Sept. 10, 2001
KENTUCKY VS. INDIANA
FOOTBALL PRESS CONFERENCE
WILDCAT DEN
SEPTEMBER 10, 2001
HEAD COACH GUY MORRISS
On UK Offensively: “We felt good about the running game and how Shaneoperated the offense. The secondary played better than what wethought. Coach Nelson has done a good job with the special teams andthat’s always a vital part of the game, maybe more so this week.”
On first win: “I was pretty excited but I didn’t have much time tocelebrate. It felt good but you put it into perspective and we have a longway to go yet. Right now it’s just back to business. We have to preparefor our first road trip and get our guys ready with everything that goeswith traveling into a hostile environment.”
IU defense: “From the tape of the NC State game, their defense didn’t seemto change from last year. They are a little smaller defensive front thisyear but they are quicker. They are playing hard and they run well to thefootball.”
On quarterback Jared Lorenzen’s reaction to not starting: “Jared’s doingfine, obviously he was disappointed in not getting to play but he told methat he was a team guy and he’ll do everything he can to help get Shaneready and if the opportunity presents itself, he’ll be ready to play.”
On Indiana: “It is Indiana’s home opener and they’ll be jacked up. They’llbe looking for their first win and they feel they can beat us when we getup there. We have to have a good week of practice, prepare hard andhandle the distractions of the road trip and come out ready to play.”
On IU QB/WR Antwaan Randle El’s versatility: “Coach Cameron will do what hefeels will give him the best chance of winning the football game. If theyput him at QB or rotate two, we don’t know. After talking to John Goodner(UK defensive coordinator) he’s going to work it 50-50 so we are preparedfor both, but in the back of his mind, he knows we have to be prepared forhim at QB.”
On Randle El’s athleticism: “The biggest problem he presents is every timehe gets his hands on the football he can take it to the end zone. He’s atremendous athlete and he’s been in the system for four or fiveyears. He’s an outstanding football player and he makes things happen. Wehave to be aware of where he is at all times on Saturday.”
On Shane Boyd’s play: “We limited what we gave him last week and now hisresponsibility will be increasing. If he can handle it, he will remain thestarter. It depends on how he reacts and performs on Saturday and we’llmake a decision this time next week on where we go from there.”
On using two QB’s: “I don’t know if we have to go with two guys, if one guycan handle it that guy will get the majority of the snaps. The good thingabout Jared is that he has 12 games experience under his belt. He stillhas to have some playing time to stay sharp and we’ll try to work him intothe ballgame.”
Offense vs. Ball State: “They played pretty good once we got everybodysettled down and got Shane in a rhythm. I think what helped Chad Scott wasour offensive line was coming off the ball better. We went a little deeperin the package – use d the counter and the draw we can build on that. Westill have all sorts of wrinkles and things to add to the package. We’lljust try to build on our performance for this week.”
On Shane starting: “It was some of the things that Shane did that steadilyshowed he was capable of leading this team. Our thinking was that wewanted to see what Shane Boyd could do right away as opposed to coming offthe bench.”
On UK defensive players returning: “They are all veteran players andhopefully we’ll be a better defense than we were last week with those guysin there. These guys obviously will help us be better with the experiencefactor that they bring to the game.”
“The experienced players will make us a better defense this week. (Jeremy)Caudill will be back on the field Tuesday, Morris Lane will be back to helpour depth, Jeremy Bowie will be back and Jamal White is as good as athleteas we have on this football team he makes things happen out there. DavidJohnson is a veteran guy and Dewayne Robertson will be back full go thisweek. We should be close to full speed and full strength.”
OFFENSIVE TACKLE MATT BROWN
On getting the first win of the season: “It felt great to get the monkey off our backs and win a game. We hadn’t won for a while so it was good. From the first week to the second week we definitely got better, and now we expect to get better next week. We’ll just have to play our game and execute.”
On the rivalry with Indiana: “It is just a game we have to go out and try to win. It is just as important to win this game as any other. A win would help build our confidence going into SEC play.”
On comparing Shane Boyd and Jared Lorenzen: “He has a speed advantage, but it doesn’t really matter who plays, as long as we play well. It helps mix up our offense and makes it trickier for defenses stop. But we have practiced with them both so we are capable of playing with either one.”
CORNERBACK LEONARD BURRESS
On Indiana player Antwaan Randle El: “He is a great overall player. We will have to play a little differently defensively against a player like him. We’ll have to keep an eye on him no matter what position he is playing. The biggest threat to a defensive back is Antwaan at wide receiver because of his speed.”
On Ball State win: “It was a huge emotional win. We felt is was pretty much a must-win game. We are getting ready for a tough SEC schedule and wanted to have the confidence that a win can give us. A lot of weight came off our shoulders. Coach Morriss talked to us and gave us an emotional lift before the game and we carried that through the whole game.”
DEFENSIVE END CHRIS DEMAREE
On Indiana Quarterback Antwaan Randle El: “He causes a lot of problems for us. He is a great athlete and a great quarterback. He’s a great passer but in the open field he is hard to tackle. If we can make some tackles, we will be alright, but he is capable of making us miss.”
“In the open field he is probably one of the best athletes we will be going against. He can move. You think you have him and then he’s gone.”
“We just have to use common sense and look for the draw and option (when Randle El is playing) and when (Tommy Jones) is in we know they will be do more straightforward running and then throwing it.”
On Jamal White and Dewayne Robertson playing this week: “We get Jamal back at linebacker and Dewayne did not play most of the (Ball State) game, so we should be ready next week. We are excited to get Jamal back. It will be a big difference with both of them back, especially Jamal. He might be our best player on defense. He and Dewayne are definitely the best athletes we have on defense.”
“With everybody back, we should have a lot more three-and-outs in order to give us a rest.”
CENTER NOLAN DEVAUGHN
On the UK having only 50 offensive plays against Ball State compared to 80 against Louisville: “We certainly left the defense on the field too long. We need to sustain our drives longer and keep our defense rested.”
SAFETY DAVID JOHNSON
On Ball State game: “I thought the secondary played well. You can’t really judge our defense by the number of interceptions. We contribute in other ways, such as pass break-ups and tackles.”
On Indiana player Antwaan Randle El: “He’s going to be a threat wherever he is on the field, whether it’s quarterback or wide receiver. He can line up anywhere on the field and we have to do our best to contain and stop him.”
