TRANSCRIPT: Ole Miss DC Bryan Brown Addresses Georgia Rematch, Rebels’ Defensive Adjustments

Note: Our coverage of Ole Miss football in the College Football Playoff is brought to you by the great folks at BlueSky, Richland Dental, Oxford Krystal and Southern Traditions Farm. We are incredibly appreciative of these sponsors and encourage you to click on the links above to visit their sites.

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator Bryan Brown spoke with media Saturday afternoon ahead of the Rebels’ New Year’s night matchup against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Coach Brown talked about the prior game against the Bulldogs — Ole Miss’ only loss of the season — as his team prepares for the rematch and what the Rebels will look to do to finish this college football playoff game with a win.

Here’s everything Coach Brown said: 

Question: I guess y’all now had the week to kind of focus solely on Georgia. Just having watched film, what are the differences you’ve seen in that offense since y’all’s game in October?

Coach Brown: Well, I think the one thing they’re doing really well is, is taking care of the football. They’re not turning the ball over, but they’re also just executing at a really, really high level, and their playmakers are making plays. And that’s the one thing about a really good football team is you know their playmakers are going to make plays. And if you take care of the football you’re going to be continuing to play at the end of the season. And that’s what they’re doing really well. They’re blocking well. They’re catching the football well. They don’t have as many drops as early on in the season. But their playmakers are making plays and they’re taking care of the football.

Question: I know tackling was a little bit of an issue the last time you guys played. Looking back on that, was that being out of position? Was that technique, I guess what sorts of things go into that and how do you improve upon that this time?

Coach Brown: Well, I think the biggest thing from that game, if you look at it, you know, the number one thing was leverage and just having the correct leverage on whether it’s blocks as well as angles on tackles. You know, those are the things that go into tackling as opposed to just the physical aspect of it as well, is taking the correct angle. So we have tried to correct that throughout the year, working on it right now tirelessly, just making sure because you’re going against a really good football team that has some speed. I just want to make sure we keep edges and do a really good job of tackling. But the angles are really, really key. And then some of it is ‘want to’ as well. So you got to want to tackle these big backs.

Question: Right along those lines from that game, was there anything that you did do well that you can build on that, that had you done it slightly better, it could have been a different outcome in October?

Coach Brown: Well, I think the one thing we did, I think early on in the game was we got them into a couple of third and longs and if you can do that versus any team, that helps put you in a situation to be able to get off the football field and get the ball back to your offense. We got them in third and long, but they converted on those third and longs. And so we got to do a really good job when we get them behind the sticks, we have to do a really good job of getting off the field and executing at a very high level so we can get the ball back to offense. So I think that’s the the one thing I think early on that we did well, but after that we didn’t do too much well in that game.

Question: Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but it looked like early in the season you guys kind of struggled with like motion, would get guys eyes in the wrong places. Offenses were able to take advantage of that. How much of that do you feel like has been improved in the last few weeks? It looks like you guys have have handled that better.

Coach Brown: Yeah, I think a lot. You know, I think within the scheme of the defense, we do multiple different things and changing different formations and stuff like that to where if you hadn’t been in the system or not, sometimes it may get a little hairy at times, but I think our guys have gotten so much better because now they’re grown and playing together, being in the system, you know, a little bit more whether its game. Number 14, number 13, getting ready to come up 14 getting ready to come up. So, you know, you’ve got guys like Sage Ryan and Lap, you know, Wydett who was not here last year. So now they’ve grown into understanding the system, you know, kind of like the back of their hand now. And so they’re able to adjust to different formations and motions a lot quicker than we were early on. But those guys have gotten so much better and I’m proud of them.

Question: What is it about Stockton that makes him so difficult? I mean, he doesn’t have all the measurables and all those kinds of things. But I mean, the guy just wins. What is it about him that makes him hard to defend?

Coach Brown: I think he’s just a football player. You know, he’s a gamer, you know, as people call him. But you know, he does a great job of extending plays with his legs and it’s not just to run but also to be able to keep his eyes down the field and be able to throw. And if he needs to run, you know, he will. He’ll extend drives and be able to pick up first downs. And so I think he just makes the right plays, you know. And that’s the one thing that people get misconstrued on as far as quarterback-wise that you have to be this pocket passer and you have to be this certain size. No, we want football players. And that’s what Gunner is. He’s a good football player that makes the right football plays. Like, you know I’m a basketball junkie as well. Played basketball. And you think about LeBron James — he makes the right plays. And when you can do that, you put your team in a situation to be successful on the field and put yourself in a situation to be able to win.

Question: Antonio Kite already announced that he’s returning for next year. You know, he’s a transfer that came in this year. He’s had a little injury history, but as far as how he’s come along and what that means for next year, I know it’s all about the Sugar Bowl now, but what have you seen from him as far as growth and then also getting him back for next year?

Coach Brown: Well I think with Kite coming in you know from Auburn from the portal, you know you had things that were said about him. But I think this kid has come in and done exactly what we asked him to do whether it’s off the field, on the field. He’s strived to be the best that he possibly can be. Continues to get better within the scheme of the defense. He’s getting healthy now and that’s a positive thing to see because early on in the year you could tell, hey, he can be really, really, really special from a coverage standpoint and coverage corner. And I’m just glad we were able to get him back for next year as well, but also for this game. And so look forward to seeing what Kite is going to hold for the near future for us.

Question: And as far as this walking this weird kind of parallel line because of the calendar itself, you’re having to prepare for the Sugar Bowl but also think about next year’s roster considerations. The back end was something you were concerned about coming in. It’s gotten better over the season, but like, what would you like to see or what have y’all kind of targeted as what y’all need to go after in the portal. And how is it hard to balance that?

Coach Brown: Well, I think, you know, like you said, the calendar doesn’t make things easier, especially for playoff teams and even some teams that’s in some some of these bowl games. You’re trying to prepare, you’re trying to get your scheme and game plan and things of that nature for your game, which is the most important, but also understanding that the future is important as well. And, so you know, it’s some long hours at times, you know, you’re trying to figure out, you know, what is it that you actually need moving forward. But sometimes you may not know until the 2nd, because we may have some guys get in the portal we didn’t expect to get in the portal. And so you just have to adjust on the fly. But I think you look at it as, hey, we need every position, you know, just moving forward, you know, from on offense and defensive side of the football just to make sure that you’re prepared for that moment when that moment does come, if somebody that you didn’t think would get in the portal, they end up jumping the portal. So you’re already prepared. But it’s some long hours to make sure that we’re dotting our eyes, dotting our T’s, as well from the portal as well as game planning wise.

Question: Coach, Will Echoles announced his intention to come back. He’s the leading tackler on the defensive front for you guys. What’s he meant to the program and how’s he anchored that defensive front for you?

Coach Brown: Oh man. Will’s a Mississippi guy, like myself. And so I’m proud that we got a really good football player on our side of the football and just on our team that’s from the state of Mississippi that’s leading us the way Will is leading us and anchoring that front, and has done a tremendous job for us up front. I mean, he comes in to work every day. You know, he brings his iPad to work and taking notes, you know, like no other. Coach Joyner does a tremendous job of coaching him. But, you know, it’s just a thrill to see him practice because he practices the way he plays. You know he plays violent. He practices violently. You know he punches at the ball violently. You know he does the exact same thing in the game. And so, you know we preach that to our guys all the time. You practice the way that you’re going to play the game. And that’s the way he’s approached it. And it’s good to be able to have him back so now he can help recruit, you know, some of these guys that we need in the portal, but also some guys that we want to be able to stay. And so it’s a great deal to be able to have Will to come back for us this coming up season in 26.

Question: Princewill’s been on a tear here lately. I think six sacks in his last six games. Has that just been him getting healthy, or I guess, what’s sort of been unlocked in him over this stretch?

Coach Brown: Yeah, I think it’s a little bit of both. You know, again, it’s portal guy that was not here all of 24. And so now he’s getting to understanding the system and now he’s able to play a whole lot faster. And that’s one thing that you’re seeing from a lot of the guys that are the first year within the scheme of the defense in the program. They’re playing a lot faster here late in the season and I think those guys up front, especially Princewill, you know, he’s able to see his keys. He understands what his strengths and weaknesses is and he’s able to go out there and perform at the best of his ability within the scheme of the defense. So, he’s done a tremendous job and we’re excited for him as well.

Question: Coach, we go back to the first game with Georgia in Athens. Their tight end that day had not caught a touchdown pass and left that game with three. Was that just a coverage bust?

Coach Brown: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. That was a busted coverage. And hopefully we don’t have that this coming up game. But it was busted coverages. You know, one he made a pretty good play, but other than that, I mean, it was– got to be busted coverage if nobody is within five yards of him. And so our eyes hopefully will continue to be cleaned up this coming up game. And you know, just from calls and communication and things of that nature, hopefully we don’t have anybody just running loose because that’s a big part of the game plan as well to to make sure we have all plays contested.