Houston Nutt Press Conference: 09.20

Sept. 20, 2010

Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt met with the media on Monday and discussed the Rebels' last game against Vanderbilt and upcoming game against Fresno State.

Opening Comments:

"Fresno State is probably the best team we will have played all year. They're a really good football team. They always play hard. They do a good job both offensively and defensively. Their defense does not give up points easily. They have linebackers and defensive front guys that are very active and aggressive. Their corners do a good job. We have to get back on the practice field tomorrow and have a great plan. This is a good football team that has been in different arenas. They've played Illinois and have played other big teams. The arenas don't bother them. Coach [Pat] Hill does an outstanding job. We are going to make some moves on the offensive line. We are going to give a few more looks to Jared Duke, Emmanuel McCray, Patrick Junen (and Logan Clair) inside at guard. We have to get them going and do a better job up front. We have to get our running game going and get better in our passing game. All of that starts up front. We knew coming in that we had a younger group, but we just feel like we can get more production from them, and we have to give those guys a chance. After watching that film I think our guys see that they had their opportunities to make some plays, and that is what is frustrating. Nobody hates it more than they do. Nobody hates it more than the coaches, and that's what we're trying to get corrected so we can get it going."

On overcoming a slow start to the season:

"It is the mindset we have to focus on. Our seniors have to play their best football. We have to rely on Jerrell Powe, Kentrell Lockett, Lawon Scott, Jonathan Cornell and Johnny Brown. Those guys will put their stamp on our team and keep it going. It's about keeping up the fight. Anybody can let go of the rope and say that it's someone else's fault. It's about maintaining a believing attitude. I really believe in these guys and I'm going to let them know that every single day when they hit the field. You either get better or you get worse. The one thing they've always said is that our teams play the hardest. That is one thing I am really going to push for. We have always been known for playing at the highest level, and I want to be known for doing that. We have to make sure that everyone is playing very hard. I can live with whatever happens if they play their hardest and give themselves the best opportunity to win. The best way to do that is to keep believing, tune out everything else, keep a focus, and go to work."

On if the players are playing under too much pressure:

"I know they want to win. There is only one way to spell fun, and you have to have a celebrating locker room with a w-i-n. It was a shocker to lose the first game of the season, but I thought we did a good job turning it around the next week on the road. When you look at Vanderbilt, they didn't beat themselves. We had opportunities. We left between 17 and 24 points on the field. Our defense really just gave up fourteen points. What they can't do is give up the 80-yard play. That was a back-breaking play. We have to get our confidence and swagger back, and the way we do that is by making plays and playing hard."

On incorporating Masoli into the offense:

"Jeremiah has been a good teammate. He has done everything we have asked him to do. He is a veteran and has experience to come in here and want to be accepted and learn to do things the way we do them. We are running more option with him because that's what he's done in the past, but as far as that goes it makes it easier than a guy that is coming in here new with no experience."

On making adjustments in the offense for Masoli:

"We do run a little more option and some things that he has always done."

On the biggest difficulty with the Masoli transition:

"It hasn't been that difficult with him, but it has been difficult in other ways. The guys that are brand new faces on the field playing their first college games are what is hard. This is hard, especially the middle of the offensive line. If we had Dexter McCluster and Michael Wallace, you might not be asking these questions. You have a different supporting cast that is trying hard and getting better, but we have a little ways to go."

On Masoli's performance for the first three games:

"He did alright the first couple of games. In this last game, we would have liked him to take care of the ball more. He is probably trying to do a little too much and be Superman on every play. There are some things that he forced, and he knows that. We emphasized that very hard yesterday. He just needs to take care of the ball more and realize that every play is not all on him. I think sometimes he feels like he has to make a play and does a little bit of forcing the issue, and we don't want him to do that."

On searching for a team identity:

"Coming into the season, I felt like our defense was going to be our backbone. We had the most seniors there, and they had played the most. Most of the captains were on the defensive side. When things don't go the way you planned, there is naturally a little bit of hesitancy stepping out there because there is a sense of questioning, and you lose confidence in yourself. We have a good team, but we are a team that has to hit on all cylinders to be successful. Everybody has to play their best and at all high level with no turnovers or gifts to the other team. We aren't good enough to give points to the other team. I think we have to keep fighting. It starts with our seniors, and that is the bottom line. There is nothing like the dose of medicine that you need, and that is a win."

On Pat Hill and the Fresno State program:

"I know Coach Hill pretty well. He has done a very good job. He has the ability to go get any type of player. If you look back at his program, it always comes back to toughness, being hard nosed, playing for sixty minutes, and they don't care who it is. Whether it is USC, Illinois or BYU, they don't care who it is. You really have to respect that."

On the starting offensive line:

"Starting out, we are going to see how things go here early. Again, Patrick Junen, Jared Duke, Emmanuel McCray (and Logan Clair) are going to get real looks. To pencil in a starting five right now can't be done. Michael Brown has been doing some good things. We are trying to find the best, toughest guys who are going to compete hard and we'll go from there. The chemistry will follow that recipe."

On Fresno State's QB:

"Fresno State has an outstanding quarterback. He is a lefty and is very accurate. He has two good receivers. Knowing Pat Hill, he still likes to run the football and loves play action. He has a good mixture, so we have to do a good job defending and putting pressure on him. He is a guy that does a good job with pressure, and who throws the football extremely well."

On the running game:

"We have to do better blocking. I want Brandon Bolden and Enrique [Davis] to be who they are on the field, and that is down-hill runners. They need to not dance or side-step, but just hit it and go. They'll be the first to tell you that they don't get that many opportunities, but when they do, they can't miss. They have to stay with the scheme, keep running hard, and when the holes open up they have to hit them and keep going. When that crease happens they have to be there and be ready to go. I know they would say they haven't played their best game yet."

On Josh Tatum:

"He was limping around yesterday and is still not one hundred percent. He will be a little bit behind those guys. We have to be full speed right now, and he's trying to get back into it."

On the defensive line:

"We put a lot on our defensive group because they are our most experienced. They haven't played their best game either. These guys have gotten better in the last few games, but we put a lot on them. Those are the guys that have played a lot of SEC snaps. [Jerrell] Powe, Lawon Scott, LaMark Armour and Kentrell Lockett are depended upon heavily. I'm looking for their leadership and their best football coming up. Compared to last year, they had a lot more experience. Kendrick Lewis playing for the Chiefs and Marshay Green who is playing for Arizona gave us a good mix with the older guys, and you have to realize that it is different now from the front end to the back end. That is the biggest difference."

On Jeff Scott and Cameron Whigham:

"They are getting better and will be practicing tomorrow. We are looking to them to get going."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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