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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas
11/22/2014 | Football
Nov. 22, 2014
Opening statement…
"It was a tough one. They put it to us pretty good. I was concerned all week, for whatever reason, that we weren't locked in totally. I think that showed in the beginning of the game. That's my fault, I've got to make sure our kids are, but it just felt like a weird week for whatever reason. It was disappointing that we didn't start better. I thought our defense played pretty solid. We gave up some big plays on some over routes, but they held them to 316 yards of total offense and fought to the bitter end. Offensively, we were pretty bad. You can't turn it over the number of times that we did and expect to win. I just kept hoping we could get something good going and cut that thing to a score or two and I think our defense would have played well enough to give us a chance but we never did. Congratulations to them. I know what it's like to finally get bowl eligibility at a school that hadn't been there for a while and he's done a good job. Congratulations to those guys. It's disappointing. Everything about us will be tested in preparing for next week's game."
On what happened during the week that concerned him…
"You just have those feelings as coaches. I really can't point to any just one thing. Our kids did the little things right, they weren't showing up on list and that's usually the first sign I see. It wasn't everyone but too many that weren't quite as crisp and locked in to the task at hand. We saw some mistakes on practice film on things that we do that should not be mistakes. It was just a feeling I had. Again, I think our kids played hard to the end, I just think we came out probably a little not sharp for sure, and we did some things that you can't do to be an elite team. We've been a good team this year but we haven't been elite at times and that's where we want to get to. You can't field a kick on the one and turn the ball over in our own territory and all of the sudden it's 17 to nothing and we're fighting. Our defense played really well from that point on, if you look at the stats and the way they got their other points. We certainly didn't take care of the ball and didn't convert when we got some chances to put some points on them to make it an interesting game."
On difficulty running the ball today…
"They've been very good against the run. We probably may have gotten out of it a little bit when we got behind. Felt like we could throw some things on them and just trying to press the pedal right there before half and try to get a score on the board to give us a little momentum. We probably got away from the run a bit too early. They're pretty good against the run."
#17, Evan Engram, TE
On outcome of game…
"Their offense just had good field position on three straight positions. There was really not much our defense could have done. They played hard all game. They just put up the quick 17 points and it put us under pressure. In the late second quarter we started moving the ball well again in the red zone but we just couldn't catch a break offensively and its hard to depend on the defense if they are out there that much. We can't win games if we don't score points."
On Coach Freeze sensing off week…
"I know coach was really paranoid coming off the bye week. I know it's typical to start off slow off a bye week but he was just really paranoid this week. I thought offensively we had a solid week, but I guess it didn't show tonight."
#38, Deterrian Shackelford, DE
On first quarter…
"Very, very frustrating. It's a team game though, and I just felt like offensively, defensively and special teams, we just didn't show up the way we should have against a very good Arkansas team."
On defensive adjustments…
"I think our coaches did a nice job, we actually changed plans when the other quarterbacks came in. We switched some things around and fixed some matchup issues. The thing I like about our defensive players is that they just shake things off. They make a mistake, and they'll lineup and play again. Those two turnovers, they let them get all the way down into the end zone and then made the big play."
On ball security…
"We always stress ball security as one of our edges. I think in special situations, you have to make special things happen and we knew the weather was going to be bad. We knew there would be some moisture. I said to my players, 'We always talk about ball security, but if you have that ball in your hands today, you have everybody's life in this locker room in your hands." Maybe it's a little dramatic, but that's what they needed. I think collectively our guys, on both offense and defense, handled the ball very well."
On honoring former player Garrett Uekman on Senior Day…
"He was really close with some guys from last year too. We love to honor him, he still has his locker in the locker room. To celebrate those things and make their memory last, that's huge. To give respect to him, I think that was huge."
#74, Brey Cook, OL
On the emotion on Senior Day…
"When the rest of the team ran through the 'A' and it was just us left back there - it is something you dream about growing up. This year, this moment and we were there. We came out, got past the emotion and after the game it flared back up, but it was very exciting for us. "
#4, Keon Hatcher, WR
On getting the lead early…
"The defense came out and did what they were supposed to do. We talked all throughout the week about how we are going to put pressure on this quarterback. They went out there and did that. Then the offense got a chance and we went out there and executed."
On the last two wins…
"Trey Flowers and I just finished talking about this outside the door, it's really all God. He won't put you through anything you can't get through. We kept fighting and we kept having faith and we just came out and finally did it. And now that we have done it, we're rolling now.
#32, Jonathan Williams, RB
On the first drive…
"It just shows how well we are playing right now. The offense is clicking and the defense is playing ridiculous out there. I might be biased but I feel like they're playing better defense than anybody out there in the country right now. We have played three ranked opponents these last three games and the defense has let up 17 points in three games, so they are playing really well. This is a team effort and everybody is just gelling right now."
#86, Trey Flowers, DE
On back-to-back shutouts…
"It's big time for us defensive players. To put up those type of numbers and stop some pretty good teams from getting in the end zone, its big time."
On the fourth-down sack…
"That was real big for us. They were kind of moving the ball on us. One was an outside rush and I kind of peaked inside and grabbed him by his legs. It was just a big time all around effort. The guys in the back end covered well, allowing me time to get there."
On bowl eligibility…
"I was sitting in the locker room after we do our little celebration song and just remembering the times where my freshman year, we were doing that a lot. For us to go through some rough times and be back on the rise, it was very humbling."
#26, Rohan Gaines, SS
On his interception returned for a touchdown…
"I was just being patient. Film study allowed me to play that route. I saw it on film so I remembered it and just played it. The crazy thing is, I was kind of out of gas. I was looking up at the jumbo tron and saw the guy catching me. My initial reaction was to dive but before I could dive he kind of hit it but I figured I was in."
On bowl eligibility…
"It feels great. I've here through tough times. It's tough not making a bowl game. I think the seniors deserve all of this. We have great senior leadership. I feel like they deserve it all."
Ole Miss v. Arkansas - Postgame Quotes 
Ole Miss Postgame Quotes
No. 8 Ole Miss at Arkansas
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium - Fayetteville, Ark.
Nov. 22, 2014
Ole Miss Head Coach Hugh Freeze
Opening statement…
"It was a tough one. They put it to us pretty good. I was concerned all week, for whatever reason, that we weren't locked in totally. I think that showed in the beginning of the game. That's my fault, I've got to make sure our kids are, but it just felt like a weird week for whatever reason. It was disappointing that we didn't start better. I thought our defense played pretty solid. We gave up some big plays on some over routes, but they held them to 316 yards of total offense and fought to the bitter end. Offensively, we were pretty bad. You can't turn it over the number of times that we did and expect to win. I just kept hoping we could get something good going and cut that thing to a score or two and I think our defense would have played well enough to give us a chance but we never did. Congratulations to them. I know what it's like to finally get bowl eligibility at a school that hadn't been there for a while and he's done a good job. Congratulations to those guys. It's disappointing. Everything about us will be tested in preparing for next week's game."
On what happened during the week that concerned him…
"You just have those feelings as coaches. I really can't point to any just one thing. Our kids did the little things right, they weren't showing up on list and that's usually the first sign I see. It wasn't everyone but too many that weren't quite as crisp and locked in to the task at hand. We saw some mistakes on practice film on things that we do that should not be mistakes. It was just a feeling I had. Again, I think our kids played hard to the end, I just think we came out probably a little not sharp for sure, and we did some things that you can't do to be an elite team. We've been a good team this year but we haven't been elite at times and that's where we want to get to. You can't field a kick on the one and turn the ball over in our own territory and all of the sudden it's 17 to nothing and we're fighting. Our defense played really well from that point on, if you look at the stats and the way they got their other points. We certainly didn't take care of the ball and didn't convert when we got some chances to put some points on them to make it an interesting game."
On difficulty running the ball today…
"They've been very good against the run. We probably may have gotten out of it a little bit when we got behind. Felt like we could throw some things on them and just trying to press the pedal right there before half and try to get a score on the board to give us a little momentum. We probably got away from the run a bit too early. They're pretty good against the run."
Ole Miss Student-Athletes
#17, Evan Engram, TE
On outcome of game…
"Their offense just had good field position on three straight positions. There was really not much our defense could have done. They played hard all game. They just put up the quick 17 points and it put us under pressure. In the late second quarter we started moving the ball well again in the red zone but we just couldn't catch a break offensively and its hard to depend on the defense if they are out there that much. We can't win games if we don't score points."
On Coach Freeze sensing off week…
"I know coach was really paranoid coming off the bye week. I know it's typical to start off slow off a bye week but he was just really paranoid this week. I thought offensively we had a solid week, but I guess it didn't show tonight."
#38, Deterrian Shackelford, DE
On first quarter…
"Very, very frustrating. It's a team game though, and I just felt like offensively, defensively and special teams, we just didn't show up the way we should have against a very good Arkansas team."
Arkansas Head Coach Bret Bielema
On defensive adjustments…
"I think our coaches did a nice job, we actually changed plans when the other quarterbacks came in. We switched some things around and fixed some matchup issues. The thing I like about our defensive players is that they just shake things off. They make a mistake, and they'll lineup and play again. Those two turnovers, they let them get all the way down into the end zone and then made the big play."
On ball security…
"We always stress ball security as one of our edges. I think in special situations, you have to make special things happen and we knew the weather was going to be bad. We knew there would be some moisture. I said to my players, 'We always talk about ball security, but if you have that ball in your hands today, you have everybody's life in this locker room in your hands." Maybe it's a little dramatic, but that's what they needed. I think collectively our guys, on both offense and defense, handled the ball very well."
On honoring former player Garrett Uekman on Senior Day…
"He was really close with some guys from last year too. We love to honor him, he still has his locker in the locker room. To celebrate those things and make their memory last, that's huge. To give respect to him, I think that was huge."
Arkansas Student-Athletes
#74, Brey Cook, OL
On the emotion on Senior Day…
"When the rest of the team ran through the 'A' and it was just us left back there - it is something you dream about growing up. This year, this moment and we were there. We came out, got past the emotion and after the game it flared back up, but it was very exciting for us. "
#4, Keon Hatcher, WR
On getting the lead early…
"The defense came out and did what they were supposed to do. We talked all throughout the week about how we are going to put pressure on this quarterback. They went out there and did that. Then the offense got a chance and we went out there and executed."
On the last two wins…
"Trey Flowers and I just finished talking about this outside the door, it's really all God. He won't put you through anything you can't get through. We kept fighting and we kept having faith and we just came out and finally did it. And now that we have done it, we're rolling now.
#32, Jonathan Williams, RB
On the first drive…
"It just shows how well we are playing right now. The offense is clicking and the defense is playing ridiculous out there. I might be biased but I feel like they're playing better defense than anybody out there in the country right now. We have played three ranked opponents these last three games and the defense has let up 17 points in three games, so they are playing really well. This is a team effort and everybody is just gelling right now."
#86, Trey Flowers, DE
On back-to-back shutouts…
"It's big time for us defensive players. To put up those type of numbers and stop some pretty good teams from getting in the end zone, its big time."
On the fourth-down sack…
"That was real big for us. They were kind of moving the ball on us. One was an outside rush and I kind of peaked inside and grabbed him by his legs. It was just a big time all around effort. The guys in the back end covered well, allowing me time to get there."
On bowl eligibility…
"I was sitting in the locker room after we do our little celebration song and just remembering the times where my freshman year, we were doing that a lot. For us to go through some rough times and be back on the rise, it was very humbling."
#26, Rohan Gaines, SS
On his interception returned for a touchdown…
"I was just being patient. Film study allowed me to play that route. I saw it on film so I remembered it and just played it. The crazy thing is, I was kind of out of gas. I was looking up at the jumbo tron and saw the guy catching me. My initial reaction was to dive but before I could dive he kind of hit it but I figured I was in."
On bowl eligibility…
"It feels great. I've here through tough times. It's tough not making a bowl game. I think the seniors deserve all of this. We have great senior leadership. I feel like they deserve it all."
Players Mentioned
TE
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