Ole Miss Rebels head football coach Lane Kiffin spoke with the media on Monday about the team opening up its season against Georgia State.
Ole Miss Rebels head football coach Lane Kiffin spoke with the media on Monday about the team opening up its season against Georgia State. Here’s everything he said in his press conference.
Opening statement: “Excited to get to game week, especially to have a home game for our fans and obviously a lot of new players with this team. So it’ll be exciting to come out and play in front of a home crowd that I really urge to be electric like it has been here at times. Some of these early games have been early kickoffs so it’s good to get a later kickoff for our fans. We’re excited with that, really urge them to show up early and stay and create a great home environment like we’ve had a lot of times here. I know the players are excited to play someone else. This is a really good, really well-coached team that has really good players — a number of returning and a number of transfers from really good places that have come in.
“Coach (Dell McGee) has done a really good job building this team and look no further than with only a few months to prepare, went and beat Vanderbilt last year. Says a lot about their staff. Hue Jackson is offensive coordinator so these guys are gonna have really good schematical stuff and really good players. We’re going to need to perform really well. That’s why I’m saying to the fans, too. We all need to perform well. Let’s have an exciting Saturday night.”
On Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons developing during fall camp: “I think Austin’s doing a really good job. He had a really good Saturday night and performed really well. We continue to emphasize, one of the things why we’ve had a really good record, performed really well, it’s not just the offensive stats, those passing yards and all that. It’s been taking care of the football at that position and doing a really good job of that. So that’s, of course, a big emphasis, especially with a first-time starter, to make sure that that’s the No. 1 emphasis for him. We’re excited. He’s got a lot of weapons that have done really good things in practice, so now we got to do that in a game.”
On if he’s seen what he’s wanted out of transfer QB Trinidad Chambliss: “Yeah, I think he’s done a great job and really come in and learned the offense really well, throwing really well. He’s done really good in scrimmages, and so that’s why we brought him here. That’s what he had shown on film, and so we’re glad. Our goal is always to make each room the best that we can, and obviously the entire roster, but regardless of what’s in a room. So that was really big getting him.”
On SEC going to 9-game schedule: “I’m trying to really focus on this game and this year. That’s a year from now, and that’s completely out of our control as coaches, in my opinion. Really doesn’t matter. They’re going to do what they’re doing. It’s totally understandable. We’ve got teams in past years that have changed storied conferences across the country and realigned college football for money so I wouldn’t expect scheduling to be any less in the conference.”
On how Austin Simmons is handling being the starting QB for Ole Miss: “Yeah, he studies really hard, spends a lot of time up here, had a really good mentor and example in Jaxson (Dart), and it’s been great to see. He spends a ton of time with Coach Weis, Coach Judge, and Fisher Ray, and Dane (Stevens). We’ve got a lot of people up there to help his position because it’s really important that position, a lot to do with how you win when you’re in that position. So we pour a lot of resources in that position to get them to play really well and Austin’s been doing that so far.”
On if Ole Miss is in a better spot than years past health wise entering the season: “Not necessarily. I think we’ve had a number of issues, especially with the offensive line and tight ends. We’re working to get better for this opener and again, I’m not just saying that, this is a challenging team that has good players and really good coaches.”
On if he’s talked with Georgia State RB coach Enrique Davis about the game: “I don’t really work like that. He did a great job here. He’s a really good running back coach and really successful. He’s going to be really successful there and I’m sure other places after that. He put together a really good room, too. Really deep and really good players.”
On if he’s seen progress with the Ole Miss run game: “I think the O-line injuries and tight ends slowed that a little bit. I hope that we’re getting back to that because that’s been a really big emphasis. Really don’t like how we ran the ball last year. Our ineffectiveness at times, that cost us. Cost us in games we were headed in and we could just run the ball to win the game and lose two of those. Much different than it had been in previous years.”
On if Ole Miss has zeroed in on Georgia State RB room: “Yeah, it’s a really good room. Got a couple kids that played here. Branson and some others. Big, physical runners and so we’re going to have to tackle really well.”
On Ole Miss’ defensive line potential to get back to its level from last year: “Yeah, that’s not easy, like you said in a long time. I think historians like yourself, some of them said that’s probably the deepest D-line’s ever been here. The amount of players, it was the most in an all-star game. That’s challenging to do. I think that we have guys that have done a really good job. I don’t know if it’ll be at that level that said. That was the No. 1 tackles for loss and sack defense in the country last year. We got a chance.”
On how Ole Miss DL comes together like last year: “Coach Joyner does a great job and has had retool that like a year ago. Had some new guys like Princely and Walter as well. They’ve done a really good job. Really present a lot of problems to our offense. I think they make our offense better because of how multiple they are.”
On Lucas Carnerio and Oscar Bird being kicker and punter: “They’ve done a good job. Made had a long field goal Saturday and only had one punt at the end, but I think it was 54 yards. They’ve done a good job and those are big add-ons in the offseason.”
Category: General Sports
