Coach Nutt's transcript

OPENING REMARKS
It feels great. I really want to thank our seniors. What a way to go out. What a way to go out. These seniors' last three seasons, they haven't been beaten in Little Rock. I really want to thank Little Rock. We love the fans. To put up with this weather, especially the rain, the wind's blowing, a little cold, they were very vocal, and they played a tremendous role. And our defense, you can't say enough about our defense. That's how you win games. They've just done a miraculous job. The last nine quarters they have not been scored on. Can't say enough about them. And Quinton Caver ... I hate it because Quinton Caver, if we'd won eight, nine, 10, he'd be a first-team All-American. There's no doubt in my mind. He deserves it. He's a play-maker. We were able to get pressure on them with Randy Garner's push up the middle, Kurt Davis, Jermaine Brooks, Raymond House. It just seems like Carlos Hall and Randy Garner are just getting better and better and better. Our secondary continues to improve, and I'm real proud of the youth.
Since Day 1, they've said we're going to give up a lot of balls, but they've done a great job, and I'm very proud of them. Offensively, we just kept pecking away, pecking away. Yeah, we'd like to score some more points, but they're a good team. Give them the credit. In the wet, for a guy who just turned 18 years old to be able to touch the ball 42 times without a fumble, he's awesome. He's just on his way. I'm really, really proud of them. To lose Fred Talley, Cedric Cobbs, Andre Ackee, lose all the people we've lost this year, that's what's so gratifying as a coach is to know you have some young men who have great heart. They just kept going and kept going, and that's why they had the winning season.

WHAT ABOUT RICHIE BUTLER?
Phenomenal. He was awesome, absolutely awesome. To pin 'em down deep, pin 'em down deep, just did a great job, along with the protection. That's really what won the game. That punter, Richie, because he put them inside the 5 two or three times, and then defense not giving up the big play -- and they had some home run hitters.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT QUINTON CAVER'S INTERCEPTION, WHAT IT MEANT TO YOUR TEAM?
It ignited us. It just set the tempo. When you get up on them 7-0, that's what the doctor ordered. It's raining, it puts a real bad message in a quarterback's mind who's very hot. A guy like Josh Booty is very, very hot right now. I know how they're feeling, because we were feeling the same way last year at this time after a very good turnaround season. But Quinton started the game off for us.

BOOTY NEVER REALLY GOT A HANDLE ON WHAT YOU WERE DOING ALL DAY. HE ENDED UP 6 FOR 27.
John [Thompson, Arkansas' defensive co-coordinator] creates a great mixture, creates a great mixture. When you have Quinton Caver and J.J. Jones, the way Bobby Allen coaches those guys with blitz and drop, that's what causes interceptions.

IT SEEMS LIKE BOO WILLIAMS HAS REALLY BECOME A LEADER FOR THAT CORPS THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
He has. He's stepped up in every way, blocking, catching, the whole bit.

IT WAS REALLY A GAME OF STRATEGY.
Yeah. We're just trying to play field position, use the clock, not turn it over, and create turnovers. And our defense did just that.

THE FOURTH-DOWN PASS THAT SET UP THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN -- WHAT IS THAT PLAY CALLED?
It's called a pick where the outside receiver comes in and runs almost like a snag, and the inside receiver, Richard Smith, comes right off the outside receiver's butt. It was a beautiful call, and Robby laid it in there nice.

DID YOU EVER CONSIDER PUNTING THERE? YOU CALLED A TIMEOUT.
No. No. We were going to go.

This article was published on Saturday, November 25, 2000

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