Mark Stoops Previews Ole Miss Game

“Going back and reviewing Saturday again, very grateful to get the victory. It’s good to be sitting here at 1-0. With that being said, we know there’s a lot of work to be done. I feel like there’s a lot of elements of that game that I was very pleased with. Things that we worked very hard in the offseason. We talked about toughness and improving the lines of scrimmage, definitely felt that Saturday and watched the film –felt the same way. We definitely improved, ran the ball for 225 yards and limited them to 60 [rushing yards], so that was important. The discipline aspect, penalties, really improved there, [we] didn’t get off to a good start. The one and only offensive penalty we had was the first play of the game, but reined it in after that, did not have another offensive penalty the rest of the game. I thought our operation was very smooth. We worked very hard throughout the summer, just with the operation, just the signals, the cadence, we went on ‘two’ several times. We got a big jump late in the game by them, so our cadence was very good and the discipline was good. We were very effective on short yardage. Again, point of emphasis that we fell short a year ago, so it’s good to get those things improved. We know ball security is an issue, things we’ve got to improve on, is the ball security. I felt like explosive plays we tried to push the ball down the field, I think we took five shots and didn’t convert on any of those– that’s something we have to improve on. We know we need to create some explosive plays; we did get two penalties on those, but again, I feel like we still have opportunities to go up and catch the ball and need to do that.

“Defensively, again, I think we played very well for the majority of the game. We would like to finish a little better, in particular, the last drive, the last touchdown score they had, but, I thought the fourth-down stops were critical. Getting the game started with an interception was very important to us and they played really hard. That was a great thing on both sides. They played very tough, very physical, played very hard. There are many things to improve on, and we know that, and we’ll get back to work right now.

“Obviously, another great opportunity here this week to play a very challenging Ole Miss team. Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss and their staff do a great job each and every year. They’re electric on both sides of the ball and we’ll have our hands full, it’ll be a great challenge. It should be a great environment on a beautiful day here this Saturday and we’re looking forward to that challenge.”

On your evaluation of Zach Calzada’s play after watching film…

“I think Saturday felt frustrating to a lot of people. I think if you just look at it offensively, we get started with a decent drive, stalls out, the big catch gets called back, we get a touchdown drive. The next three possessions really got us off track. I mean, it just was frustrating, I’m sure to Zach, to our team and certainly to us and the fans. I mean, we go whatever the order is, it’s interception, safety, fumble. That sequence took us completely out of rhythm, and that’ll do that –that is three wasted possessions right there. Then I think Zach was really impressive. You watched the film, and he did some good things. He put the ball in some places that we need to convert. And then there was some that he missed and some decisions that I’m sure he’s going to look at his tape and run over. So, there’s a lot that he can improve on, but a lot around him as well, and we’ll get it fixed.”

On balancing the decision to play Zach Calzada or Cutter Boley…

“I think that’s fair, and it’s something we evaluate all the time. We still have a lot of confidence in Zach, and we have confidence in Cutter. It would have been premature to pull the plug right there. I really believe Zach’s going to do very well, and we strongly believe in Cutter. You look at the progression of (Ole Miss QB) Austin Simmons and what he’s going in his third year and, man, he looks good, and you sit there and say in one aspect, he’s inexperienced, but he’s really not. This is his third year in the system, he stepped in last year, played extremely well against Georgia– they didn’t miss a beat. I had to go back and look, you know what I mean? Like, wait a minute here. And so, we will evaluate those things, both guys are going to get better. And I will say after watching the tape several times, I felt better about it because there are things that we know we could get fixed and he [Zach] will play well.”

On getting Zach Calzada into a rhythm…

“Yeah, definitely. And I think that rhythm got completely out of whack there, because we had a terrible third down. [We] get the ball tipped, get the interception and then again, we’re not on the field for a while there. We get a one-play safety, then you get the two-play [possession]. You feel like you’re creating that layup, that explosive. Just get the ball moving, whatever the gain was, a 20-yard gain or whatever, and then we get the fumble. Those are things that are very frustrating because it’s already tough, it’s already frustrating, we’re getting to move, and we have a good field position, created good explosive on second down. And kind of the play that you’re talking about right there and then we get out of rhythm there. But yes, there are things we definitely need to control and help them with.”

On receiver Hardley Gilmore IV getting a team-lead six targets…

“Yeah, byproduct of the plays and where the quarterback goes with the ball at that moment and everything, it wasn’t designed to be doubled or anything like that.”

On how much Kendrick Law’s preseason injury set him back…

“I think the injury didn’t help. It set him back a bit, but I think plays and momentum, and again. you’ve heard me talk about that a lot, and it is frustrating. I’d like to run more plays. I’d like to move the ball more and get touches for many more people. But, he is certainly one of them.”

On an update on Jamarion Wilcox…

“I don’t have anything, the status has not changed. So, I really can’t comment on that any more.”

On Jager Burton’s snaps…

“I felt like Jager, in general, not just the snaps, Jager played very good. He makes us a better team inside and I think you felt the presence (of him), in particular, the three inside guys. ”

On the offensive tackles…

“They did some good things, we didn’t give up a sack. Probably gave up a few pressures, could be stronger in the run game, but in general, our O-line played good.”

On if you got through Week 1 injury free…

“We’re in decent shape, yes, we’re in pretty good shape.”

On what about a Lane Kiffin team makes preparation so challenging…

“The tempo is the first thing, obviously, they go extremely fast and they dress things up very well. They do what they do, but present it differently. They present it very fast and have very good players out there doing it. A typical team for them, they’re good in all areas. Again, I’m very impressed with Austin Simmons. They have four transfer wide receivers that are playmakers that can run. I’m very impressed with their tight ends, very good players. Defensively, Pete Golding does a great job, they put a lot of pressure on you, make everything challenging, and tough. So, we’ll have our hands full. ”

On evaluating the defensive pressure against Toledo and preparing for Ole Miss…

“Trying to get the quarterback uncomfortable is always important. I think what they do with their tempo, with their play actions, and keeping you off balance, they do a nice job of making it comfortable for their quarterback. We have to mix it up in many different ways. We’ve had some success in the past with it but it’s always a challenge, each and every year, so we have to continue to mix it up on them.”

On your evaluation of running backs Dante Dowdell and Seth McGowan in Week 1…

“I felt both guys hit it very good. Seth had an opportunity to make the last man miss, and the player made a nice tackle, shoe string tackle on him. I felt like Seth was really close to ripping that one off as well. I felt like we leaned on him all day, very effective runs. I don’t have that stat in front of me, but I don’t think we had any negative yardage runs (from the backs). We were pushing it for four or five yards a crack, hopefully we’ll continue that because we’d like to keep people off balance in that way. But, I thought both backs ran very well.”

On Alex Afari Jr.’s game after watching film…

“Yes, It was quite impressive. I thought he played extremely well. You’ve heard me talk about it through the preseason, He has been very consistent and a guy that makes plays and is in the right spot. I think he had nine solos (tackles) however many assists, and a critical fourth-down stop early in the game, so he played very well.”

On if you were pleased with what you saw on defense, given the amount of guys you played in Week 1…

“I was, and you heard me say it going into the game, as we talked about the duration of this season and how long it is and the physical nature of our schedule that we have to continue to play a lot of guys and bring them along and develop them. There are some plays in there we would like to have over as well, in particular at linebacker, and some plays that experience matters, and one of the late drives we kind of gave up an explosive (play) with some inexperience and things that we had coached and went over and emphasized throughout camp and gave up a big play that kind of got them going off the goal line that hurt us, but those are the things that we knew going into it, that we have to understand and accept that some of these young guys are gonna make some mistakes. We have to be good enough to overcome them and win anyway, and continue to develop them and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

On your comfort level with Zach Calzada running the ball…

“Yeah, you know some of that is dictated about what the defense is doing and what they’re taking away, and with Zach, I think effective runs and being smart is important and I think runs are different as well. The design quarterback runs, you know they’re going to get hit and be physical inside the tackle box there, and sometimes on the perimeter on reads, they have no choice but to pull it.”

On your relationship with Lane Kiffin…

“I have a lot of respect for Lane. We communicate and he’s a very likable person, a very good coach. Even when I wouldn’t say our relationship was close, but go back many years, back to my days at Arizona and him at USC (Southern California). He’s always been a great offensive mind and I have a lot of respect for him and his family, his father, and brothers and everybody. Great family, very good coach, and he’s done a great job.”

When you were at the SEC Spring Meetings, did he say, “I still can’t believe you went for that fourth down?” last season in Oxford…

“Maybe (laughter from audience). Yeah, maybe.”

On if you will use last season’s win in Oxford as a motivation for the upcoming game…

“You’ve heard me for 13 years say last year was last year, this year is this year, and that’s always the answer, because it’s true. I’ve been on both sides of it, right? Go back to the thousand questions I get for losing to Florida for 31 years or whatever it was. You know what I mean? So that one was a little bit obnoxious (laughter from audience), but outside of that, that one was hard to get around. I said it because the buildup was real at that point. But, with year to year, no, it’s not easy to put last year in the rear view mirror. That’s what we all do, and it is what it is. You always learn, from past games good or bad, but us coaches for the most part, we always look at last year’s game and previous games to see the mistakes we made and how do we improve on those.”

On the importance of the fans / environment for Week 2 against Ole Miss…

“Yeah, I definitely think it’s going to be important. Again, even though we’ve moved on, I understand what happened last year, and I want the excitement to be there. And I meant to mention that Saturday how much, I felt like it was a great environment Saturday, especially early. I wish we’d have done a better job to keep that excitement up there, even on our sidelines, I’ll be honest with you. Like it just, it was deflating, those possessions. And we can’t afford to do that. And that kind of took some of the air out of the stadium, so we apologize to the fans for that because we felt like they were there and teed up and ready to go, and supporting us and we could have done a better job there. And I’m sure it’s going to be a great environment Saturday.”

On if you have fear that Lane Kiffin is going to come into Kroger Field and run up the score…

“Ole Miss tries to score every time they touch the ball, no matter who they’re playing. That’s not gonna change with Lane, you know what I mean? So it’s your job to stop him.”

On the final decision to move Alex Afari Jr. to inside linebacker…

“We just looked at it and, as I mentioned, I think it’s a unique story that, first of all, going back to his high school days, that he thought he was going to go play soccer. And then he transitioned to American football there and we recruited him. I remember recruiting him and I’m like, no I’m not going to rule out corner. You know what I mean? We felt safety, but I said, I’m not going to rule out corner because I like big corners. And then right away we felt like he was a safety, and then he moved to the outside backer or the hybrid position there for a while. And then inside, and I was really pleased as I said, I felt like he made that transition very well last year. I don’t think that was really talked about enough, how he moved inside and played so well a year ago. And this is one game, but he certainly took another step.”

On Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace leaving the Week 1 game early…

“We’ll see. He’s day to day. He’s got a little lower body, a little ankle, but we’ll see where he’s at.”

On Terhyon Nichols’ playing time in Week 1…

“We look at him as a starter. We rotate those three corners and we do in practice, we do all the time. We’re gonna need three-plus (corners), he’s a guy we have a lot of confidence in.”

On the benefits of two co-starter running backs…

“I think it’s important throughout the game. I think we all have seen where a running back can get in a groove, and you want to let him play. I think it’s important for the duration of the season. It’s very rare that a running back in this league can take that kind of punishment with getting every rep for an entire season. I think if you asked every coach in general, they’re gonna want multiple guys, certainly in that position. I think it’s important and it’s good. We really believe in those two guys. I think a lot of people just think that Dante’s a big guy, and run inside, and you saw his speed Saturday. And, conversely, Seth is a guy that ran very well between the tackled, got some tough yards, he’s also special out of the backfield and can make some people miss. So we’ll continue to work those two guys.”

On what has improved on the offensive line from last season to this season after watching film of Week 1…

“The obvious is the short yardage. We understand the challenge is gonna improve, as well. We play a front this week and a team this week that is very disruptive, very big and strong. Both in the run and in our protections, we’re going to be challenged much more this week. And so, what Pete (Golding) does defensively, he’s gonna create problems with pressure, and also just challenge it with the the four down (linemen), so we’ll have our hands full and we just have to improve ourselves. We were better at running the ball. You have seen us play the MAC teams in the past and struggle running the ball and that was an improvement. this week. I thought the short yardage was an improvement as well.

On the importance of winning this game after losing seven straight SEC games at home …

“In that sense, not to diminish any of that, but I don’t even think about that. It’s ‘What do we have to do this week?’ I think we all understand that. The focus is on this week, this game.”

On David Gusta…

“He played very hard. Very good football player and will continue to help us. I like the way he plays, he’s a physical guy, plays hard, great energy.”

On getting more defensive penetration without blitzing…

“We were more disruptive with the D-linemen. It was good. We rotated, we played six defensive linemen, so it was good.”

On your thoughts on special teams from Week 1…

“In special teams, we played extremely well again. It felt like we kicked the ball very good. The guys covered well. We had an opportunity to create some explosives there that we will continue to look at, but very solid and very good, and that’s a good thing.”

On teams’ improvement between Week 1 and Week 2…

“I think just in general, the buildup and the leadup to week one, some people handle it differently than others. As much as I constantly try to preach it and talk about it, I think that’s very real. (We) have a lot of new players coming here, playing for the first time wearing the blue and white. They want to play well, including the quarterback. I felt like he was very amped up and anxious like all of us probably were. We’ve admitted that, and you try to handle it the same way. I felt like in this aspect the team handled it very well, primary responsibility (first), secondary (next). In particular, on the defensive side sometimes guys try to do too much. Even when we’re practicing scout team or offense is simulating Toledo, it’s different. It’s different when they present it the way they play. I think there’s many different reasons why you could make a big jump. Now, I also believe in this team, the way they take coaching, in the way they take criticism and try to get their mistakes corrected. I have no reason to believe that our team won’t handle it that way. They have to look at the tape here when we get together and take the coaching, take the criticism, look at the good, look at the bad, and look at plays that are inexcusable, and we have to try to get them fixed.”

On the decision to not do an interview session on Thursdays…

“I simply said there’s not much more to say. I told them (sports information personnel) to ask you. I don’t think anybody here (the media) wanted to do it either (laughter from media). I’m available Monday, I’m available Wednesday on the conference call. Thursday, quite honestly, y’all didn’t know what to ask and I didn’t know what to say – it was like, ‘We had a good week, time to go play ball.’ That’s what went into it.”

On Cats’ Pause founder Oscar Combs, who had not been in the pressbox since Covid, did you get a chance to talk to him…