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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Houston Nutt Press Conference: 09.27
9/27/2010 | Football
Sept. 27, 2010
Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt met with the media on Monday and discussed the Rebels' win over Fresno State and upcoming game against Kentucky
Opening Comment:
"We are anxious to get going again. We had a good day Sunday. It is always good to come back out on the field after a win. It feels good to watch that film, put it to bed, and now we get ready to get back into the SEC against Kentucky. That last game we got a few guys hurt. Kentrell Lockett, first and foremost, is a leader, and I hate it for him and for us. He has been a tremendous leader in the locker room, and has been a true warrior. We hate it for him and we're going to miss him. Johnny Brown and Enrique Davis, we are still not sure about, but we will know more in the next day or two where they stand. It doesn't look good, but guys have to step up like we have been telling them all year long. I am really proud of young guys who played, like Patrick Junen. He stepped in there as a true freshman, made some mistakes, but competed hard. That's all we could ask for. We were physical. Our running backs ran hard. Jeremiah Masoli eliminated a lot of critical errors from the previous week. We want him to continue on that, protect the ball better, and keep executing. We are getting back into SEC play, and we have to get ready to go."
On Kentrell Lockett's condition:
"I haven't talked to him specifically about a medical redshirt. Just guessing, I think he would like to come back. We will see, but you don't petition for it until after the season. We will see how that goes."
On Brandon Bolden:
"He has been running hard, and Enrique [Davis] was running hard. When he found out Enrique [Davis] was hurt, he stepped it up. I think Rodney Scott and Jeff Scott stepped it up. I was proud of all the back on how they ran. There were some holes there for the first time. There were true running lanes. You don't always get that, so you have to get the tough yardage, the YACs, yards after contact. We just want him to keep playing. He played very, very hard, and I think he'll step it up. He is very capable, and we have to keep him going."
On defensive progress and D.T. Shackelford:
"I didn't seen him that much Sunday. Cameron Wiggam is running well again. That will help us. We have Wayne Dorsey, Cameron Whigham, and Jason Jones ready to go. We will continue using D.T. [Shackelford]. Delvin Jones will get more repetitions. Those guys have to keep absorbing, study, and keep getting better. It's not easy, even for a junior college guy like Wayne Dorsey. It takes time for them to really feel the speed of this league that we're in. It is not easy. I have confidence in those guys. They have to get to practice and go to work."
On Melvin Harris:
"He played really well for us. He's a threat. We have to have him play at that level every single Saturday. His attitude has been great. He had a good week of practice and felt that he was going to play well. We have to remember to take shots and give him an opportunity to go up and get the ball. He has an advantage with his height. He did really well without the ball, and he blocked very well. We are proud of Melvin and we want him to keep growing and getting better."
On Kentucky and Randall Cobb:
"Randall Cobb is a tremendous athlete. They really move him around and try to get him the ball in different ways. He is just a really good football player. We have to know where he is located at all times. We have to keep up with him. Joker Phillips has done a good job with this group. They play hard and will be a faster group than we witnessed last Saturday. We are jumping back into the SEC. They run to the ball on defense and have been scoring a lot of points. There were a couple games that got out of hand, but they can execute. Their quarterback does a good job of executing. They have tall receivers, you have Cobb in the mix, and their fullback [Allen] is really a good football player. They do a good job mixing things up with the run. We have to do a good job defensively. We will keep coaching our guys up, keep staying in good position, and keep working."
On Jeff Scott:
"He has great speed. You don't have to hold a block quite as long with him. The secondary has to take good angles, because he can fly. What he brings to the table is a different type of back. He has a quick step and we are really excited about using him in different ways. We would be further along if he had not gotten hurt, and he needs to stay healthy. I think the speed of the game and taking care of the ball are the biggest keys for him. He is exciting, and we can hopefully keep him on the field."
On the offensive line:
"I was proud of them. This is a different group to start. AJ Hawkins played his best game as an Ole Miss Rebel, and he played very physical most of the night. Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell really hustled. If you watch Bradley's film closely, you'll see he really hustled down the field. He is really trying to finish his blocks and go out hustling. Bobby Massie has gotten better on pass sets, so we feel good about that. The new guys we weren't sure about like Patrick Junen and Logan Clair, both who have never played, stepped up. Logan [Clair] showed some real strength, but he has to get better. He has to be a step quicker this week. They have a couple guys who are strong, fast, and will spin on you. We have to be sound fundamentally, and know what to do so we can play fast."
On the pass defense:
"We have a lot of improvements to make. We have to get into better position. We have to give them some help and get some rush defense. It is hard in this league to go man-to-man, but we are going to ask them to do that a little bit. They can't cover everyone on the field for a long time without help. We have to rush the passer. Overall, I know we can do better. We have to do a better job of getting those guys in the right position, playing the ball in the air, going to attack, and being physical. Hopefully, we can get some turnovers along the way."
On Jonathan Cornell:
"He is the most experienced guy we have. He has played a lot in the SEC, and that really helps. Our young guys are finding that out. It is different from Friday night football. Jonathan [Cornell] has played a lot of snaps, has good instincts, deciphers the plays, can see when when a draw, screen, or counter is coming, where a younger player would be trying to figure out what is coming. He has been very quick playing the run, blitzing well, and getting back into pass defense. I have been really proud of him."
On first time players:
"Saturday night was the best of the year for our young players. We put a lot on them, and they played with passion and heart. They laid it all out there. They made some mistakes, but as long as they are playing full speed, we can live with it. Saturday night, they did that, and now we just want to build off of that and get better."
On the first home win:
"I realize it is hard to go back-to-back-to-back at home. I really appreciated how many fans showed up. It is a great feeling to see so many fans in the stands. Our players really appreciated it. I know its not easy for families to make it here three weekends almost in a row, but we are really grateful for the support. Our students were very good, got there early, and were loud."
