Oct. 1, 2001
KENTUCKY VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
FOOTBALL PRESS CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 1, 2001
WILDCAT DEN
Head Coach Guy Morriss
On personnel changes for more size at WR: “I don’t think you should substitute size for speed. I think when we get Brad Pyatt back it will help us – he’s heavier and stronger than (Derek) Abney and (Ernest) Simms and hopefully you’ll see a lot of Brad. He’ll definitely figure into our plans.”
On WR’s: “I think they were pressing a little bit and they were trying to make things happen. Coach (Harold) Jackson addressed that yesterday in our meetings, just going over the elementary things and concentration problems.”
On starting QB vs. USC: “We haven’t even talked about quarterbacks yet this morning, we’re trying to get a handle on their defense. I don’t know if we need to tell Coach (Lou) Holtz anything at this point anyway – we’ll wait and see, as we have all day to finish staff meetings and a half day tomorrow to think about.”
On QB’s vs. Ole Miss: “I thought there were some very positive things on both their parts and some things that both need to work at. Was there a big difference in the way each one played? No, not particularly, it’s a matter of which one at this particular time gives us the best opportunity to be successful.”
On defense vs. Ole Miss: “After looking at tapes and talking to Coach (John) Goodner, the kids a lot of times were in position to make the play but we didn’t come up with the plays. We couldn’t get off the field on third down. We’ve got to go back and determine what we’re doing on third down that may be causing the problem.”
On Holtz going from 0-11 (1999) to No. 12 (2001): “They took their lumps but the they implemented his philosophy and the things that he wanted to do. The thing I see in South Carolina is that they are playing extremely hard. That is one of the major things that we are trying to get our kids to buy into on a weekly basis. We don’t want to be a roller-coaster football team. But when you’re implementing a new system and making philosophical changes, just playing hard every week is kind of a significant step. These things take time.”
On Coach Holtz: “I like Coach Holtz, he’s a great motivator and has an excellent sense of humor. He can find humor in just about any type of situation. He’s got a lot of experience and I have a lot of respect for what he’s done at South Carolina and his career.”
On criticism: “I’m like an old piece of shoe leather, I’ve broken a few huddles and been around the block. I’m not that sensitive, I know there is going to be some criticism and frustration. People want us to be successful but anytime you make change there are people who are unhappy. I’ve dealt with the toughest media in the country and 11 years with the most vocal and demanding football fans in the country at Philadelphia. It’s all part of the job and I knew that coming in.”
On South Carolina: “You look at them and they got it together – they believe in Coach Holtz and believe in him and what he’s doing. They have great players and are in the frame of mind that they can’t be beat. They’re off to a great start and they’re playing with a lot confidence right now.”
On playing on road for first time this season: “I think the challenges are there whether you’re struggling or not. The thing that concerns me is a coach is how we’re going to handle distractions. You’re not in a comfortable environment anymore. Some of our kids have never flown on a plane before. We as coaches have to assure them that we’re not going to concern ourselves with little things, we’re here to win a football game.”
Wide Receiver Dougie Allen
“I am doing good and I am healthy, but I have to keep working hard. I need to run better routes and watch more film. I basically have to continue to do the little things to keep getting better.”
Center Nolan DeVaughn
“We cannot sit around and whine about it (losing) because that does us no good. We’re getting better and I think we will win some games.”
Defensive End Otis Grigsby
On Ole Miss: “We have to give them a lot of credit. The came out and played very smart against us.”
On the defense: “We don’t like to look at the stats, they can be misleading. I believe we have a lot of potential. We are just one step away from being a good defense. And everyone is encouraged by that.”
Running Back Martez Johnson
On South Carolina: “They’re playing very well right now. And we know that we can play well. We just have to get all three parts of our team to perform well. If the offense, defense and special teams can all have good games, we will be OK.”
On the first road trip of the season: “I am ready to go on the road. It will be good to go to someone else’s backyard. I want to see how we will respond to a different environment.”
Cornerback Derrick Tatum
“It seems teams are taking advantage of our mistakes. We have to keep working hard in order to avoid those mistakes. I’m very confident in our schemes. Our coaches are making good calls, but we as players are not making plays.”
“The games are not going to get any easier. We need to strap down this week or we could be in trouble. This game (vs. South Carolina) is very important. If we want to go to a bowl game – or even be competitive, we need to win this game. Right now this is the most important game.”
Safety Patrick Wiggins
On defense: “We are very confident in the ability and the scheme of our defense. There are a lot of things we need to work on. We all have a lot of responsibilities. But we are really close to making the improvement we want.”
