him look. I'm expecting a heck of a game out of him."

On taking things from the various head coaches for whom he has worked and played: "I take a little bit from every one of them. I think that is how you become the person that you are. I even take something from my high school coach. ... I don't know if there was a better coach in the game at one time than Steve Spurrier. And I know what I think about the guy I work for now (Houston Nutt). So you mold yourself a little bit off everyone. You're going to learn as much as possible."

On the long hours in college coaching: "I appreciate (Nutt) for allowing us to work in an environment that allows us to be as flexible as possible. But the bottom line is that we all have a job to do. I understand that. At the end of the day, they're going to check the scoreboard."

On preparing for Oklahoma State: "We study every game, and we try to prepare our kids as much as possible for the things that may happen. We're going to prepare for the best. ... It's a challenge for all of our kids. No matter what kind of offense you face, it still boils down to fundamentals. It still boils down to focus and intensity. The team that brings that on a more consistent basis has the opportunity to be successful. That's what we try to tell our kids. You can't go through the motions. You can't assume. You have to have a tremendous focus."

On defending the option, given the success Mississippi State had running the option against Ole Miss: "It's not the option. It's about what we do. It's about our guys being physical. It's about our guys playing their responsibilities. The unique thing about defense is that all it takes is for one guy to do the wrong thing, and the scoreboard can change in a hurry. What we have put a lot of emphasis on is going back to the fundamentals and going back to really being focused again. That allows us a chance to be successful regardless of what type of offense is run."

CB MARSHAY GREEN

On Ole Miss being back in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic for a second consecutive year: "Any chance you get to play in the Dallas Cowboys' stadium, that is amazing. It's big."

On Oklahoma State: "They have a great coach, and they have some athletes on offense and defense. On defense, they have a great corner in Perrish Cox. On offense, they have a great quarterback (Zac Robinson). It's going to be hard to stop them. We've been watching the film on them. We're trying to get a feel for them."

On bouncing back after the loss to Mississippi State to end the regular season: "We really stunk up the field. It's a challenge to us come out and stop the run because Mississippi State ran the ball all day up and down the field. ... You're only as good as your last performance. We've got a bad taste in our mouth right now."

On the Southeastern Conference vs. the Big 12: "I don't want to take anything from the Big 12. They've got great athletes, they've got great coaches. But I don't think there's a conference out there better than the SEC as far as power, speed, coaches. I think it's the best conference in the nation."

On Oklahoma State's season-opening victory over Georgia: "They came out with a chip on their shoulder. I'm pretty sure they're going to come out with a chip on their shoulder Saturday. ... They're going to come out and try to punch us in the mouth. So it's important that we punch them in their mouth first."

FS KENDRICK LEWIS

On the relationship with defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix: "We really trust him. We try to do everything he asks us to do. He demands a lot. He's a high-energy guy. He wants us to come out and compete every day, every time out. ... It's hard for that man to keep his mouth closed."

On Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson: "He's an outstanding quarterback. He has some good receivers around him that allow him to make big plays. He's a threat at running the ball along with his arm. He has a nice, strong arm. He makes good decisions at the clutch points in the game. ... He goes out and fully understands the game plan."

On whether the Oklahoma State offense resembles any SEC offenses faced by the Rebels: "They have a little bit of Alabama, a little bit of Arkansas. They do things that we've seen. ... They have high-caliber athletes on offense."

On bouncing back after the loss to Mississippi State: "We did some bad things and were unsuccessful. Since that day, we've been trying to get back in the groove where we were before the Mississippi State game. ... We know we are much better than that. It's about competing and having another opportunity to go out and put on a better show. ... We just didn't approach that game as we had approached Alabama or Arkansas. I feel that we kind of looked down on those guys. Give those guys credit because they did a great job."

LB PATRICK TRAHAN

On playing in three AT&T Cotton Bowl Classics (one with Auburn in January 2007 and two with Ole Miss): "Every year has been different. When I first came, it was the old stadium. Then they renovated and expanded it. Now, it's the big stage (Cowboys Stadium). It's weird, but I'm thankful that I could experience this game three times. Every year is good. I love the hospitality. I feel like this is one of the best bowls in the country. Hopefully, I can have three wins. Maybe I can get some accolades, a little plaque or something. I don't think anybody has done that on two different teams."

On whether he has given thought to an NFL career: "I just try to pray about it. I hope everything works out. I had an injury, but now it has pretty well cleared up. I am just really focused on this game. I have to make a big statement in this game. This is a big stage. I think I can definitely get some looks after this game. Everything I hear is mostly good. ... I think that at the combine, I will be able to answer some of the things people had questions about."

On the Oklahoma State offense: "They're real disciplined. They don't do too many tricks. They know what they want to do."

On how much it helps to be able to practice against Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster on a daily basis: "We don't really get to hit him. He definitely gives us a good look, though. He's as shifty as they come. We see Dexter every day, so it helps prepare us to face the best."

DT JERRELL POWE

On the preseason expectations for Ole Miss: "We were ranked pretty high in the preseason. Our goal at the beginning of the year was like everybody else in the SEC - to get to Atlanta (for the SEC championship game). We always talked about it in team meetings at the first of the season. It was our main focus. ... It was everybody's dream at the beginning of the year."

On the season's first loss at South Carolina: "That was one of the worst feelings I had, walking off that field. All we had worked for all summer and in preseason camp went away because we were not focused. The coaches talked the week after that about being focused and bouncing back."

On the 8-4 regular season as a whole: "I think we had a pretty good season. It could have been better. A couple of the losses we had were because we had come out flat against folks."

On redeeming themselves after the loss to Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl: "Coach Nix doesn't ever want that to happen again. We have to turn it around and prove we have a good defense. You have to be focused. All 11 people must be focused and do their jobs. You cannot do anybody else's job."

On postseason matches between the Big 12 and the SEC: "Every year when it is bowl time, we all pull for one another in the SEC. We do feel we're the strongest conference. I don't think anybody can match up with our conference."

On Alabama's chances to win a national championship: "I most definitely think they will win. That's one of the most disciplined teams I have ever played against in my life. They do a good job of carrying out their assignments. They're good."

DE KENTRELL LOCKETT

On the Rebels' regular season: "I think we had a great season. Despite the close losses and the expectations, it still is great coming to a big bowl such as the Cotton Bowl. It's a great opportunity to show the world that we really can play."

On the Oklahoma State offense: "They have a great offense. They have great athletes - a quarterback that can run, a running back that can move. ... It's an all-around good team. We just have to come in, play ball and execute."

On whether the Oklahoma State offense resembles anyone in the SEC: "Mississippi State kind of did the same thing. Auburn did the same thing. Those are two teams we struggled against. Ever since our last performance against Mississippi State, we've really worked hard to polish up the mistakes we made in that game. We're trying to get that bad taste out of our mouth. Everybody looked at our last performance and said we can't play against the option. That's something that we have really been trying to get better at. We really have to take advantage of this next game to show everybody that we can play the option."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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