WATCH: MSU RB coach Tony Hughes media op - Kentucky

Mississippi State running backs coach Tony Hughes met with the media earlier this week to discuss the health of the running back room, or the lack thereof before the throwback game against Kentucky.

Q: How do you feel like your guys responded to the challenge of playing without Woody this past weekend?

Hughes: Well, I think they responded in a positive way. Very good production, had a good day. I was really proud of the way they played.

Q: How pleased were you with Seth Davis and the big plays he was able to make? How has he responded?

Hughes: It was very exciting to see him do that. He’s done it in practice plenty of times, and we knew that he had the capability to make that big play. I was hoping that he would have ripped through those two tackles and went and scored a touchdown, but we’ll take it, you know. He’s very excited, and having that success is going to lead to more success for him. I think he’s going to be an outstanding player in the future.

Q: Where do you see the biggest growth from him?

Hughes: His maturity, his patience and his development. You know, he’s still a freshman, right out of high school. This time last year he was playing high school football, and last week he was playing at Auburn in from of 85,000 people. To go out there and capture the moment and have that confidence, he’s a special kid. He comes from a good family, he’s a hard worker, he’s very conscientious, he’s very intelligent, so he’s got all the ingredients to become a great player.

Q: How big of a weapon is Jeffery Pittman for you in short yardage, especially if Woody isn’t 100%?

Hughes: Well, again, he got in early in the spring. He was here for spring ball and learned the system, and then being a junior college transfer, he is exactly what we were hoping for – somebody to come in and make an impact right away, not just at running back, but on special teams. He’s a very good special teams player. He catches the ball well out of the backfield, he’s a good blocker. He’s very intelligent, very conscientious about learning what to do. There’s still some more growing up to do there, but from the beginning and having an opportunity to play the other day, really was good for him.

Q: With Tulu starting to line up in the backfield, do you have to work with him at all?

Hughes: Oh no, he’s still a wide receiver. It’s just some different things that we try to do with him to get him the football.

Q: As a veteran coach, what do you tell the guys to get them through the more trying times like this?

Hughes: Playing division 1-A college football in the 21st century is a very difficult and volatile profession. It is tough, and you’re dealing with 18, 19, 20, 21-year-old kids that they’ve sometimes had situations in their lives that they’ve all come through adversity, and it’s a great lesson. Football teaches a lesson about adversity, coming through hard times and storms, staying focused on the work at hand. I think coach Arnett, as the leader, has done a great job of keeping our team focussed and not worrying about the things that happened in the past and focussing on the future. We have a big challenge coming this Saturday night under the lights, playing a crossover game against a traditional rival that we’ve been playing (for years), so I think our kids realize what’s at stake and I think they’ll be focussed and excited to come play.

Q: What kind of challenge is Kentucky going to pose to the guys in your room?

Hughes: Well, they’re tough, man. They’re big, strong, tough, especially their d-line. They’ve got very good linebackers. They’re always a top five defense in the Southeastern Conference. Their head coach is a defensive coach and preaches toughness and physicality and those type of things. Their players buy into it, and that’s who they are. They’re known for that, and so that’s the type of challenge that we’ll face – a tough, hard nosed, physical play against a good oponent.