Coach Kiffin ‘disappointed’ in Rebels’ play vs. Washington State, looks ahead now to Georgia

OXFORD, Miss. — The fourth-ranked Ole Miss Rebels escaped with a narrow win over Washington State on Saturday, and head coach Lane Kiffin made it clear afterward that there was little to celebrate.

Despite entering as 30-plus point favorites, the Rebels struggled to put away the Cougars on homecoming weekend, ultimately winning by just a field goal in a game marked by missed opportunities, penalties, and inconsistent execution.

On Sunday evening, Coach Kiffin spoke with local beat writers via zoom and talked about his thoughts on the game.

“I was just disappointed,” he began. “I was disappointed in how we finished plays, some drives, inconsistency on defense. Just really not pleased and relieved that we won. You can’t play that way and win vs. better teams. When you go up 10 points, seven minutes left in the game, you’ve got to close people out. Certainly not let them score a touchdown AND get the ball back,” Kiffin added.

He went on to explain that the team cannot afford to listen to the press comments about them.

Lane Kiffin

Ole Miss led by two scores late in the fourth quarter before allowing Washington State to pull within one possession. The Rebels failed to convert key opportunities on offense — including a missed field goal and a turnover on downs from the 3-yard line — and committed costly penalties that kept Cougar drives alive.

Kiffin credited Washington State for its aggressive approach. “Those guys played really hard, really physical after a long road trip and early kick,” he said. “They took a lot of risk on defense and came through on a lot of them with all the blitz zero.”

The head coach also explained he did not feel celebratory after the win Saturday, his 50th as Ole Miss head coach.

Lane Kiffin

Offense Falters, Quarterback Trinidad Inconsistent

Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss produced solid, but unremarkable numbers, finishing 20-of-29 passing for 253 yards with two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground. Kiffin noted that while the numbers looked respectable, the performance lacked the rhythm and consistency Ole Miss typically expects.

“Trinidad started slow… did some good things but not as consistent as we need to be,” Kiffin said. “You ain’t going to play perfect every week, but we weren’t around him, especially in protection.”

Running back Kewan Lacy was one of the bright spots on offense, providing energy and several highlight runs, one of which was called back due to a holding penalty. Kiffin praised his effort, saying, “If we all played with that effort today, we wouldn’t be feeling like this.”

Right after the game, Kiffin also called out his team for complacency, suggesting that players may have been reading their own headlines. “Maybe we’ll look back and say this was good to have this game to wake us up and stop reading where we’re ranked,” he said. “We looked about like the 84th team in the country throughout that game. So quit reading the rat poison and make plays.”

Defense Shows Late Life

Defensively, Ole Miss improved as the game went on Saturday, particularly up front, Kiffin said. Freshman lineman William Echoles drew praise from Kiffin for his continued development.

“He’s really come on for a young player,” Kiffin said. “Early on he’s more of a run guy, and now he’s showing up in passing situations… he just lines up and plays, which is how it should be.”

Kiffin said the defensive line didn’t get many early chances to rush the passer due to Washington State’s clock management but credited the group for stepping up late.

Early Kick, Low Energy, and Lack of Execution

Kiffin repeatedly pointed to the team’s sluggish energy level during the early kickoff — something that has plagued his teams throughout his time in Oxford.

“We’re a morning-practice team, so that should equate to playing well in the morning,” Kiffin said. “But I didn’t feel like that. I thought our red zone offense showed up about like our student section did today — very similar.”

He added that Ole Miss failed to “create its own energy,” something he had warned the team about all week given the early start time.

Learning From Close Games

The narrow win continued what Kiffin suggested has been season-long pattern of Ole Miss jumping to two-score leads, then allowing opponents to climb back into contention late, as was the case against both Arkansas and LSU prior to yesterday’s homecoming matchup against the Cougars.

“It’s kind of strange,” Kiffin said. “Almost all the games this year, we’ve had two-score leads, and then they go down and score. We’ve got to fix that. When we get up, we gotta close them out and not let them score.”

Kiffin emphasized that while the Rebels found a way to win yet another close game (something that last year’s squad was infamously unable to do) yesterday’s performance did not meet the program’s standard.

“I just wanted to make sure they understand this is not the standard that we play with here,” Kiffin said. “A lot of people come to our games. And that ain’t the product we’re supposed to put out.”

Fans hope the underwhelming and also concerning performance was attributed to the fact that the Rebels were pre-occupied with the team’s massive trip to Athens in six days, in a game that may well clinch a playoff spot for the team should they leave with victorious.

Looking ahead to Georgia

Kiffin, on Sunday, talked about Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and the job he does with the Bulldogs.

“Kirby does an amazing job over time of winning close games and winning in different styles depending on what’s going on. It’s why he’s one of the greatest coaches ever,” Kiffin explained.

Georgia has a prolific record number of wins, which Kiffin talked about and says is due to their excellent coaching.

Lane Kiffin on Kirby Smart and Georgia

Ole Miss takes on Georgia in Athens this Saturday, October 18, at 2:30 p.m. central on ABC.