TRANSCRIPT: What Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said in Monday Presser ahead of Egg Bowl

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin met with the media Monday to preview this Thursday’s away game versus Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT in Starkville and on ESPN. A transcript can be found below.

Opening statement:
“Alright, so just continuing the preparation. We’re in our short week here, so just trying to maximize the situation that we’re in with the schedule, but I think guys have been attentive. Lot of work to do, a lot of unique scheduling because they don’t have class either. Just pushing through.”

On the advantage of the game before the short week being an 11 a.m. kickoff:
“I think a lot of things have been different. One, right or wrong, we game planned last week which is very unusual to do that in another opponent week. Obviously, a big difference in your body being done at that time. Our play count was much lower than playing an SEC game on the road. I would certainly hope they would never set that up again scheduling wise, where one team’s playing an 11 a.m. non-conference game at home and the other one’s playing at night on the road in the SEC. I think that’s been beneficial, I think our bodies will be a lot better.”

On game planning for this game starting the week before:
“Yeah, we just got ahead by taking time last night to look at things as offense and defense and special teams to get ahead knowing this was a short week.”

On changing his preparation when facing a team that has recently had a head coaching change:
“I don’t think so. When it’s a new interim head coach, you don’t know much about their style or what they do or how they manage a game. Not having an interim outside of a couple of games and not having a script, it’s not like you can study that, so it is what it is.”

On the difference in scouting Will Rogers this season versus previous seasons:
“We know the player that he is and how he’s pulled out games before, thrown for huge numbers in-game. I think against South Carolina this year they threw the ball really well also. I’m sure him getting back and having a game under his belt last week probably will help him. We’re prepared to play a really good quarterback.”

On his familiarity with Mississippi State interim head coach Greg Knox:
“I don’t know him, I don’t have any.”

On his takeaways of Knox’s coaching style on film:
“Obviously we’re looking at scheme in the game and stuff, so I don’t know that you can see a head coach impact in a game like that. Again, I don’t know him and don’t really know much.”

On Mississippi State playing with nothing to lose:
“Definitely. I think that there’s some danger in that. Kind of like an all-out factor of ‘we don’t know if this guy’s our head coach for another game, or whether maybe he can be the permanent head coach,’ so I think that sometimes that doesn’t work, and sometimes it works well because kids kind of just let it go. Usually a coach in these situations, you just bring energy and be creative and try to be more motivational than X’s and O’s. It’s hard to really change philosophy or X’s and O’s in one or two weeks, so a lot of times they usually try to go the motivation route with the players.”

On what he’s learned about the Egg Bowl from previous matchups:
“I think unlike a normal rivalry game, learning the Thursday aspect of the scheduling (is different), and getting a good plan with that. We haven’t been part of a lot of Thursday night games, short week in college football. I think there’s some stuff to that to get used to. Again, last year’s schedule was so bizarre of playing so late on Saturday night on the road, so I think there’s some of that. I think too, some things you have a different view of it when you lose it. We had the trophy here for a couple of years and then lost it last year, so I hope that makes the players want it back more than just having it here the whole time.”

On (Coach) Knox driving a four-wheeler in the locker room:
“Yeah I saw that, I thought that was pretty cool. You guys know Wilson Love from before, it reminded me, I remember him doing the same thing in a summer workout, driving a four-wheeler around to try to get the guys excited, so pretty cool.”

On if he’s surprised by what this rivalry means to people in the state of Mississippi:
“No, I think it’s pretty well noted, because of it being on TV so much, I think nationally people understand kind of the in-state rivalry and the hatred in it. Some crazy events over the years happening in this game. I think I’m pretty familiar with it, it’s very passionate fanbases for this game.”

On how he manages the passion of this game with his players:
“We’ve just got to prepare really well and play really well, and I feel like we’ve done that two or three games. We don’t really build it up and do different things and stuff. I don’t worry too much about them being too excited for it, because in this day and age, most of these guys, or a lot of these guys, haven’t been a part of this rivalry or know very much, which sometimes can be good too. Not to be too over excited and get penalties and try to do different things than you normally do.”

On if he has noticed any nastiness about the rivalry from the players from Mississippi:
“I really haven’t noticed that, but again I know that it’s in there. I think they just get ready, and this is a weird schedule for them, coming back and doing all of this stuff early like this, I think they’re just trying to get used to that.”

On the offensive line’s play vs ULM and what he’ll do to fix it:
“We gave up a lot of negative plays in that game, which isn’t necessarily all offensive line. Sometimes it’s a back stopping his feet or a tight end doing something or our quarterback taking a sack. We did not play great up front by any means, so we’ll continue to look at things. Maybe get some help back injury wise, and just move forward from there.”