Kiffin, Perkins and Dottery Stress Respect for Georgia State, Express Thoughts on Rebels’ Readiness Ahead of Week One Kickoff
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss football is just days away from kicking off the 2025 season against the Georgia State Panthers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
While the Rebels are heavily favorited in this matchup, coaches and players understand the assignment in front of them, knowing the Panthers pose a challenge in the season’s opening contest.
Head coach Lane Kiffin spoke to the media Monday, giving his takes on the upcoming opponent.
“This is a really good, really well-coached team that has really good players, a number returning, a number of transfers from really big places that have come in,” Kiffin explained.
He continued to sing the praises of the Panthers, noting the talent of not just the players but the people behind the playsheet.
“Look no further than with only a few months to prepare, (they) went and beat Vanderbilt last year. You know, says a lot about their staff and Hue Jackson as offensive coordinator. So these guys are going to have really good schematical stuff and really good players, and so we need to perform really well.“
Lane Kiffin on Georgia State
The Rebels’ head coach was not the only member of the program to give high praise to Georgia State this week, as both Suntarine Perkins and TJ Dottery spoke Tuesday on their first opponent of the season.
“They got a lot of guys out of the transfer portal, a lot of guys from the ACC,” Perkins said. “I feel like they’re a really good team.”
He made sure, however, to note the readiness of the Rebels’ squad.
“I feel like we’re more athletic. We’ve got a lot of young guys and I feel like they’re coming in every day, ready to work. We’ve all got the same goals and everybody is hungry for the same thing.“
Suntarine Perkins
Dottery, too, preached a recurring message heading into the weekend.
TJ Dottery
While Ole Miss lost nine starters from last season’s defense, Dottery isn’t worried about his unit’s readiness.
“It’s the same physical, dominating mentality. That never changes. That’s the standard. It’s just the Landshark mentality of the defense.“
TJ Dottery
Ole Miss finishes up preparations for the game, as they have three more days of practice before the season begins.
Ole Miss will host Georgia State at 6:45 pm CT Saturday. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Billy Kuhl
Billy Kuhl joins The Rebel Walk as a sophomore at Ole Miss majoring in Journalism with a Sports Media concentration. He is from Jefferson Township, New Jersey and graduated from Jefferson Township High School where he played varsity baseball, and soccer, and swam competitively in his summers. You can contact him at wpkuhl88@gmail.com or DM him on X @Billykuhll or instagram @Billykuhll_
