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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Houston Nutt Press Conference: 08.29
8/29/2011 | Football
Aug. 29, 2011
Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt met with the media on Monday and discussed the Rebels' season opener against BYU.
Opening Comments:
"It is here and we are excited. There is nothing like game week especially after the off-season, camp and all the investments and sacrifices. It should be an exciting opener. We are playing a team that is coming off a high last five or six games last season. They won a bowl game. They are a good experienced group and have a quarterback that has a lot of confidence. I am looking forward to seeing our stadium on Saturday at 3:45. I am anxious to see our players. It is a new group, a new attitude and it is a brand new season."
On newcomers:
"That is what is so much fun. It is a new year with new faces, names and attitudes. I don't know what we have. I know what they have put into it and how hard they have worked. We put them through a grind. It is time to take the training wheels off. You have to go play for real and hope you put in enough work that they can go out and play well. When you watch film and evaluate these guys you feel like you know them. They are competitive in spirit. They have raised the level of our team starting this summer. Chief Brown, Cody Prewitt, Aaron Morris, Justin Bell, Keith Lewis, C.J. Johnson, Ethan Hutson and Serderius Bryant are all guys have won a lot of games. They weren't afraid to come to play. The receivers have a competitive spirit and they love to play football. If they stay here four or five years it will be a special time at Ole Miss. I never thought Cody Prewitt would be this far along. A lot of times in our league it takes a while to develop. Sometimes when you have injuries you need them. They are getting reps but it is a grind. The pace is fast and intense. I could not be prouder. I am very proud of the class and they have lived up to and exceeded expectations."
On Barry Brunetti:
"This time last year we did not know the outcome of the Masoli situation. Barry Brunetti has been here since January and has gotten a lot of good reps. We named him the starter this past weekend and he has been the most accountable and has been there. It is a good thing that we know who is going to play. It is not going to be a surprise. I am excited about Barry and how hard he has worked."
On this year's squad:
"I do feel better about this team simply because I know how hard they've worked. Our summer was much better and our camp was much harder this year. Last year we assumed that they would dominate and carry us until the offense got ready. We are much closer as a team now with chemistry and unity."
On Kentrell Lockett:
"There is nothing like leadership and experience in the locker room. That is why he is a captain again this year. He has not been able to go every single day. There are times when he has had to have his knee drained, but he keeps coming back. I don't know how many plays he can get. It will be a pretty good amount of plays and make a pretty good ballgame for him, but we do not know the number. We will watch him closely. He has rehabbed hard and his leg is awfully strong but he has had four surgeries."
On starting the season against BYU:
"BYU is on the schedule and that is all we have been thinking about. They are a good football team. I know our fans love it. I don't have much to do with scheduling. There is nothing we can do but look forward to BYU. We have been looking forward to BYU since the off-season started."
On BYU:
"I know that Bronco Mendenhall and his team will be tough. They will be smart and disciplined. They have a quarterback coming back with a lot of confidence and experience. They have receivers that are tall and some big offensive linemen. They have a good football team. There is nothing like momentum coming off a bowl victory in the off-season. It gives your team a lot of confidence and hope. They are tough, experienced and disciplined. They don't beat themselves.The humidity could be a factor for them. It has been one of the hottest summers to date. Once the game kicks off and the sun goes down, we will see. The humidity is definitely different."
On the importance of a strong start:
"There is no doubt about it that in the first game you need to get off on the right foot. It is very important. We would not approach it any other way. Our players know that and respect BYU. They know they have a good football team. This is a big game, a new start and a new season. Everyone is very anxious. It is hard to believe it is game week. They have had some time off, but now we are into the regular season routine. I cannot wait for practice tomorrow and see how they approach game week. There is no doubt about it; this is a big game."
On young players:
"I have never used this many. Donte Moncrief, Nickolas Brassell, Collins Moore and Tobias Singleton are a good group that has gotten a lot of reps. They do not know everything but they are so much further along than I thought they'd be. I think you will see a group that will go out and compete very hard. We have to make sure they are lined up right and not too tight when the first whistle blows. They have come a long way and learned so much. They are true players and are very mature for their age."
On Aaron Garbutt:
"The thing about Aaron is that he is very physical and plays like a linebacker. He has coverage skills. He has been really helpful to us. Damien Jackson feels better at the safety position. He has a lot of experience so we moved him back there. I think our ability to move around guys that are playmakers will give us the chance to have the best 11 on the field. Aaron was not here in the spring but he came on in a hurry by being physical, studying the play book and he showed up in the scrimmages."
On offensive and defensive lines:
"Those are the trenches. We try to spend a lot of time on those. Defensively last year we felt we were solid and had a lot of experience. We just didn't play with that experience and passion. Justin Smith, Kentrell Lockett, Wayne Dorsey, Byron Bennett, Carlton Martin, Gilbert Pena and Uriah Grant have to get it done for us. There is a hunger there when they are chasing the ball. We aren't as big but they have quickness. I can't wait to see them play. I do know what I have seen is that they will lay it on the line and play hard and physical. This is the biggest we've ever been at the offensive line, but that does not mean anything unless we hit moving targets. I feel good about Bradley Sowell, Matt Hall, A.J. Hawkins, Patrick Junen, Aaron Morris and Alex Washington. Those are the guys we have to live with and I am anxious to see them play."
On Jeff Scott:
"I think he has better hands. He has worked really hard at catching the ball. He is fast; one of the fastest on our team. We will use him on special teams. This time last year I never thought he would be a punt returner. We didn't know he could catch a punt. We know he can handle the ball at tailback. He will have a tremendous role. He can play a slot position. He has added pounds so now he is 175 and I think that is a perfect weight. He is bigger, stronger and understands the offense better. He felt he could run between tackles at 160 pounds so I think this gives him more confidence. He has a tough mentality."
On relinquishing play-calling duties:
"This has been a good thing. I have a lot of trust in David Lee. He has done a great job with organization and getting things ready. Gunter Brewer has done an unbelievable job. I have never seen our guys this anxious to go throw a ball when coaches cannot be on the field. That is one of my pet peeves. I like guys to be gym rats. We didn't have that much before because there are so many things to do and one of the last things they want to do is go play catch. This summer a lot of guys ran more and threw and caught more together. It really gave me a chance to watch them more on defense, watch them in drills and encourage them. On special teams I was able to be at more meetings. When you are the play caller your mind is on this series and the series that is coming next. You are so wrapped up in it. I was able to let go and will have time to manage the game better."
On older BYU players:
"I wish I had a few more 25 or 26 year old guys. There is a difference when a guy is able to grow up and learn from life experiences with a commitment like they make. That's a great feeling as a coach to have that kind of maturity. We don't have that luxury. Some of these freshmen probably should be in a redshirt, but they have to play now. They are going to have to grow. The good thing is that they are athletic and I am glad they are here with us. It is what it is. BYU has a good thing going where they are able to do that."
On the season opener:
"We want to be successful. I think David Lee will call every play to be successful. It is going to be exciting. Whether it is a hand off, a double reverse pass or a throw back to the quarterback, I hope the fans are cheering. Everyone has to do their job. I have not been zeroed in on what the first play is going to be. I am more zeroed in on our coverage lanes, protection and asking if we hit every rule on a blocked punt to know when to scoop and score or to get away from the ball. Those things have been on my mind more this year than what the first play will be."
On quarterbacks:
"They have been really good. I don't think there is anybody that coaches the way David Lee does. He can get it done. He will do the best job and have them ready. He can take quarterbacks that have not played on this level in college and make sure they are ready. He can show them how to take care of the ball and stay away from disaster. I feel so much better this week than I did last week and the week previous to that. They just keep getting better. Now they have to play."
