Bryan Brown, Kenderick Duncan Preview Ole Miss

Louisville football defensive coordinator Bryan Brown and safety Kenderick Duncan met with the media to discuss their upcoming season-opening matchup with Ole Miss.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The long offseason is finally over, and game week for the Louisville football program is here.

The Cardinals are now preparing to take the gridiron for their season opener against the Ole Miss Rebels as part of the Chick-FIl-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, Ga. Kickoff is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 6 at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN.

Prior to Louisville's upcoming matchup with Ole Miss, defensive coordinator Bryan Brown and safety Kenderick Duncan took time to meet with the media. They discussed the matchup with the Rebels, specifically regarding their offense, and more.

Below is the transcript from their press conferences, as well as the videos:

Defensive Coordinator Bryan Brown

(On the transition from camp to game week)

It's been great. Fall camp was really good to us, with our defense getting a lot better than what we were in the spring, as well as last fall. Now, just gearing toward an opponent that's really, really good offensively. They have one of the best quarterbacks that we'll face all season long in Matt Corral. We're trying to simulate that tempo, and I don't think we'll be able to simulate how fast those guys go, because they go really, really fast. We're just trying to condition our guys to get ready for the next play immediately. No celebrating, trying to make sure that they get the call, get lined up, and just get ready to play. Because when Ole Miss gets you in trouble, it's when you're not ready to play. You're trying to make certain checks and things of that nature, our guys just gotta line up and play, and that's what we got to get ready to practice for the rest of the week before the game.

(On how prepared the coaches are to get calls out)

I think the main and most important thing is to get a call in. Defensively, we have to get the call in immediately. I think with what we've seen on the film, of course they're gonna do a lot of things that we have not practiced, we just got to do we do. Get the call in as quickly as possible, get the guys lined up and let them play. If we can do that, and be able to stay on top, it should be a pretty good football game.

(On how much experience helps when getting guys lined up)

I think so. I think when you have a veteran group like that group, even with the safety spot-both safeties have not played football for us, but you have one safety that's played in our system. He's older, he's been with us since the spring, you have (Qwynnterrio) Cole, who's played a lot of football. I talked to Coach Satterfield earlier today during practice, I said, "man it's like he's been in our defense for a long time," because he knows what to expect. He knows the checks, and he's able to go out and play fast. That allows our guys to kind of be a little bit more calm, cool, and collected a little bit, and be able to go out and execute the defense.

(On the challenges that the Ole Miss ground game presents)

They were number one in the SEC in rushing the football this past year. A lot of people don't talk about that, they talk about the passing game. The running game is really good, and it's not just the running back. They motion some receivers in the backfield, running some jet sweeps with them, and doing certain things with the backs and receivers. Quarterback run game, when they put (John Rhys) Plumlee back there, he can throw the football as well as run it. They've done a tremendous job of just putting the guys in position to be able to make plays both with run, as well as the pass.

(On putting defensive end Ramon Puryear on scholarship)

It was cool. It's kind of been a long time, and Coach Satterfield of course wanted to hold as long as he could, to try to make it a big deal, which it was, in fall camp. That kid, since he stepped foot on this campus, all he's done is work. He hasn't said one word, all he does is work. He brings his lunch pail to work every single day, and no matter what's in that lunch pail, he's gonna eat. He's not gonna complain about it, and he's gonna work, and work his tail off. That's not only on the football field, but it's also in the classroom. He's a 3.0 student, he's always gonna be watching film. He just one of those great kids, man, that you know deserves the best that can possibly come his way. With him being on scholarship, you could just tell that the whole team, not just the defensive linemen, the defensive backs or linebackers, or the defense in general, the whole team. They knew that he deserved to be on scholarship from what they see on a day to day basis. Ramon is just one of those kids that you love, and that you just wish that you had a lot of those guys like him. That are very, very thankful for all the opportunities that they get, no matter if they're on scholarship or not. The T-shirts they get, thankful for those. He just doesn't take anything for granted, and we're just gonna have him on our football team.

(On what the secondary has to be careful about when facing a quarterback like Matt Corral)

Stay your butt on top, because he can throw it deep, He does a tremendous job with the deep ball, does a tremendous job on the underneath throws. The one thing I think he does a tremendous job of, is he does a great job on looking the DB's off. He's so quick to come back to his second or third read, that it's like, "oh my god, you guys got to make sure you're not out of position with your eyes." He does a great job with that, but he's just a really good quarterback that knows where to go with the football. You think of year one in Lane (Kiffin)'s offense, he was tremendous. Now with a year under his belt, this is going on his second year, he's gonna be even better. We just got to do some things just to try to get him uncomfortable in a way, but also just make sure our guys are positioned to make plays, and to make the plays when they come their way.

(On Malik Clark earning the starting job at nose tackle)

He's a different animal. When you think about going into last season with (Jared) Goldwire being the guy, and Malik being the number two behind him, Malik never really pushed Goldwire for that spot. Now, it's his, and he's different. He is different. I don't know how to explain it, he's just a different kid from a mental standpoint, as well as the physical standpoint. He's stronger, he's quicker, and I think the third year being in the scheme, understanding the different type of techniques versus certain types of sets, what he needs to be aware of, he's mastering that right now. I just look forward to him playing the game, and using all the things he's done in practice in a game setting.

(On what stands out about Ole Miss that a lot of people don't necessarily talk about)

I think the offensive line is really good. They got a transferring center from Utah, that I think fit in perfectly with those guys, being able to move big Ben (Brown) to guard. I think the offensive line is really, really good up front, and it's kind of similar to what Michael talked about - their running game. Their running game is really well, a lot of people just don't talk about it because their passing game is just phenomenal. They play fast, everybody knows that, and they just have so many different weapons all across the field. Lane (Kiffin) and those guys will try to use every inch of the blade of grass, and make us cover all over.

(On if the depth at cornerback will help when playing an offense that wants to go fast)

Yeah, I think so. Depending on the full game, certain formations, and sets, and personnel groupings, and things of that nature, dictates a lot of that. Hopefully we'll be able to do some certain things and different things in the game next week that Ole Miss hasn't prepared for. We'll see come Monday night.

Safety Kenderick Duncan

(On his experience in fall camp)

My coaches, they put me in good situations to grow and to learn more, and fixed my weaknesses. Throughout this camp, I just focused on the things that I know that I had issues with, or didn't quite have down pat. So I just use what my coaches taught, what my teammates told me what I needed to work on, and I just tried to develop in every way I could.

(On how much Ole Miss film they have watched)

As a unit, we're starting to watch film on Ole Miss, a pretty good amount. As a back seven and just individually, and with groups and teammates, we've been watching film on them all the time now. We take that time we've been having to watch film on our own, to try to understand their tendencies and build a connection, because we're gonna be the ones out there playing with each other. Our coaches helped us out a lot, understand a lot of things. We know they have a good offense, we know what can happen, the big plays that they can bring, the tempo. We've been practicing that, and just working on the things that they're good at, and trying to be the best we can be when they come on Monday.

(On facing a fast-paced team like Ole Miss)

Of course it's a challenge, because it's not something that every offense does. But we're going to enjoy it, because we want that challenge. We want to be able to do something that we're not used to, and so we've been practicing that real well. Making sure we've been up tempo, running the ball full speed, doing things how the game is going to be. We're practicing like we've planned, we've been a great situation, they put us in a great situation. Come Monday, we'll be ready for that tempo.

(On how the defense has responded to playing up tempo in practice)

As a defense, we've been doing good with it. We look at it as a challenge. We know as long as we do what we're supposed to do, run to the ball, go out there and practice how the game is going to be, it will make the game so much easier. Coach Brown and other coaches, they have put us in good spots to make sure we go out there and practice on how the game is going to be, hurrying up, running to the ball, getting back to the ball. Just doing those little things that will add up.

(On the challenge of facing a fast paced offense right out of the gates)

I like it, because that's what we got to face. Other teams in the nation, they probably don't have as much of a challenge as we do. That's what's going to make us different, and separate us from other other teams. We get to go out there first week, against an offense that's high tempo, that's going to put up a lot of points. It's a challenge, but that's a challenge that we accepted. We want to have that challenge in the first week.

(On the relationship with fellow safety Qwynnterrio Cole)

We have built this relationship to where we go pick each other up every morning, we make sure we're hanging out all day, we do little things together, we watch your film together because we know I'm gonna be alongside each other. Not just us, even the other safeties that's in the room. We make sure everybody's in there, building that bond and relationship, because we're the only ones that's gonna know what each other like to do. We make sure we're building that bond, so when we go in a game, it looks like we've been playing together forever.

(Photo of Bryan Brown: John Sommers II/Special to the Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

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