Houston Nutt after game transcript

OPENING COMMENTS
We got behind the eight ball early, got behind the eight ball. And when you get behind an eight ball with a very, very good team, you can get dominated like that and that's what happened to us today.

HOW'S EDDIE JACKSON?
I think he's going to be OK. He's wearing a neck brace right now. There's some good signs though. I think he's going to be OK. Once we saw there was some movement in his legs and his arms, we felt real, real good.

HOW ABOUT ROBBY [HAMPTON'S STATUS]?
Just the same thing [aggravated sprained shoulder]. Anytime you take a blow, he's in a position where you're not a hundred percent. Every week he's going to be either trying to make it to the next game or like right now, it's hard to lift his shoulder. It's the same thing we've been going through the last two or three weeks.

WITH THE PUNT RETURN, IT JUST WENT DOWNHILL IMMEDIATELY FROM THERE?
Actually, it started in pregame warm-ups when Richie Butler warming up pulls a muscle in his back and then, to answer your question, yeah. We kick a low line drive and not good coverage and the guy's very, very quick and puts it right back on the [5-yard line]. I could live with that -- I don't like it -- but then it seemed like two or three bad things on top of bad things happened right there with the ball that fell out that we thought was a pass that they said was a fumble. We're backed up. We put them in great field position. They didn't have to go too far to score today.

IS IT THE SAME DEAL WHERE THE CONFIDENCE GETS A HOLE PUNCHED IN IT?
That's right, that's right. It is. We have a lot of youth, a lot of players played today, a lot of players that never played in this type atmosphere that played today.

AFTER THE FAKE FIELD GOAL, YOU WERE TALKING TO THE REFEREES.
I was upset on the interception because they had a guy in motion and I was discussing that.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON THIS END OF A QUARTER LIKE THAT?
Yeah, one other time.

WHEN WAS THAT?
Murray State.

IS THE TEAM AT THAT POINT, HOUSTON, WHERE IT JUST CAN'T FIGHT BACK ADEQUATELY?
What are you talking about?
A combination of being too young, not very good in some spots, beaten up in some spots and confidence, the combination of all that where you just can't climb out of 14-0 or a couple of bad breaks ...
Well, that and then get the ball on the [5-yard line]. They pick up a ball and run it in.

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
That's tough to overcome. Yes, to answer your question. Definitely. Absolutely. I was looking in their eyes and the one thing I keep [doing] as a coach is I'll never give up on them, never quit, keep fighting. I thought at times they were still fighting. We'll have to watch the film tomorrow to see if [it was effort] all the way through. We've never been in this position before. We've never been down 40-something to 7 or 42-14. This is the first time we've ever been in this position. I felt like for the most part they kept on fighting.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT [FRED] TALLEY'S PERFORMANCE?
I was really proud of Fred. He was really bummed out in there about the fumble. I hate that. I wish they hadn't got that seven. He's a competitor. He's a winner. He's only going to get better. He's a warrior that fights throughout. I'm proud of the way he ran.

This article was published on Sunday, November 12, 2000

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