Postgame Quotes: Kentucky at Mississippi State
October 30, 2021 | Football
Mississippi State Head Coach Mike Leach | Mississippi State Student-Athletes
Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops | Kentucky Student-Athletes
Mississippi State Head Coach Mike Leach
Q: Will Rogers finished tonight with a 92% completion percentage. What was your opinion on his performance?
ML: I did not realize it was 92 pct. until we got back into the locker room, but I thought he played well. I thought he did a really good job with seeing the field and checking on the plays that he was in the position to check. We had kind of a slow start, but I thought we picked it up. I thought he did a good job elevating that, and also our defense getting turnovers I thought was key.
Q: Coach, there were a few protection issues in the first half, but by the second half you shut those things down. What adjustments did you make?
ML: There was not much to it. It was miscommunication I would say. One was miscommunication, and I do not remember a lot of them. One he held that ball, thought he could have thrown it. That is all I can remember.
Q: Kentucky is a team that really likes to establish the run. How did you feel about what you all were able to do on the ground today, and also defense?
ML: Defense was real active up front, and we felt like it was important to affect the line of scrimmage on defense because you have to wreck the running lanes and make them run straight ahead. We also wanted to affect the quarterback, and I thought the defense of line did both of those things. Then, on offense, Kentucky was tough to run against, but we knew they liked to draw people too, so we had to take the advantage of both. Will and those guys protected it well, which was a big key. Then, the second thing, we were successful on some key downs that put us in the position where we got them coming and going a little bit. It turned out pretty good. We are good at taking advantage of it behind them.
Q: You guys were down 10-0, then dominated the rest of the way. Did you say something to your team after the first quarter? What was the biggest adjustment that you saw that allowed you all to dominate this 12th ranked team from that moment on and the rest of the way?
ML: We moved the ball good from the start, so we felt like we could move the ball. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot, should have had a field goal. Then defensively we have done a pretty good job because that seven points was from a punt return. So, everything was right there for us and we just had to finish off the drive offensively and defensively. That is a long way of saying we had to keep doing what we were already doing.
Q: Jalen getting that pick before the half. How much did that help in setting the tone for the 3rd quarter?
ML: I thought that was good for sure. I wondered if that was a touchback, but I thought it was huge. I thought that we did a great job in turnovers and protecting the football.
Q: You lose Martin three plays into the game. What did you see from Preston?
ML: I thought they did good and ran to the ball good. I thought they played good defensively.
Q: How do you feel those interceptions affected the momentum of the game?
ML: I think it was really huge. Kentucky is kind of a team that is about control, you know controlling on offense. They like to hog the clock and then control on defense. You have to execute a lot of plays to move the ball against them. That's why they are where they are at, they are so good at controlling things. That broke the control suddenly which was important to us, since we are a younger, explosive team. Maintaining control has been tricky for us a little bit, and that let us get it back.
Q: Last year was a nightmare in Lexington, but this year looked a little better. What do you attribute the difference to?
ML: Well, the receivers deserve some credit for improving the biggest difference which was protection. Our offensive line protected well. They couldn't effectively pass rush us with three guys. They needed four or five and we still protected well. That leaves them shorthanded on the back end. It's the most important position on the field and the most important phase of the game especially on offense. We improved there; last year is a really good example of why it's the most important position.
Q: You mentioned Kentucky was a difficult team to run on. Did you think Marks and Johnson would be this successful?
ML: I didn't know. I hoped that they could, but I didn't know that they could. They did a pretty good job of making people miss. I think that they did a good job of making people miss and getting lots of yards after contact. That may be as well as they have done this year with that.
Q: The Kentucky game last year was Will's first game. How much have you seen him grow since then? Especially after breaking the SEC record for completion percentage with over 30 attempts.
ML: Oh, he did? That's good, we try to get as many of those as we can. I thought that what allowed him to play last year is that he is a very composed guy. He's not afraid to compete and he is really levelheaded mentally. As he has assumed more of a leadership role just partially by being older and being the voice on offense longer; I think that it helps our team be more steady and even-tempered as well, which is something that we need. But then he keeps improving. Everybody talks about how somebody is going to be a great freshman quarterback. There aren't many great freshman quarterbacks. Some of them that we remember that turned out to be great and turned out to have great NFL quarterbacks. Try judging them based off of their freshman year, they may have been the starter, but I promise you that they were streaky and erratic and not particularly good. I think that he has grown a lot and that he will continue to improve.
Q: Based on your experience, do you think that the team can build off of this win and what's the key to that?
ML: We need to keep it in perspective, we need to go back tomorrow and celebrate this win. But when we get back tomorrow, we have to be real honest with ourselves and watch film and see where we need to improve. There will be plenty of places to improve, we also need to be dedicated to doing that. Arkansas is a really good team and we have to play really well to beat those kids.
Q: You mentioned protection, however, what were you seeing with the pre-snap penalties?
ML: They were simulating our snap count. Folks can get away with that and we need to start coaching for that.
Mississippi State Student-Athletes
Q: You guys held [SEC-leading rusher] Chris Rodriguez in check for a lot of tonight. What did y'all do to work against the run tonight?
EF: It was the play calling and Coach Arnett. We watched a lot of film and knew what they were going to do. He is a very good player, but we held him in check.
Q: After two good weeks back-to-back, do you think the defense is settling in and finally becoming the group you guys thought it could be?
EF: We're just trying to play our best ball right now. We're still making a lot of mistakes, but we can fix that. We're also just playing together as a whole.
Q: What does a win like this mean for the defense, especially given the four turnovers?
JJ: It's huge for us. Any time you get a win over a top-15 team, it's a good win. Those guys are a very good team. Hopefully, it will be a momentum booster going into next week that allows us to build on things and keep it going.
Q: What does it say about the depth of your defense for you guys to have success without Martin Emerson or Fred Peters much of today?
JJ: Like they say. it was a next-man-up mentality. Our corners stepped up in a big way for us today. I thought Martin [Emerson] had an excellent form tackle, but that's just the way it goes. The next guys did a good job of stepping up and playing well.
Q: This is the fourth team this season you guys have kept under 100 yards rushing. What does that say about your commitment to stopping the run and how does that help you down the stretch?
JJ: We try to make that our identity as a team. Our goal is to make a team as one-dimensional as best as we can and if that means taking away the run that's what we do. Our coaches challenge us every week to play the best Bulldog style defense we can each week. This week I think we stepped up to the plate and hopefully, we can continue to do it.
Q: How much of those first few drives get y'all back in the game?
JM: That drive set us apart for the whole game. That drive put us in a good place, where we knew that we could play with them. It was even after that. We could play with them, so we took it on.
Q: Did it surprise you that they weren't able to tackle better? Or was the fact that y'all were getting more running yards in this game just something the team's been working on?
JM: I would rule it as making one miss [a tackle]. If you can make two of them miss, that's good, but you have to get five yards, and that's how the rules go in the running back rooms. They were pretty good players on the other side.
Q: You guys were down 10-0 early, came back with that 75-yard drive and really mixed it up well with Jo'Quavious Marks through the air and on the ground. What is kind of going through your mind starting that drive?
WR: I mean we moved the ball. The first few drives I felt we moved the ball pretty good, we weren't going three and out or anything like that. I took a sack on the first drive, and we missed a field goal on the second drive and I took a sack on that one too. We kind of got behind the chains and kind of got off schedule a little bit. We knew that we were going to tackle all night, didn't matter the situation. You know under they are going to give us pretty good run boxes, so I was trying to mix it up a little bit. Woody [Marks] and the whole offensive line did a great job, as well as the receivers, blocking out on the perimeter.
Q: 36 out of 39, or whatever it was, something crazy, just how in the zone were you tonight? Your receivers felt like you weren't just going five-yard routes, you were getting down the field too. How did you feel out there?
WR: I felt great. I hate to say it, like any other game, I felt like I was just out there playing. I didn't know it was 36 out of 39 until somebody told me walking off the field. I was just trying to do my job, one play at a time. Everybody else around me was doing their job really well, I was just trying to do my job. I think we did a pretty good job of hitting things that were open but also they were dropping eight a lot. I think the backs did a really good job of catching the ball, getting straight up field and that really helped us to stay above the chains, as well as the running game.
Q: Last year, the game at Kentucky, a lot of your first extensive action. It seemed like no matter who was the quarterback, everywhere the football was thrown there was a Kentucky hand but tonight it seemed like you had guys running wide open and you found them. How rewarding is it to kind of build on that from a year ago to see how far this offense has come?
WR: It has come a long way. It's kind of painful to watch, but I went back and watched that game a couple of times this past week. I mean guys just did a great job tonight. I mean we are two totally different teams, obviously, from that point last year to here now. We did a great job tonight. Guys got open. Guys were running hard, finding spots in the zone. That's what it was all about tonight. They were dropping eight and we found ways to get open, found space, and I found ways to get them the ball.
Q: Kentucky is always tough to gameplan for, especially upfront they have designed looks. How do you feel like the offensive line did tonight? Coach Leach talked about how impressive he felt like you all were. Going up against them last year to this year, how do you feel like you guys performed?
LS: I felt we performed really well. Everybody did their job with what they were supposed to do.
Q: Second half it seemed like you guys kept the pocket clean and kept Will [Rogers] on his feet. What really changed their in the second half to allow him to be more successful?
LS: We were being more firm with our communication because at one point they were simulating our snap count.
Q: Can you explain about the communication part but how you guys got better at that?
LS: We were pacing down the line multiple times, making sure that nobody missed the call.
Q: When the defense plays the way they did tonight, how much of a boost does that give the offensive unit?
JW: When the defense gets a takeaway or forces a punt it fires us up on the offensive side of the ball. That kind of play gives us a better chance to go score.
Q: You have spent a lot of time around Will Rogers in this offense. How have you seen him grow as a player?
JW: A lot of that has been confidence. When we keep winning, he continues to complete passes. That builds up his confidence and keeps making him a better quarterback.
Q: How has this offense changed and improved since last year's loss to Kentucky?
JW: It all comes back to execution. We get the ball, we drive it down the field and we score. If we don't come away with a touchdown, we get three and prepare to fire away on the next drive.
Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops
MS: It's pretty difficult to have an opening statement because it's been a while since we played a game like that. Not a very good feeling. They beat us in all phases. I thought physically they played extremely hard. We didn't match the intensity, I felt like we got pushed around. We were not able to run the ball. They ran the ball, they made competitive plays, out coached us, and outplayed us in every area. Overall, a deflating defeat. They kicked our butts.
Q: I know you shook up the routine, what was up with Will [Levis] tonight, he seemed like he was never on?
MS: He was defiantly not comfortable. They do a nice job of mixing some things up. I thought he went back to pressing and rushing somethings. Forcing the issue from early in the game. It's not just him, we didn't play very good.
Q: You said that you thought they had learned from that Chattanooga game, what happens when you have a letdown performance, what this more of that or was there something else going on tonight.
MS: I really don't know, it's hard to put my finger on it. I felt like we had good preparation. You have to give them credit, they were very physical. We knew that coming into it. You look at their defense and the way they mix it up and the way they put pressure on you. I knew that coming into it and they did. On the other side of the ball for us defensively just completely didn't seem like we made one competitive play, at least down the field. Some of our guys upfront did some good things. Anytime they throw as efficiently as they did, they ran it enough to keep us off balance, and they moved the chains. When you give up four turnovers against an offense like this and on the road, you have no shot. Overall, no good across the board.
Q: How do you want this particular team to react this?
MS: We have to address it, we just did. That is not a good feeling. I don't want to have a football team like this. I don't think these guys want to play that way. That is not who we are going to be, that's not going to be our identity. We will get back to work, get it fixed, and make sure we get the right guys out on the field that want to continue to play like we play.
Kentucky Student-Athletes
Q: How does a performance like this come from two weeks of preparation? Did you see it coming?
JJ: Not really, it kind of hurts. We have to give it to Mississippi State, they were more physical, they had the most energy, they came out with that, and we just didn't respond.
Q: Did it feel like the defense was on the field a lot tonight, seeing as they only had eighteen tackles? Did that weigh on the defense?
JJ: A little bit. That's on the defense though, we have to be able to get off the field quicker. We were on the field for way too long and that's something we have to go in on Monday and fix.
Q: Why are you the only guy that Will [Levis] can consistently find?
WR: I couldn't tell you. He has reasons for his progressions, and whatever he sees, he throws. That's what our game plan is. Whatever he's seeing out there, if he's seeing something and he feels like it's a matchup that I can win, then he's going to give me the ball.
Q: What's the mood in the locker room right now?
WR: I mean, we really just have to come back and work. At the end of the day, the world isn't falling, it isn't over or anything like that. We still have the chance to do some things that haven't been done around here in a long time, so we just have to come back to work and practice like we haven't the past couple of weeks and just come out with a different mentality than we've had before.
