Sunday Zoom with Coach Kiffin: Ole Miss head coach looks back at Furman game, reflects on first game without his dad, Monte
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin met with the media via Zoom on Sunday after the Rebels’ 76-0 victory over Furman on Saturday to open the season.
He started the call by praising his team and coaches for what was about as perfect of an opening game as one could ask for.
“It was a very successful day for a first game. A lot of new players, moving parts. I thought the coaches and players did a really good job of a clean first game — regardless of opponent — with no turnovers, just three penalties, and didn’t see any substitution issues going on. I was very proud of that. I thought players and coaches working through the last two weeks. Having the mock game last Saturday at the same time, (the score in it) ironically was 72-0, and the exact average rushing yards given up on defense, and pretty much all the goal charts were hit the same (as was the real game vs. Furman). That was interesting.“
Lane Kiffin on the win over Furman
A tribute to Monte Kiffin
Coach Kiffin then turned his attention to what was a fitting tribute to his father, legendary defensive guru Monte Kiffin, who passed away in July. Ole Miss held Furman scoreless — something that would have made Coach Monte proud.
“I thought after the game, it was special as far as for me thinking about my dad watching the game, my brother being here and dad’s excitement because game day was always his favorite all the time. To have a shutout on defense, and as a head coach, I was thinking that this is not only my first season of life without him, but my only season as a head coach without him on our staff but one, and that was the last year at USC, which I only made it five games into before being fired, I think it was more evidence that he was very valuable to our program in all four places I was head coach. It was pretty neat to have a shutout.”
Lane Kiffin on his first game since his father’s passing
In-helmet communication
Coach Kiffin was asked to evaluate how he felt the in-helmet communications went during the game. Jaxson Dart, obviously, had the technology on offense, while TJ Dottery had it when he was in the game.
“I thought it was great. I thought it was very advantageous,” Kiffin said.
“Really worked well. This would be the one game, it isn’t really fair that it’s set up that way, (Furman) didn’t have it. They don’t have it on that level unless they individually go purchase (it). Someone said North Dakota State did (for the Colorado game), but I guess these guys (the Paladins) didn’t. I thought it was very valuable.”
Matt Jones and the ground game
Kiffin talked about the running back room and its role in the season opener, specifically praising Matt Jones, a redshirt junior walk-on who played high school ball for Jackson Prep. Jones led the team in rushing, finishing with 68 yards and two touchdowns.
This is a Matt Jones stan account.@d1matt5 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/U4PPNnylQE
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 1, 2024
Jones has stuck with his team, regardless of not having a scholarship, keeping his nose to the grindstone and working hard to be ready if and when his team needed him.
“It’s so unique nowadays for someone to stay and fight through adversity and stay….It’s awesome. He was down on the service team…we brought him up and he’s played really well and he’s going to play more because of it.”
Coach Kiffin on Matt Jones
Disciplinary note
Ole Miss defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, who found himself with legal issues last month, did play in the second half against Furman. Coach Kiffin was asked about Harris’ status.
“When we do have punishments, we handle them internally and deal with them,” Kiffin said. “In this instance, there was a punishment, but I cannot speak to legal details on that.”
Counting Snaps
As Ole Miss begins preparations for Middle Tennessee State this coming Saturday, the Rebels will be paying attention to number of snaps.
“Our guys didn’t play a lot of snaps, a lot of our defensive players played in the 20’s, some even in the teens of snaps,” Kiffin explained. “We’re going to have to continue working on playing more snaps, I guess, and continuing to work up. The numbers were more of a preseason game, an NFL team with so few snaps for the starters.”
Up Next
Ole Miss returns to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium next Saturday, Sept. 7 as they host Middle Tennessee State. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Adam Brown
Adam Brown joins The Rebel Walk as the Managing Editor after being on the Ole Miss beat as a Sports Editor for over 11 years. He is a lifelong Oxford resident. Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Prior to The Rebel Walk, Brown was the sports editor of HottyToddy.com covering every Ole Miss sport and local high school sports in the community.
