Stoops Praises Simmons, Kiffin Ahead of Ole Miss Clash in Lexington
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss heads to Lexington this Saturday to face the Kentucky Wildcats. Following a loss to Mark Stoops’ team last season, Lane Kiffin and the Rebels are focused on this game. In his weekly press conference ,Coach Stoops talked about what his team needs to do to try and get a repeat win.
Kentucky opened the season with a victory, but it wasn’t the kind of performance that left fans feeling confident. The Wildcats struggled to find consistency on offense in their 24–16 victory over Toledo, managing only flashes of rhythm throughout the night.
While the defense carried much of the load in Week 1, they’ll once again be tested this Saturday as they prepare to face an Ole Miss offense known for its explosiveness.
Stoops knows exactly what to expect from Lane Kiffin’s squad — speed, talent across the board, and relentless offensive pressure.
“The tempo is the first thing, obviously, they go extremely fast and they dress things up very well,” Stoops said during his Monday press conference.
“They do what they do, but present it differently. They present it very fast and have very good players out there doing it. A typical team for them, they’re good in all areas. Again, I’m very impressed with Austin Simmons. They have four transfer wide receivers that are playmakers that can run. I’m very impressed with their tight ends, very good players. Defensively, Pete Golding does a great job, they put a lot of pressure on you, make everything challenging, and tough.”
Mark Stoops on Ole Miss
Interestingly, Stoops was asked if he thought the Rebels might try to run the score up on Kentucky to avenge last year’s loss.
“Ole Miss tries to score every time they touch the ball, no matter who they’re playing. That’s not gonna change with Lane, you know what I mean? So it’s your job to stop him.”
Mark Stoops
Coach Stoops goes way back with Lane Kiffin and talked about their relationship.
“I have a lot of respect for Lane. We communicate and he’s a very likable person, a very good coach. Even when I wouldn’t say our relationship was close, but go back many years, back to my days at Arizona and him at USC (Southern California). He’s always been a great offensive mind and I have a lot of respect for him and his family, his father, and brothers and everybody. Great family, very good coach, and he’s done a great job.”
Mark Stoops on Lane Kiffin
As for how Kentucky can attempt to slow down Ole Miss’ high-octane attack, Stoops believes the key will be disrupting Simmons’ comfort level. Mixing defensive looks has helped in past meetings, and with a promising pass rush showing in the opener, he knows his defense has to build on that momentum.
“Trying to get the quarterback uncomfortable is always important,” Stoops explained.
“I think what they do with their tempo, with their play actions, and keeping you off balance, they do a nice job of making it comfortable for their quarterback. We have to mix it up in many different ways. We’ve had some success in the past with it but it’s always a challenge, each and every year, so we have to continue to mix it up on them.”
Mark Stoops on slowing down Ole Miss
Still, the Wildcats can’t afford to lean solely on their defense this week. If the offense continues to sputter the way it did against Toledo, the Rebels’ ability to generate explosive plays could quickly turn the afternoon at Kroger Field into a long one for Kentucky.
Next Up:
Ole Miss and Kentucky kick off at 2:30 pm CT and the game will be broadcast on ABC.
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. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
