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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Houston Nutt Press Conference: 09.26
9/26/2011 | Football
Sept. 26, 2011
Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt met with the media on Monday and discussed the Rebels' loss to Georgia and this weekend's trip to Fresno State.
Opening Comments:
"After watching film again and grading and evaluating everyone, I thought we played extremely hard. We have to continue the same thing that we always talk about which is we cannot make mistakes. We are making just enough mistakes, along with getting a couple touchdowns called back, that are too hard to overcome. We have to execute and everyone has to take care of their jobs without making mistakes. I think we could become a good offense. Our kicking team and our special teams have been outstanding. We have to keep that going. They have been playing with a lot of enthusiasm and passion. That has helped us be in every ball game. I was excited about our level of enthusiasm and the energy that we had. We have to continue with that and continue to get better."
On adjusting to injuries:
"That has been our biggest adjustment. We have not adjusted to that yet. That has been something we have relied and depended on. It has been really hard. As you know, we have to have a running game. I feel like Enrique [Davis] should be closer to full speed this week. Devin Thomas and Jeff Scott are playing well. Brandon [Bolden] keeps coming along. I hope we can get back to having our running backs in the game."
On the run game vs. Fresno State last year:
"Last year a healthy Brandon Bolden and Enrique Davis looked good in the first half. They were really physical up front. We were hitting on all cylinders. That was a good night. We played a good football team, and will again this year. Teams like Fresno State will play against anybody. They are not scared of anyone. Pat Hill has always had the reputation that he will play anybody, anywhere. They are a very tough, hard-nosed football team."
On team confidence:
"After talking to them and watching their body language on Sunday, I feel good about these guys. I feel good about their confidence. Naturally, you gain confidence by winning and having success. It is hard when you don't have success. You have to keep building and knowing that it is there and it is coming. You anticipate success and keep working to achieve it."
On Bryon Bennett:
"He had two tackles for losses. He is active in the game. Since day one he has been quick and physical. He gives us a presence. Gilbert Pena is getting healthier. Uriah Grant and Carlton Martin are getting better. We have to keep getting better and working hard. Bryon has confidence and keeps making plays for us, which is great."
On Carlton Martin:
"It is hard to pin point one thing about him. He has not been the same player that he was in the spring. Coach Price is trying to get that out of him. He has all the ability in the world. He is strong and has to take practice techniques to the game and turn them lose. He is thinking too much at times. There is no time for that. He has to be on auto-pilot, go off blocks and make plays for us. He is capable of doing that."
On the importance of the Fresno State game:
"Every game is so important and this is the most important one of the year without question. It is a long trip and we have to have a great week this week [in practice]. We have to get after them from start to finish. It is very important."
On Tyler Campbell:
"Tyler Campbell has been doing an awesome job for us. His hang time has been so much better this year and we have had time to cover. He is placing the ball for us. The rugby kick is another weapon, especially when you go against teams like Georgia who have two game-breaking return men. We kept them bottled up where they couldn't touch the ball. That was a big time play on Tyler's part."
On Fresno State:
Fresno State has a good offense. Derek Carr is an excellent quarterback. They have good receivers and good tailbacks. You know that they are going to be hard-nosed and run the football. They were very similar last year. They are a wide open team and throw some good balls with precise routes. The timing between Carr and his receivers is very good. They are an outstanding football team. They gave Nebraska all they wanted and are playing with a lot of confidence."
On current recruits:
"The ones that I have talked to have been doing really well. The ones that are committed stand firm and believe with us. Many of them were here Saturday. They are excited and love the atmosphere. I am asking them to look at the guys that are playing now. I want them to see that we aren't afraid to play freshmen. They will have a great opportunity. Good things are happening here and I want them to hang with us. When they make phone calls to us that is a positive sign. That is a sign of a real relationship. They are interested in Ole Miss and what we have going on here."
On travel distance and game day preparation:
"We can't look at the distance. We are full-steam ahead. We are looking forward to a great trip. We need to have great preparation this week. We are going to play at a beautiful stadium with brand new turf and it is a beautiful place. There can't be any distractions. We cannot worry about time zones. The bottom line is that kick off is at 6:15 west coast time and we have to be ready to play."
On Texas A&M joining the SEC:
"That is about the last thing on my mind right now. I don't blame other schools for wanting to jump into our conference. It is an awesome conference and all the stadiums are full. However, that is the last thing on my mind. I am going to let the chancellors and Commissioner Mike Slive handle that. I trust them to pick the right schools to join us. That seems to be the nature of things right now with adding teams and turning into a league of 14-16 teams of athletic superpowers."
On Nickolas Brassell:
"Nick was an exciting and fun player to watch on Saturday. He is really coming into his own. He is getting comfortable at defensive back where he is getting 12-15 plays, and on offense where he is getting about the same amount. I see things going up for him. He will continue to get more plays. He is an explosive player on offense, punt returning, kick returning or whatever it may be. He is also good at defending our opponent's best receivers. I think his role is going to continue to improve and we will put more on him"
On Georgia's tight ends:
"They are very quick, big, can block and can complete play action plays. Before you know it, they are into a route. When you have good backs like Georiga has, they have to be honored. Tight ends become so involved and get so open when you have good backs. They are good players."
On Barry Brunetti:
"I think he is going to get another shot. We have to wait our time and he knows that. He has been practicing very well with the limited time he has been given. He will get his chance. He just hasn't played. It isn't exactly one thing that is keeping him out of games. He is a good runner and is a smart young quarterback. Like many players, he is inexperienced. He is very talented and I think good things will happen for him. I don't know when, but good things will happen for him."
On Georgia's defense:
"In the summer we always watch one or two games from last year and then we watch all of the games from this year. They have improved and they are very athletic. They have two big guys in the middle and their ends and the secondary are so fast. Jarvis Jones is a player you have to really account for. Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith are really fast and are very good. They have size and speed just like every team in the SEC. The improvement I saw was in their size, speed and quickness."
