MEET THE PRESS: Fritz Previews Ole Miss at Weekly News Conference

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Listed below is the complete transcript from Green Wave head coach Willie Fritz's weekly press conference leading up to Tulane's matchup vs. Ole Miss on Saturday.

Opening Statement - "You know, after the W we celebrate by having snowballs and there's actually a Nola snowball bus, here in Birmingham. So we're able to go ahead and do that. I thought we're going to have to wait till we got back to NOLA, but we're able to do that today, which was fun. We had a good, spirited practice. Worked out a little bit yesterday as well. I'm just trying to have a good grasp of all the unique things that Ole Miss tell us."

Ole Miss is averaging 600 yards per game after two games. They can run it, they can throw it they've got a quarterback. He's generating Heisman buzz early in the year and they run at a really fast pace. What is the biggest challenge for your defense going against that group?

"Well, we got to stay over the top we got to do a good job of tackling in space because they do a super job of getting their playmakers ball in space, whether it's by pass or run. They've got a really good running game - much much much better than people probably give them credit for. I don't know exactly everything with all the offense, who's calling what and all that stuff. But I think it's a little bit of a combination Coach Kiffin, he had fantastic offenses for years and years and years and years. It's a tough offense to defend and they'll build tempo at times, sometimes they'll go regular speed as well, if you let that quarterback back here and pat the ball, he's gonna find somebody open."

Having already faced Oklahoma, how much does that help going into a game like this?
"There are some similarities between both of them. They're exactly the same family as far as, where they learned everything and all that, but they both are going to spread the ball around and they both have much better running games than people give them credit for. They really can run the ball effectively. Outside and inside Oklahoma probably ran a lot more of a counter, than what we've seen from Ole Miss."

How important is it going to be to do a better job of the affecting (Matt) Corral?
"We always want to try to get some pressure but sometimes we got to rush three sometimes four. Sometimes you sell the farm and try to bring more than they got to block. He (Matt Corral) sits back there and pats the ball. We've got to be really, really good in coverage, both underneath and over the top."

Do you feel like you have to score a ton of points to the even have a chance in this game?
"I think we're gonna have to score some points. There's no question about it. We have to do a good job controlling the ball. It looks like they've changed up quite a bit from what they did last year, defensively. They're doing a little bit more than the high three, safety type look - Iowa State has had a lot of success with that. They may have visited with them, I don't know."

The fact that you have a good running game, and you have a good offensive line, do you think that makes you better equipped for a game like this then maybe you've been perhaps of the first three or four years when you were here?
"We have to do a good job with protection. We have to do a good job with protection and then we got to be balanced. If we stand back there, and do long developing routes every play, it's gonna be difficult for us because they've got a heck of a front. They've got some really good pass rushers up there. Number seven (Sam Williams) is dynamic pass rusher. That's a big fast guy up there. They're not going to allow you to hold the ball for very long."

How much has Mike Pratt kind of helped transform what I guess maybe the expectations would be for your offense and what what you guys have been able to do since he's become the starter over this last year?
"He's done an excellent job. He's just picking the game up. I think the game slowed down for a little bit. He's seeing things pre snap. He's accurate, has a strong arm and has much better movement than people give him credit for. We're excited that we've got an excellent quarterback. You've got to have that in these type of games."
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Listed below is the complete transcript from Green Wave head coach Willie Fritz's weekly press conference leading up to Tulane's matchup vs. Ole Miss on Saturday.

Opening Statement - "You know, after the W we celebrate by having snowballs and there's actually a Nola snowball bus, here in Birmingham. So we're able to go ahead and do that. I thought we're going to have to wait till we got back to NOLA, but we're able to do that today, which was fun. We had a good, spirited practice. Worked out a little bit yesterday as well. I'm just trying to have a good grasp of all the unique things that Ole Miss tell us."

Ole Miss is averaging 600 yards per game after two games. They can run it, they can throw it they've got a quarterback. He's generating Heisman buzz early in the year and they run at a really fast pace. What is the biggest challenge for your defense going against that group?

"Well, we got to stay over the top we got to do a good job of tackling in space because they do a super job of getting their playmakers ball in space, whether it's by pass or run. They've got a really good running game - much much much better than people probably give them credit for. I don't know exactly everything with all the offense, who's calling what and all that stuff. But I think it's a little bit of a combination Coach Kiffin, he had fantastic offenses for years and years and years and years. It's a tough offense to defend and they'll build tempo at times, sometimes they'll go regular speed as well, if you let that quarterback back here and pat the ball, he's gonna find somebody open."

Having already faced Oklahoma, how much does that help going into a game like this?
"There are some similarities between both of them. They're exactly the same family as far as, where they learned everything and all that, but they both are going to spread the ball around and they both have much better running games than people give them credit for. They really can run the ball effectively. Outside and inside Oklahoma probably ran a lot more of a counter, than what we've seen from Ole Miss."

How important is it going to be to do a better job of the affecting (Matt) Corral?
"We always want to try to get some pressure but sometimes we got to rush three sometimes four. Sometimes you sell the farm and try to bring more than they got to block. He (Matt Corral) sits back there and pats the ball. We've got to be really, really good in coverage, both underneath and over the top."

Do you feel like you have to score a ton of points to the even have a chance in this game?
"I think we're gonna have to score some points. There's no question about it. We have to do a good job controlling the ball. It looks like they've changed up quite a bit from what they did last year, defensively. They're doing a little bit more than the high three, safety type look - Iowa State has had a lot of success with that. They may have visited with them, I don't know."

The fact that you have a good running game, and you have a good offensive line, do you think that makes you better equipped for a game like this then maybe you've been perhaps of the first three or four years when you were here?
"We have to do a good job with protection. We have to do a good job with protection and then we got to be balanced. If we stand back there, and do long developing routes every play, it's gonna be difficult for us because they've got a heck of a front. They've got some really good pass rushers up there. Number seven (Sam Williams) is dynamic pass rusher. That's a big fast guy up there. They're not going to allow you to hold the ball for very long."

How much has Mike Pratt kind of helped transform what I guess maybe the expectations would be for your offense and what what you guys have been able to do since he's become the starter over this last year?
"He's done an excellent job. He's just picking the game up. I think the game slowed down for a little bit. He's seeing things pre snap. He's accurate, has a strong arm and has much better movement than people give him credit for. We're excited that we've got an excellent quarterback. You've got to have that in these type of games."

Tulane University Athletics

MEET THE PRESS: Fritz Previews Ole Miss at Weekly News Conference

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