On SEC Coaches Weekly Teleconference Lane Kiffin discusses Ole Miss’ running game: ‘It takes everybody’
OXFORD, Miss. — On this week’s SEC Coaches Teleconference, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was asked about the Rebels’ running game and their third down woes against Tulane.
As is usual for the Ole Miss head man, he didn’t mince words on either.
“Sometimes in the passing game, you can have a really good receiver and quarterback and get it out quick in one-on-one matchups. The running game is different than the passing game…it takes everybody. You can be a great running back and not be having success because it takes everybody around to block, perimeter blocking — not just O-line. We have to do a better job. We were very disappointed last week.”
Lane Kiffin on the ground game
The Rebels have 232 total yards rushing on 68 carries after the first two games. Preseason All American back Quinshon Judkins has 108 yards on 31 attempts for a 3.5 yard-per-carry average. He also has rushed for three touchdowns in the first two games.
The Rebels’ third down struggles were mighty against the Green Wave as they were just 1-for-13. Coach Kiffin was asked what went wrong.
“A lot of things. Our timing was off. We had a drop. We had a missed throw. We had some missed protections. We had a little bit of everything — that’s the only way you can be that bad.”
Lane Kiffin on third down struggles
That being said, though they were just 1-for-13 in third down conversions, Ole Miss was 3-3 on fourth down conversions and 3-3 in the red zone against Tulane.
Kiffin looks for Saturday’s opponent, Georgia Tech, to be a much-improved team than last season when Ole Miss hammered them, 42-0, noting the Rebels have plenty to fix on offense before facing the Yellow Jackets.
“Georgia Tech is playing really good…We have a lot of things to work off last week that we didn’t do well, especially offensively…we didn’t perform nearly as well as our expectations on offense and that’s on me. We need to get that fixed this week and do whatever it takes to win.”
Lane Kiffin
Coach Kiffin was complimentary of quarterback Jaxson Dart and the job he’s doing thus far this season.
“I think Jaxson is doing really well,” Kiffin noted. “I think that we (the receiver) slipped out of the break (against Tulane), otherwise he wouldn’t have an interception all year long. He’s taking care of the ball. He’s doing a really good job.”
Kiffin was also asked about the analytics he uses and if they change.
“They change every week, (based on) who you play, how you’re doing on offense, how your kicker is,” Kiffin explained. “Our range is increased as you saw. That changes every week.”
The Rebels’ range has absolutely increased as kicker Caden Davis hit a 56-yard field goal against the Green Wave Saturday.
Coach Kiffin was also asked if he had any stories about his time at Alabama with now-Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key. “We hung out on his boat together, he had a pontoon boat,” Kiffin said. “We’d go hang out on Lake Tuscaloosa. I would joke this isn’t exactly like South Florida boating and the ocean. But we had a good time.”
Next Up
Ole Miss hosts Georgia Tech at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Vaught. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
