Lane Kiffin on SEC Coaches Teleconference: Rebels in the Red Zone, Jordan Watkins a new dad, upcoming game vs. Oklahoma
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin called in to Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference literally from the Rebels’ practice field, where he explained his team was having a productive time following a bye week.
“(It’s been) a good week of practice going on here, one that we’re at as we speak,” Kiffin began.
“This is a really challenging opponent, back to the new coordinator (Joe Jon Finley), the previous quarterback (Jackson Arnold), and it sounds like they’re going to be healthier at wide receiver. These guys have played really well when they take care of the ball, because they’ve played really good defense this season. We had a lot to work on in the bye. Excited to get back in front of our fans. Hopefully they’ll show up and we’ll have a good Saturday.”
Lane Kiffin on Oklahoma
Kiffin pointed out one specific area the Rebels are focusing on this week — the red zone offense.
“We’re trying to work on our red zone offense right now and close games out or we’d be undefeated…or two-minute defense if we were able to stop some fourth downs.”
Ole Miss is tied for 15th (with Texas) in the 16-team conference in red-zone offense, converting to a score just 69.3 percent of the time.
Here are some other comments Coach Kiffin made Wednesday:
On a Brent Venables-coached defense:
They’re always extremely multiple, and you never know what they’re in because they do so many things, so it’s really challenging for the coaches and players.
On wide receiver Jordan Watkins’ leadership:
He’s actually having a baby as we speak right now, today. Hopefully he’s applying good leadership today. He’s done a really good job. We’ve been hit with the injury bug a lot on offense this year for whatever reason. He was one of them early. It’s been good to have him back. He probably got to full-strength just a couple of weeks ago.
On in-game fan issues, like opponents throwing objects on the field:
I can’t say I’ve thought about in-game problems with fans. That’s an administration and commissioner issue.
On preparing for difficult venues:
We’ve tried to re-create the environment, even with all the managers and recruiting kids waiving towels the week of the South Carolina game. Making derogatory signs towards players as they walk into practice…We try to be creative with everything. It got a little personal, though. The players were like, ‘The cuts are a little deep.’
On the impact of the College Football Playoffs on regular season games:
I just think there’s so much on them. It’s challenging, because there’s not a lot of margin for error, unlike the NFL playoffs. Half the teams make the playoffs? You can go a game or two above .500 (in the NFL) and make it. This has really created so much on the games. A game comes down to the end and a ref makes a call this way or that way or a field goal is missed and a team goes way down based off of that. I said when it first came out and everybody was excited, you were going to have a lot of issues at the end when you’re going to have teams with byes that are ranked way below other teams. Other teams potentially ranked 11th or 12th in the country and they’re not going to get in for some lower-ranked team (who does). Definitely a very odd system, especially since realignment.
Next Up
Ole Miss hosts Oklahoma Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The game 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.
