What Lane Kiffin said on this week’s SEC Coaches Teleconference
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin spoke with media on the SEC Coaches Weekly Teleconference Wednesday. He touched on what the Rebs are doing during the bye week, what areas they need to improve, and on submitting questionable officiating calls into the SEC office for review.
Self-scouting and a look at the numbers
Ole Miss has put the bye week time to good use. “Spent the week here in self-scout mode of the first half of the season….(looking at) different players and different schemes in practice. It’s come at a good time,” Coach Kiffin said.
In looking at the self-scouting info, Kiffin believes there are some definite areas in which his team needs work.
“Third downs on both sides of the ball, limit explosive plays on defense…We need to be more efficient on offense so we’re not in so many third-and-longs.”
Lane Kiffin on what the Rebs need to work on at this halfway point
While there are always things to work on, Coach Kiffin did mention some areas in which his team is doing better.
“I think we’ve been better in the passing game than a year ago. Still a ways to go, but our red zone numbers have improved and fourth-down percentages have improved also.”
Lane Kiffin on the offense
This season, the Rebels’ red zone performance has indeed been better. Through six games, Ole Miss is 26-30 on red zone attempts, for an 87% success rate. Last season, they finished at an 80% rate.
What is even more markedly improved is the Rebels’ fourth down conversion rate this year. In 2022, the team converted on just 17-35 attempts for a 49% conversion. But thus far in 2023, Ole Miss has converted on 12-16 fourth down attempts — a 75 percent conversion rate.
On bad calls…
Coach Kiffin was also asked how much energy he puts in to submitting bad calls to the SEC office via the league’s process for that.
“We turn them in…although it just kind of makes you more upset when they respond back like this week and say a number of them should have been (called) or (also) weren’t penalties that were called. (These were) very impactful plays in the game, including the protection of the quarterback…so, just kind of just frustrates you more, especially when during the game you’re telling them it’s wrong as you see it.”
Lane Kiffin on turning bad calls in to SEC office
Perhaps this might be one of the “no calls” the Rebels sent to the league office.
The no-call
Lane Kiffin is hot pic.twitter.com/nn6l2L7wGp
— Brad Logan (@BradLoganCOTE) October 8, 2023
Next Up
Ole Miss has this Saturday off and then hits the road to play Auburn on October 21. Kickoff for that game is set for 6:00 p.m., and it will be broadcast on ESPN.
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.
