JAX STATE GAME NOTES (.pdf)

Opening Comments:
“Its an exciting time to be opening a new season with high expectations. I likewise have great expectations for our football team and program and the excitement of this new facility and all the things that come with it. We have a lot of things that aren't crystal clear for us. We are still putting the pieces together but we do have the pieces to know who we are."

"We have a week to work and arrive in Oxford, Mississippi and take on an Ole Miss football team that I think is being overlooked in the SEC. When you have a quarterback and you have a defensive line, you have the foundation to be a great football team. We think we have that in this football team. I will tell you this – they will end up with the best quarterback and defensive line in the conference. I dare say that anyone in the league that isn't in better shape than them and I'm saying this with (Jeremiah) Masoli in mind. I expect Masoli to be playing for them on Saturday.

"I have a lot of history with Ole Miss and I have never seen Ole Miss without a lot of talent. We are looking at putting some finishing touches on our preparation. There is a lot of excitement in playing in these environments and it's a different kind of game for us because of the match ups than they will be any other time during the year. We don't have a lot of miss-matches, but we have some. We feel like there are a couple of places on our team that we have the advantage."

"We are still waiting, particularly offensively, trying to get well this week. We hope that we are able to run the ball and stop the run to some degree. I know Houston (Nutt) and probably Ole Miss and Alabama are the two teams in the SEC that will bring the running game right at you and say…'You have to stop this'. We look for a physical football game upfront. We don't feel bad about being physical, because we are going to go out and play the best we can. We have to do some things at the right time and get the right blocking schemes and find our advantages and not get put at a disadvantage."

"We are picked to win the OVC and that's are preference and we feel comfortable with that. We are sitting here looking at a stadium that says 'We are a national level football program' in terms of our competitiveness and that's what we are pointing towards. Ole Miss gives us an exciting challenge.”

On the Ole Miss quarterbacks:
“I think they will be rotating between Masoli and Nathan Stanley. They are two different styles, so we will have to adjust defensively. Its not one of those things that one is run and the other is pass because Masoli can pass just as good as he can run. The personel packages will be different I would expect. One will be a spread-type offense and one will be more of a power-base. Defensively, we have to find some angles and some numbers to have an advantage.”

On the Masoli situation at Ole Miss:
“I know it seems like it has taken longer than expected and there is some curiosity to that. I haven't talked to Houston (Nutt) in about five days and I'm not going to call him and he isn't going to call me because it's none of my business. It's pretty clear cut – you graduate, you enroll in a program.”

Relationship with Ole Miss Coach Houston Nutt:
“Houston was always the guy that had these plays that are called gadget plays. He was co-offensive coordinator with Charlie Wheatherly and he had the authority to initiate things. We got desperate when we were playing Texas and I was hunting and pecking and he had a play ready. It was the last time Texas came to Little Rock and we won because of those gadget plays. I think he is a great football coach. Quite honestly and I have my opinion but short of Nick Saban, I think he is one of the best in the SEC. I don't think he gets the perception of how good a coach he is – blocking, tackling, getting them ready to play and special teams. For them to be picked last in the SEC? Ha. He has them right where he wants them. They wont be there at the end. I think a lot of Houston Nutt.”