After-game transcript: Nutt

Transcript of Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt's press conference after Georgia beat the Razorbacks 38-7.

OPENING STATEMENT FROM NUTT:
"We faced a very good football team today. Those guys beat us physically and we got off to a bad start, gave them some points. I thought our defense was good early on, then we really made a bad [play] call early. They rolled up on us and their cornerback squatted [on an interception return] and it went back the other way. And when you get in a hole and they smell blood, it's tough against a veteran group like that. We're just going to lick our wounds, get back on that field tomorrow and we're going to get better. I was proud of the guys' attitude, the way they tried to come back. At the end we had a 98-yard drive, and you try to look for every little positive you can. ... We're beat up. I'm not trying to make an excuse, but they have a lot of seniors out there and we have about 10 and about four of our seniors are playing. It hurts when you have [injured defensive end] Randy Garner on the sideline and [offensive tackle] Shannon Money has to come out in the first quarter and you've got [redshirt freshman Mark] Bockerman going against a senior [Georgia defensive lineman Richard Seymour] that weighs 305 pounds. Physically, it's unfair. But I thought he fought hard and that's all I can ask for. I thought [running backs] Alvin Ray, Brandon Holmes and those guys all ran as hard as they could run. ... It's tough when you start in a hole against a good football team. You build it deeper and deeper and keep your defense out there for a long period of time, it's a rough day. Real tough day."

WHAT HAPPENED ON GEORGIA'S INTERCEPTION RETURN FOR A TOUCHDOWN?
"He [Arkansas quarterback Robby Hampton] never looked at the corner. The corner just squatted and read Robby's eyes. The film study showed in that particular formation, two tight ends and two receivers, that they've been very, very soft. But, boy, he broke on it, and he broke on it in a hurry. Boy, it makes me wish I'd called a hitch-and-go."

AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF YOU GOT A PENALTY (FOR AN ILLEGAL BLOCK) THAT COST YOU A CHANCE TO GET AT LEAST GET THREE POINTS. HOW TOUGH WAS THAT?
"You can't make mistakes like that. That hurts you, especially against a team like Georgia. They got a wake-up call, too. They got beat [in their SEC opener at South Carolina] and got their feelings hurt after they were picked to win the East and I'm sure they felt the road back came through Fayetteville, and they were ready to go. [Georgia quarterback] Quincy Carter executed, and better than we'd seen on film the last few weeks. Their whole team executed."

THIS WAS YOUR FIRST LOSS IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO FINALLY HAVE THAT HAPPEN?
"I hadn't thought about it very much. I just hate to lose no matter where it's at."

OBVIOUSLY, CEDRIC COBBS IS ONLY ONE GUY, AND MAYBE HE CAN'T CHANGE 38-7. BUT HOW TOUGH WAS IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE DOWN 10-0 RIGHT OFF THE BAT, NOT TO HAVE YOUR GO-TO GUY TO GO TO?
"That's tough. But like I told the coaches, you can't look back That's why we have backups. And Alvin Ray and Brandon Holmes, and Radale Pearson, we still believe in them. I don't want them to get their heads down."

QUESTION: CAN YOU REGROUP FROM THIS?
"Absolutely. That's why this is the greatest game in the world. Hey, there were a lot of people wanting to get in our locker room the last few weeks. Not too many wanted to come in there today. That's why I told our team, this is our family. ... I want to be 4-1 midway through the season. I want to be 4-1. That's our goal. I bet too many people didn't think we could be 4-1 right now. But that's our goal. 4-1.

DID YOU CONSIDER MAKING A CHANGE AT QUARTERBACK EARLIER THAN THE LAST COUPLE OF MINUTES?
"I was hoping to play Jared [McBride] and Zak [Clark], but I was trying to win the game up until the very end. I really thought if we could ever get a turnover, they might tighten up and give us a chance. But they had us so backed up all day long ... and that's tough."

WAS IT A POSITIVE TO AT LEAST AVOID A SHUTOUT WITH THE LATE TOUCHDOWN?
"Oh, yeah. Any time you can go 98 yards, hang in there, that shows there's still some heart on this football team."

HOW DID BRANDON HOLMES PLAY?
"I thought he ran hard for a guy who just turned 18 years of age going against some seniors. I'm proud of him. He made some good runs."

MIGHT HOLMES PLAY MORE?
"All three of those guys [Ray, Holmes and Pearson] are going to get all they want. That's all we've got left."

AS BRANDON PROGRESSES, MIGHT HE BE MORE OF A BREAKAWAY THREAT?
"I don't want to table Alvin Ray just yet. I don't want to say he's done."

HOW IS ROBBY HAMPTON'S CONFIDENCE?
"Any time you throw a pick that early in the game, it naturally hurts your confidence. But he's gong to learn from this game."

This article was published on Sunday, October 1, 2000

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