Continued questions about Ulysses Bentley IV: Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin discusses the ‘hard decisions’ about playing time
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss lost to Florida, 24-17, Saturday in Gainesville, a devastating defeat that really puts a damper on the Rebels’ playoff hopes. There were miscues and missed opportunities aplenty — but there was also the curious case of ‘missing’ running back Ulysses Bentley IV who only played on special teams Saturday at a time when the Rebels seriously needed a ground game.
Head coach Lane Kiffin was asked both in Sunday night’s zoom with media and Monday’s press conference about Bentley and his limited play.
On Sunday, Coach Kiffin said there is no off-the-field issue that has kept Bentley, the SEC’s highest graded returning running back for 2024, according to PFF, out of the game.
“…It’s nothing off the field at all. He’s a wonderful kid who does everything we ask of him. We just haven’t been real consistent and productive at that spot this year and tried something else yesterday (Saturday). So, it is what it is. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. Really appreciate how he’s handled the situation, but this is what happens in coaching. Everybody doesn’t play and you’ve got to make hard decisions.”
Lane Kiffin
When the season began, most Rebels expected to see Bentley IV at the RB 1 spot. However, Henry Parrish, Jr., who performed very well in the early weeks of the season, started over Bentley. Parrish, as you recall, transferred back to Ole Miss from Miami, where he had spent two seasons playing for running backs coach Kevin Smith. Both Parrish and Smith had left Oxford for Miami, and each found his way back to Ole Miss.
Against LSU, Bentley saw his first significant SEC action of the season. In that game, he carried 11 times for 108 yards, a 9.7 yard-per-carry average, and also scored on a 50-yard TD run.
50-YARD TD BY ULYSSES BENTLEY IV 🔥 @OleMissFB takes a 10-0 lead in Death Valley‼️ pic.twitter.com/AXenlRbeTp
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 13, 2024
After Parrish suffered a season-ending knee injury against Arkansas, Ole Miss had a running back room consisting of Jones (who has spent time out with injury), transfers Thomas and Rashad Amos — and Bentley. Against Georgia in a must-win game for the Rebels, Bentley rushed 13 times for 28 yards and scored one crucial rushing touchdown.
Against Florida, Bentley saw not one snap at running back; however, he did play on special teams. Micah Davis started at running back against the Gators. Davis, who is a wide receiver for the Rebels, played in his very first game of the season as a running back on Saturday. He carried 11 times for 27 yards.
Currently for the season, Bentley sits at 213 rushing yards on 50 attempts, a 4.3 yard-per-carry average and has scored two TDs.
Florida game post mortem
It’s understandable that folks want to do a post mortem on the loss to Florida to try and understand what went wrong in perhaps the biggest game in Ole Miss history — or at least the one with the most at stake because of the college football playoff spot that was on the line. And part of that dissection is trying to understand Bentley’s situation.
Most puzzling box score stat
Ole Miss had 35 rushes vs Florida
14 by a QB
11 by a WR
6 by a D Lineman
4 by a RB#SECThisMorning pic.twitter.com/Ua6HUuwFwm— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) November 25, 2024
Undoubtedly, largely because the Rebels lost, that kind of ratio will create questions both from the media and fans. As Coach Kiffin has explained, when you win, the questions are a lot easier than when you lose.
In Monday’s presser, Coach was again asked about Bentley and why he was not used against Florida.
“You keep saying ‘highest-graded returning running back.’ I don’t really know what that means. Like I said, he’s handled it really well. If you want to get into ‘highest grade,’ look at average per carry this year. Not saying he won’t have a great game this week.“
Lane Kiffin
Pro Football Focus, at the end of last season, rated Bentley with an 87.4 grade, which led all other returning SEC running backs. Last season, while splitting time behind Quinshon Judkins, Bentley rushed for 540 yards on 95 carries (5.7 yards per carry).
Kiffin was then asked, yet again, about Bentley’s role.
“I never said it was a health thing. It’s just that you gotta make hard decisions when you’re head coach. You can’t please everybody, so it is what it is. If you want to get into stats and percentages, look at the average per carry this year of all running backs.”
Lane Kiffin
Thus far this season in SEC games, Bentley has averaged 4.4 yards-per-carry, which leads the team through seven league games. Running back Domonique Thomas has a 3.9 yard-per-carry average, while Henry Parrish sits at 3.4 yards-per-carry in SEC play. Rashad Amos is at 2.0 YPC and Matt Jones is at 1.8.
Next Up:
The Rebels (8-3, 4-3 SEC) host Mississippi State (2-9, 0-7 SEC) this Friday in the annual Egg Bowl. Ole Miss is currently listed as a 26-point favorite over the Bulldogs. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ABC.
David Walker
David Walker was named Louisiana’s High School Player of the Year at just 16 years old and, at 17, became college football’s first quarterback to earn Freshman of the Year honors. He remains the NCAA’s youngest-ever starting quarterback, a distinction that has stood for decades.
Transitioning from a wide-open high school offense to Emory Bellard’s renowned wishbone triple option, Walker excelled as a dual-threat quarterback. He graduated as Texas A&M’s all-time winningest quarterback and served as a two-time team captain, helping to transform a program that had endured 15 losing seasons in the previous 16 years.
After his playing career, Walker coached and taught algebra at six Texas high schools before moving into private business. In 2011, he published his memoir, “I’ll Tell You When You’re Good,” a title inspired by the coaching philosophy of Shannon Suarez, the Sulphur High and Louisiana High School Hall of Fame coach who was a significant influence on Walker’s life and career.
Walker’s compelling storytelling in his autobiography reflects the breadth of his experiences in high school and college football, and it is an undeniable fact that he saw more action than any athlete in the history of the NCAA. Since 2013, he has contributed to The Rebel Walk, sharing his insights and expertise with readers.
