Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin thinks A&M is most talented 5-3 team ‘ever’ and says Rebs will need to ‘think outside the box’
OXFORD, Miss. — On Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Weekly Teleconference, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin talked about the upcoming game against A&M, pointing out just how talented the Aggies’ roster is.
Although A&M is 5-3 this season, Coach Kiffin believes that does not accurately represent their level of talent.
“This has to be the most talented 5-3 team not just out there, but ever,” Kiffin said of the Aggies.
“It’s just completely loaded with players everywhere. There’s matchup concerns. These guys are first in the country in sacks, but a stat most people don’t pay attention to is that third down distance is 9 1/2 yards, that’s an average distance (an offense has to face on third down). We’re going to have to play really well, prepare really well, be creative and think outside the box to have a chance to beat these guys for a third time in a row.”
Lane Kiffin on A&M
The Aggies will be looking to break an 8-game road losing streak when they take the field at Vaught-Hemingway. That eight-game streak was started by Lane Kiffin and the Rebels all the way back in 2021.
That will be no small task for an A&M team that seems to be improving as Jimbo Fisher lets new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino take over more of the reins. The Aggies are averaging 32 points per game largely via the talented duo of Evan Stewart and Ainias Smith receiving, along with running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels, and with Max Johnson who took over for the injured Connor Weigman at QB.
And, defensively, A&M is a force to be reckoned with. They are number one in the nation in sacks, registering a total of 33 for an average of 4.12 per game. They have tallied 75 tackles for loss. They are helping force opponents to right under 20 points per game through eight games. The Aggie defense has not allowed an opponent to get over 100 yards through the air and on the ground in a game this season, most recently limiting South Carolina to just 33 yards on the ground. The well-rounded Aggies lead the SEC in total defense (269.3 y/g), giving up just two rushing touchdowns this season and ranking third in the SEC with 32 pass breakups on the year.
Kiffin mentioned the Aggies’ two coordinators in the teleconference Wednesday.
“You have two great coordinators calling plays with DJ Durkin and Bobby Petrino and with those great players, it’s a recipe to be really good,” Kiffin explained.
CFP Rankings
Tuesday night, Ole Miss was ranked No. 10 in the debut of this season’s CFP rankings. But don’t think Kiffin or his Rebels are giving that a second glance.
“We don’t even discuss that ranking,” Kiffin said.
“I think it means nothing until the final one. If we don’t keep winning, none of those rankings matter. We’re not going to focus on that, but instead focus on playing really well each week like we try to do no matter what month it is.”
Lane Kiffin on CFP Rankings
Ole Miss and A&M are set for an 11:00 am kickoff, and the game will be televised 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.
