OXFORD -- Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin met with the media Monday, discussing the 15th-ranked Rebels’ 48-23 win over Georgia Tech this past Saturday and previewing Saturday’s showdown with No. 13 Alabama (2:30 p.m., Bryant-Denny Stadium, CBS).
Here's a look at what Kiffin said -- and maybe, just maybe, what he meant -- during Monday's press conference.
What Lane Kiffin said -- and maybe, just maybe -- what he meant during Monday's press conference.
What he said/what he meant is presented by MyPerfectFranchise.net.
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Opening statement:
What he said:
“Good start to the week. I think guys understand the magnitude of this game, understand we made a lot of mistakes last week and there’s a lot of things we need to improve on. As I mentioned, we’re going into an extremely hard place to play. It’s an ultra-talented football team, so we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. It’s good that we looked a little better health-wise out there today. Good to get Tre [Harris] out there and [Caden] Prieskorn out there. I’m sure Jaxson [Dart] feels good about that.”
What he meant: The news about Harris was a little surprising, but I’m sure anybody who can give it a go is going to try to give it a go. And Kiffin’s right. Alabama is very talented and Tuscaloosa isn’t an easy place to go grab a win. It’s a huge opportunity for Ole Miss, one everyone knew was going to be the first big challenge since the schedule was released. There’s no backing away from it, and Kiffin, to his credit, doesn’t.
On preparing for the starting Alabama quarterback will play:
What he said:
“That’s a unique challenge, one that I don’t think you ever face normally. Normally it’s two [quarterbacks], not three. That’s challenging because obviously one of the three is very different from the other two. But we’ve got to be ready for whoever plays. We’ve got to work on ourselves first and got to be better on defense. We did not play very good Saturday.”
What he said: This was asked and answered before Nick Saban named Jalen Milroe his starter, though I suspect Kiffin (and everyone with a pulse) could watch the South Florida game and know it was going to be Milroe.
On Alabama offense looking different than in recent years:
What he said:
“A little bit. I think that’s a little hard to say just because they’re trying to figure out the quarterback. Anytime you’re trying to do that with different quarterbacks, that’s a work in progress. I’m sure they’ll work it out. Previous games don't mean anything year to year or week to week. You see that in college football all the time. In the NFL, teams play each other twice and the same team doesn’t always win twice. Every week is different. Just because these guys struggled down in a non-conference game and they’re not used to playing in some weather issues means nothing about the way that they play in the SEC at home.”
What he said: I may be wrong here, but I think this is Kiffin talking to his team here. Alabama looked vulnerable in Tampa, but that doesn’t mean it will be the same team at home in an SEC opener on CBS. What a world we live in if I’m right. A coach having to caution his team about being overconfident headed to Tuscaloosa… I mean, I just can’t
On appreciation for Alabama head coach Nick Saban:
What he said:
“I think that sometimes with time those things happen, that you continue to be appreciative for the opportunity that he gave. Not only that, people give people opportunities all the time, but also the things that I learned from him defensively. The things I learned from him are organization and discipline. I’m extremely grateful to him and he really helped me at a really challenging time in my life. They kind of say sometimes, ‘You don’t really figure out yourself until you’re torn down and have to rebuild yourself.’ I’m grateful for him being part of that process.”
What he said: Feels like this story has been written 1,786,452.5 times. I don’t know what else he can say at this point.
On approach to the game as a former Nick Saban assistant:
What he said:
“I don’t think about it that way. Seems like whoever leaves him ends up taking some coach’s position at some point. There’s always kind of intertwined things and we’ll still communicate within the office and stuff. I don’t really overthink that because I don’t make the plays. We’ve got a lot of coaches and players that do that. I don’t really put anything extra into that, just have to prepare for an opponent that’s got great players. I was thinking this morning, [Suntarine] Perkins is probably the only player on our roster they wanted. If you look at it that way, 85 draft picks and we took who they didn’t want. You got to go there and play against that. You got to be really well prepared and get some breaks. You got to really scheme things up just to have a chance.”
What he said: Kiffin turned another Saban question into motivation for his team. He basically said, “These guys didn’t recruit you. You weren’t good enough in their eyes. Now you can go into their place, prove them wrong and bury them.” That was really impressive and it likely resonated with his players.
On defensive struggles against Georgia Tech:
What he said:
“I thought Georgia Tech did a good job. I could be wrong, but I think they're going to be good offensively throughout the year. They were number one in the ACC coming in through two weeks. They’re much improved. Their coaching staff has really, schematically, done a good job. They took the Texas A&M quarterback and he looks like a brand-new player. I think they’re going to move the ball on a lot of people, but we’ve got to play better.”
What he said: Two things: One, I win the bet. We had a Georgia Tech question. Two, my God at the shade thrown at Jimbo Fisher. I mean, damn. The man has a family, Lane.
On Zamari Walton’s injury:
What he said:
“I would anticipate him being fine.”
What he said: He anticipates Zamari Walton being fine and playing.
On pressure Alabama faces losing early in the season:
What he said:
“You guys hear me talk about what’s bad is good and what’s good is bad. What you think is one thing can be the other, and sometimes that’s what happens. Sometimes you lose early. I think in my three years there, we only lost at home one time and that was Ole Miss. Sometimes that can kind of humble the team and can reset things. You see that often. People have a loss early, people start discounting them. All of a sudden, they start playing better and fix their issues. Versus, sometimes you don’t play well but you win games and you can push through things that are issues that are going to show up later if you don’t fix.”
What he said: Kiffin knows there’s a lot of dynasty-is-dead and ‘Bama-is-awful talk out there and he’s shooting it down. He knows if I’m hearing and you’re hearing it, his players are hearing it. Ole Miss can’t afford to even think about being overconfident.
On difficulties of going through coordinators:
What he said:
“It’s really challenging. We’ve had a lot of turnover here with guys getting different jobs and having to reset structure-wise offense and defense positions. Saban has done it better than anybody over time and really speaks to why he’s the best coach in the history of college football and maybe in all of sports. To be in the time of scholarship limitations, which the old coaches didn’t deal with. I just told you he’s got 85 players we couldn’t get, what if he had 150 like they used to? The staffs now move so much. He’s been able to work through that like no one ever has, that’s why he’s the best. It’s really amazing what he does.”
What he said: Kiffin clearly has a ton of admiration for what Saban has been able to do at Alabama. His ability to adapt has been his strongest strength. And he’s right; what he’s done at Alabama is nothing short of amazing.
On comments about Alabama’s cornerback coach Travaris Robinson:
What he said:
“I was asked the question what was it like going against [Kevin] Steele’s defense. I wasn’t really trying to start this big thing. We saw things on the TV copy just where it was different. First off what the play looked like and the calls and stuff. We looked into that further. It’s not a secret that people in these buildings know each other, so we obviously got some information that way too. It is what it is, kind of like the quarterbacks. You prepare for a different quarterback, you prepare for a different playcaller. We’ve got game film of that. I’m not sure whatever transpired after Texas, but we’re going to have our hands full no matter what.”
What he said: Kiffin gave Saban something else to answer and headlines to the Alabama beat. It won’t matter one way or the other Saturday, but I’m betting he ruffled some steal — or Steele — feathers in T-town.
On challenges Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe brings:
What he said:
“I think you’re good at asking those questions you know the answer to. He’s hard to catch, hard to tackle, hard to bring down. He can run physically too, so he’s a big challenge as you saw early in the season.”
What he said: Milroe is really athletic and a dynamic runner. I’m not sure there’s anything else to interpret here.
On support for Braden Waterman as he undergoes treatment for cancer:
What he said:
“Things like that put it all in perspective in all of this. Win this game, or this matchup, and all the attention on that. We all get why football and SEC football is so important. Those things when they happen, and for a kid to go through a third time of this at his age is just unspeakable. He’s such an awesome kid. His energy, his positivity. He shows back up here after doing chemotherapy. I mean, he’s just so cool and I just love being around him and talking to our players. They’re down about not having enough plays or they didn't carry the ball enough or catch the ball enough. Look what he’s going through and fighting through and still here and positive. He’s awesome. I really do love him.”
What he said: A beautiful answer about one of his young quarterbacks who is once again battling something much bigger than football.
On respecting Nick Saban:
What he said:
“I don’t know. We’ve got so much work to do on this game. I just really respect him so much. I think as you continue to mature, grow, and get older, and as a head coach, you realize how much a head coach has to deal with even though I’d been one before and the issues with players and coaches. To be at the top as long as he was and to be as consistent as he was [is admirable]. We’d have games we’d blow people out. Like Western Kentucky, we’re blowing them out and he’s losing his mind like we’re losing to Auburn or something. That’s just him, and that’s why he’s so good because he’s so consistent.”
What he said: Again, it just feels like this base has been covered. Something tells me Kiffin would love to flip the narrative, beat Saban, compliment his former boss and then not have to deal with the same line of questioning again.
On finishing the game:
What he said:
“No, we haven’t gotten to that. We’re just on day one, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. Maybe later in the week. I think it’s well-documented. We had the ball and a chance to go in and win the game against them but didn’t finish in the red zone. Again, that has nothing to do with this year. Now we’ve got to go to their place which is always tough for everybody.”
What he said: A patient answer to a very nervous, out-of-the-blue question. It also shows you, in a way, how much last season’s loss still lingers — in large part because, I suspect, as I said earlier, Kiffin is ready to get to a new place in the whole Kiffin versus Saban conversation. The only way to do that is to win the game.
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