Oct. 14, 2002
Head Coach Guy Morriss
On Saturday’s loss to South Carolina…
“It was very similar to the Florida game. We made too many mistakes. We don’t have that margin of error against the competition we play. We have some things we have to get corrected. Even through all the game, and some of the not-so-good things we did, we were still in position to win the football game. I think the kids realize that, so we just have to get those little things corrected.”
On losing close games and the state of the team afterwards…
“Being close is not good enough. It’s just a matter of us staying the course. We’re not going to panic or make a lot of changes. Our kids believe in what we’re doing, it’s just a matter of getting the next step out of those young men.”
On his discussions with offensive coordinator Brent Pease before the final drive…
“When it was obvious that we were going to get the ball back, we began to talk about being aggressive. I’m not going to tell him what play to select. But I told him that we had to be aggressive and get the ball down the field as fast as we can. Then he calls the plays. I don’t have a problem with the plays being called. It’s easy to wake up Sunday and say, ‘Well, I would have done this in that situation.’ In the heat of battle you don’t have that luxury of knowing what’s going to happen. I don’t take any more interest in that final drive than I do any other drive in the game. I trust my offensive coordinator and I’ll support the plays that he calls 100 percent.”
On Arkansas…
“There’s a lot of carryover from South Carolina to Arkansas because they are very similar. Their offensive sets are very similar – they’re a multiple-set offense. You’ll see them in the shot gun a lot. They’re going to give us a dose of everything. (QB Matt) Jones is their leading rusher right now. And he’s back there as a double threat. They don’t throw the ball much but he is a good passer. Plus they have a stable full of good tailbacks.”
On the defensive backs being aggressive…
“I encourage those guys to be aggressive. Any time that ball’s in the air, I want our defensive backs to go after the football. That’s an area I think we’ve really improved.”
UK PLAYERS
Artose Pinner – Running Back
On Arkansas…
“Arkansas has a lot of great athletes on their team. They have a very good defense that we’ll be going face-to-face with Saturday.”
On the need to adjust…
“We just need to relax, stay focused and make plays.”
On the running game promoting the passing game…
“If I keep breaking 100-yards per game, it has to open up the passing game. Teams will start bringing eight (defenders) into the box and that will give Jared (Lorenzen) and the receivers a chance to make plays.”
Derek Abney – Wide Receiver
On differences from last year’s offense…
“I don’t know what the difference is from last year to this year. I’m sure the coaches have it all figured out, though, and they’ll tell us what to do.”
On the importance of turnovers…
“It all boils down to turnovers. We have to protect the ball. When we do that, we win. We can’t win games when we have more turnovers than our opponent.”
On the team’s mindset after two losses…
“We still have six games to go – we’re not ready to shut it down. We’ll keep plugging away. We’re second in the league in passing efficiency. We still have to try and get it done in the air.”
Morris Lane – Linebacker
On the two-game losing streak…
“Any time you lose two close games like we have it’s tough. We know that this week we have to regroup, keep a positive attitude, and focus on preparing to go to Arkansas.”
On the level of competition playing in the conference…
“The SEC is loaded with high-quality teams. This week we have to go down to Arkansas, and it’s always tough to win on the road in the conference. They have good players and this week will be a good challenge for us.”
Keith Chatelain – Offensive Guard
On losing two close games…
“We have taken the proper steps to win games, but we still haven’t been able to get over that hump. We just have to focus on working hard and getting over the top this week.”
On the attitude of the team…
“Our confidence is fine right now. We might be down after the last couple of weeks, but we know we aren’t out. We’ll get to work this week and be ready for Arkansas.”
Dustin Williams – Linebacker
On the leadership of Ronnie Riley…
“Ronnie has helped me tremendously since I’ve been here. He’s been my biggest supporter and I owe him a lot for where I am today.”
On defensive coordinator John Goodner…
“Coach Goodner is a great guy; you have to love him. Not everything is always about football with him. He teaches life lessons and he’s a great motivator.”
On getting prepared for Arkansas…
“We have to get back to work this week in practice. There are mental mistakes that we’ve made that have to be corrected. We want to focus and have a good week of practice to get ready to go down to Arkansas.”
