Football Weekly Press Conference 08.31

Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt and quarterback Jevan Snead met with the media on Monday and discussed the Rebels' season opener against Memphis.

Houston Nutt

Opening Statement:

There is nothing like game week. We've had a good camp. Everybody is looking forward to this week. Today is our off day. We had a very good day yesterday. We had very good focus and concentration on Memphis. We're looking for a really good day tomorrow. Tomorrow will probably be our last day in full pads. We'll have a really good practice tomorrow and we will lighten up as we go along down the week.

What are the statuses of Brandon Bolden and Gerald Harris after the weekend?

The look good, they look good. I expect them to be full speed or real close to it by tomorrow. They bounced around much better. Brandon and Gerald both got a lot of reps yesterday. Neither of them showed any signs of tightness or soreness so I feel better about both of them. Gerald was probably about 85-90 percent yesterday so hopefully he will be much better tomorrow.

Injury-wise, is there anyone that you are worried about?

I'm not. I feel good about everybody right now. In talking to Tim Mullins, I think we are pretty healthy for the most part besides Justin Smith. Greg (Hardy) is just about there I think. He gets sore sometimes, but that is to be expected. He's really worked hard and I think he has a lot of confidence right now in his range of motion. I think he's going to be all right.

What does the depth on the offensive line look like?

We're trying to redshirt Logan (Clair). We talked to him before the season and I told him my goal was to redshirt him, but I don't know if I can guarantee it. What I mean by that is you never know what may happen. We want him to keep working hard as if you're going to play. Keep studying and keep working as if you are going to play. We are trying to redshirt him, which is why you see Tank (Williams) there. A.J. Hawkins is probably out next guard at either position. We can always move Reid around since he's an older guy. I think right now we would go with A.J. (Hawkins).

How much has the offense expanded due to the team's experience?

We've given Jevan (Snead) everything, he can do it all. That's not the problem. The problem is the inexperience on the line. We are picking and choosing. We have added a few wrinkles, but for the most part we've kept it the same. John Jerry has really done a good job of coaching some of our younger guys with some of these drop-back protections that we do. When you do go empty with four and five wideouts you know people are going to come after you. We just try to pick and choose our spots. We didn't just go overboard with adding a lot of new stuff, but there are just enough wrinkles that can help us. Jevan hasn't been the problem. He has really taken it to another level.

What worries you about the Memphis Tigers?

Memphis is always a game that has been a very tough, physical game over the years. They have two exceptional wideouts in (Carlos) Singleton and (Duke) Cahoun at 6-foot-9 and 6-foot-4. They have a quarterback that is back and probably a little more familiar with what they want to do. (Curtis) Steele, the running back, has improved, especially during the last part of last season. Defensively, we don't know of all of the changes. But just going by what we see, read and what we have seen on film, they have guys that can run around. I'm a little more concerned about our guys, making sure that we are ready to go this week. The first game you are always a little nervous because you are trying to cover everything and you have first-game jitters and all those things. This is an important week as we get towards game time.

Is it tough to prepare for Memphis' defense with the Tigers having another new Defensive Coordinator?

It's just Tommy West defense to me. He will be very much involved in that. Knowing Tommy, we feel like he has a real hand in it, and that is how we prepare for it.

How tough is it to evaluate Memphis' new transfer players?

That's the most difficult thing because you don't have much film on the guys. You don't really know how to truly give a report on each of these new guys. You go back with the guys that you know for sure are going to play. Then you look at the philosophy of Coach West and you just go from them preparing. I am more concerned about our guys preparing and what we are doing - blocking, tackling and special teams.

How do you make up for the height disadvantage going against Memphis' tall receivers?

That's what is very difficult, when you have a height advantage. You have to play great technique, get your eyes back, and time-it up. It takes everybody though. It takes the front and linebackers. Everybody has to do their job to help that corner out.

Which of the newcomers are going to play and which ones are going to redshirt?

Terrell Grant has been very good, and we would like to redshirt him, a big-bodied guy. Ja-Mes Logan is another guy that we'd like to redshirt but you just never now with injuries. Those guys have given us a great look, scout team-wise, but right now our intentions are to redshirt those guys. (Jesse) Grandy is going to play. We are going to role play that guy in different parts of the game.

Is it easier to get your team to believe in themselves this year with the high expectations?

Last year, I didn't know if we were going to get them to believe in themselves, it took us that long. Especially that Vanderbilt game, coming back in here Sunday, that's what sticks in my mind when you ask that question. I knew we were better than that, but we weren't showing it on the field. This is just different because our guys have been in this type of uncharted waters either. I would much rather it be this way. People are excited about football, our stadium is sold out. I love it being this way.

Would you like to see the Memphis series continue?

My experience, going into my second year, is that I love this game. I don't have that much to do with scheduling. Maybe it can get back on. I haven't really had a chance to sit down and talk about it with John Hartwell or Pete Boone. Maybe we will get the game back one day, it seem like a good series. Again, I don't have that much to do with it, so I don't put much effort into that part of it.

What does the depth in the secondary look like?

We started out thinking we had two safeties that we signed, that we going to be here. So that hurts you depth-wise. I have been real proud of Fon Ingram and Derrick Herman. Those are two guys that have to step up. That is an on-going problem that we have to keep addressing right now. Both of those guys have stepped up, but just haven't played when the lights go on, in a real game.

With all of the anticipation of the first game, do you fear your team being too hyped-up?

I don't ever worry about them being too keyed-up. I want them to be ready to go with a lot of energy and excitement. You should always be ready your first ballgame. You have waited a long time since the last time you played a game. You are looking forward to it. Our guys have a lot of respect for Memphis. It is going to be a great atmosphere.

What role will Greg Hardy have in the Memphis game?

Greg is going to have significant snaps. Probably won't be out there the very first play. We consider Greg a starter. He's had a really good camp. There have been times where he has looked very good. He has also been sore a few days, where we had to rest him a few days off and on. Overall, I am very pleased and I'm excited about getting him out on the field. I want him to get confidence in his foot. Hopefully he will be as good as ever.

How far has the secondary come in the year you have been here?

When we first got there that was the thing that we were told - the secondary isn't very good, the linebackers aren't very good and the offensive line has a lot of holes. That was the first statement we got from a lot of people. Really the linebackers have stepped up. Our secondary had some depth problems. We had to ask Marshay Green to move over from receiver last year; I think he has gotten better. Cassius Vaughn is the guy with the most experience who we really depend on. Between Cassius Vaughn, Marshay Green, Johnny Brown and Kendrick Lewis, you have a group there that has developed a lot of confidence and has gotten better. The front makes them better. Hopefully we can continue to improve.

How do you keep from letting your guard down against a team like Memphis?

We didn't approach it that way last year. We didn't approach any game like that. To me you get 12 guaranteed opportunities. When that bell goes off, what an awesome responsibility that you have. We will play extremely hard; there is no question in my mind. We're excited about it.

Is anything settled in the kick return game?

Kickoff return right now looks like Brandon Bolden and Cordera Eason. It kind of depends on how Brandon feels the rest of the week. We aren't afraid to put Derrick Herman in there. Between Derrick Herman, Cassius Vaughn, Bolden, Eason and Marshay, you feel like you have enough to draw from. Hopefully Brandon is going to feel good enough to do it along with Cordera Eason. The next guy would be Derrick Herman.

Is anything settled in the kicking game?

Justin Sparks is going to be our punter. Tyler (Campbell) is ready to go, he has done a good job for us. You feel good about both of the freshmen, Andrew Ritter and Tyler Campbell. Justin gives us a little more experience and he has done exceptional throughout camp. For kickoffs, we are going to go with Andrew Ritter.

Do you fear a team like Memphis with that nothing-to-lose attitude?

I don't approach a game like that. This is our first game, our opener. We're going to buckle both chinstraps. We have a lot of respect for Memphis. We are going to come to play and come very hard. This is how you get your season kicked off. There is nothing like a season opener, home or away. We are going to have a lot of fans right there in Memphis, so we are looking forward to it.

What are the keys to victory against Memphis?

It always comes down to these three things - take care of the ball, win the turnover margin, and defensively, don't give up the big play. Also have an excellent special teams game. If you look across the country at the first games, most of the mistakes come in the kicking game. It just happens that way. A lot of times people don't spend enough time on it. We try to spend a lot of time on our kicking situations. That is the area to me that will set you apart.

Do you feel your team needs to come out and dominate in the season opener to live up to the hype?

I am not really worried about proving this or that. What I want to do is to come out and play really hard for sixty minutes. I want to play mistake-free football and win the turnover margin. I just think we need to concentrate on football, it is the greatest game in the world and one of the most fun games. We are just going to go out there and have fun and play the game how we coached them to play. that is the bottom line.

How important is this game being the last game in the series and getting the Memphis recruiting exposure?

It will be really good. I am excited about that part of it and we can get a lot of good feedback from the Memphis area. It is the only game on national television on Sunday so this could help us.

What did you see in Tim Simon at the beginning of camp to keep him at running back and what does he and the other freshman need to do to get playing time?

We saw from the very first time the way he runs with his pads at 228 lbs. He just seems very natural back there. He is hard to tackle and very tough so that got us excited. He wanted to play that position and that is where we recruited him so we wanted to make sure that we gave him every opportunity. When you have the numbers we do at running back, we told him you're going to get your opportunity, so be ready.

Jevan Snead

What is the difference in the comfort level today from a year ago?

Getting that year under my belt has really made not only myself a lot more comfortable, but I feel that the rest of the players feel that way as well. We've had that year to get to know the system and get to know how each of us, as players, fit. We're probably a lot more comfortable this time as opposed to last year.

Do you feel the team has something to prove against Memphis?

I'm really not focused on that at all. I feel that we need to just go out there as a team and play the best we can play and do everything we possibly can to win the game. Whatever people are saying is not going to affect how we play. We're going to do everything we can to go out there and get a victory.

Is one of the team's goals to keep a level of consistency?

Definitely, we have got to be consistent and take care of the football and not start off with the mistakes we made at the beginning of last year. We kind of tripped up and stumbled at the beginning of last season and that's one of the things we're working on - to get going quicker and try not to make those mistakes.

What kinds of problems do you think Memphis will give you?

They are a great team and we have been looking at a bunch of stuff they have been doing. They've got some new guys on their team and we saw some of the stuff they were doing towards the end of the year last year with some of their blitzing and things like that. Anytime you play a good team you're always going to have some trouble.

What was the biggest difference for you personally in preparing for this year's game as opposed to last year's season opener?

I think the biggest difference right now is the confidence level and how much of the offense we know. I know myself that I am confident and comfortable in the system this year and I feel like we can bring a lot more to the table.

Do you see Memphis as a team that can present a lot of problems because they come in having nothing to lose?

Definitely, they are a good team and we have to prepare for them just like we would anyone else. People said the same thing about us going into last year that we really didn't have much to lose, so it's always dangerous when you have a team that is not supposed to win a game. We've got to prepare for them. They are always tough.

Since their defensive coordinator keeps changing, is it hard to prepare not knowing what to expect?

Yeah, we kind of know what to expect, but there are always some things that are going to be different so we've got to be prepared for their change and adjust to it.

Being the first quarterback since Eli Manning to have your own podium, how do you feel all the hype around you going into the season?

It wasn't my idea. I was just told to be here and I showed up. I feel honored to be mentioned in the same sentence as Eli or any great quarterback.

Is it hard to gameplan for their defense with the amount of transfers they have coming in?

We kind of have a feel for what they are going to do defensively. We have been scouting those players individually and seen what their tendency's are. But as far as the defense as a whole, I feel like they can get a pretty good feel.

Would you consider the team fired up?

Definitely, I don't think this team has ever been more excited going into a season. I know personally, I have been waiting for this day since spring and all throughout the summer. We are ready to go.

Are you more of a film study guy or more of an instinctive guy on the field? Which is more important to you?

I definitely like to know what I am going up against so I like to get into the film room, but at the same time you have to rely on your instincts some. Coach (Kent) Austin always says that the main key is preparation and I've really taken that to heart.

Were you able to get your timing down with the new receivers coming in this fall?

Anytime young guys come in like that it takes time to get adjusted to them, but they've really done a great job in camp up to this point, so I feel comfortable with them. I know what they are going to do most of the time, but they are still young and make a mistake here and there. I really do feel comfortable with them and am just ready to see them play.

How important do you guys feel it is to come out and dominate in the opener and live up to all the hype?

Like I said earlier, it's not so much about the hype to me or to the team, but it's definitely good for us as a team if we go out there and put a solid game together and eliminate some of those turnovers and the mistakes. There are always going to be some stumbles in the beginning, but we would like to get them taken care of as soon as possible.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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