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Transition period Cutcliffe learning plenty about team in preparing for bowl
Posted: Tuesday December 22, 1998 02:37 PM
JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) -- Despite making for an even more hectic work schedule in his first month as Mississippi's head coach, David Cutcliffe knows how valuable it is to have a postseason bowl for his first game. "To have this period of time to get acquainted, this period of time to evaluate what we have before we're hot and heavy in our recruiting, it helps a great deal," Cutcliffe said Monday. Ole Miss on Tuesday wraps up its on-campus preparation for the Independence Bowl on New Year's Eve against Texas Tech. Those six days of practice on the Oxford campus, and the others in Shreveport, Louisiana, prior to the bowl game, are allowing Cutcliffe, his new staff and his new players to get used to each other. "Otherwise, we would have been looking at the first day of spring practice to say what we're going to do as a practice format ... and this is what this coach's personality and what he expects," Cutclifee said. "To overcome that in this period of time in invaluable." Since taking over full-time as the Ole Miss coach on December 6, a day after he completed his duties as offensive coordinator at No. 1 Tennessee and the day Ole Miss got a bowl invitation, Cutcliffe has been working at a breakneck pace. The past three weeks have consisted of mostly 18-hour workdays. In between putting together a staff and getting to know the Ole Miss players, Cutcliffe has also been recruiting. "It's just been that way," Cutcliffe said of the lengthy days for he and his staff. "It's been just a matter of having to do it. We're not doing anything above and beyond. That's what it's taking to be functional." While admitting it has been "a greater challenge than I anticipated," Cutcliffe said he is still smiling every day. Cutcliffe said he has been encouraged by the work ethic and enthusiasm of his new team, one which lost its last three regular season amid the rumors of Tommy Tuberville's eventual departure to Auburn. "It is basically a learning period," said sophomore Deuce McAllister, a 1,000-yard rusher. "There is a lot of fundamental work, work on little things. But it has been a fast-paced schedule, very upbeat." A few new wrinkles have been added to the offense, but Cutcliffe and his staff decided against a total revamping of the system -- for now. "We are going to use the Ole Miss terminology. We felt like we would end up with paralysis by analysis if we added too much," Cutcliffe said. "We put in a couple of things that fit the ability of the players, a wrinkle or two." Sophomore quarterback Romaro Miller, who broke his collarbone Nov. 21 on the final play at Georgia, is back at practice. Cutcliffe lists Miller as "day to day." "He can play ... how much and how effectively, I don't know at this time," Cutcliffe said. "Only in the last couple of days is he throwing more." It is likely that Miller and David Morris, the freshman who played in the Rebels regular season finale, will both play in the Independence Bowl. "Throwing, I'm still in pain. But I'm pretty much healed," Miller said. "The soreness, I don't know if it's my bones or just being a while since I've thrown." Miller, who has been limited to short throws in practice, said the days off this week would help and that he hoped to "open up when we get to Shreveport" on Saturday.
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Cram session: Cutcliffe took over at Ole Miss on December 6