TRANSCRIPT: Everything Lane Kiffin said in his Monday Presser as Rebels prepare for South Carolina

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin met with media for his weekly presser Monday afternoon, and he talked about the win over Oklahoma, what stands out to him about South Carolina, the landscape of college football with so many coaching changes at this point in the season, and more.

Here’s everything Coach Kiffin had to say:

Lane Kiffin’s Opening Statement

Alight. So, you know, this is a really challenging week against a very, very talented and dangerous team that we’re playing and one that had Alabama beat all the way till the end of the game. So any time that you have really talented players and you have an elite quarterback, size speed ratio is off the charts and he gives people a lot of problems. This guy, I think has had more missed sacks against him than any quarterback in the country. Tackles or sacks  combined because he’s really hard to bring down and does a great job. And these guys on defense are very explosive. Got one of the best players in the country rushing you every snap. So we’re going to have to have a really good preparation week. These guys ran a fake against us last time and always have a lot of those and formations special teams wise. So very challenging. I hope our fans have a lot of energy and create a really, really great atmosphere. You know, we’ve all wanted night SEC games here and we have one. So, I would really hope that we’d be able to to sell the game out. Kyle told me that it’s not sold out, so, I think that would would mean a lot to our players that they could be 7-1 and the stadium be sold out.

Question: Lane, it may or may not matter, but with kind of where everything stands big picture for you all this last month, is it beneficial to really not leave their houses for the next 4 or 5 weeks with the way the schedule is set up?

Lane: Yeah, I mean, obviously you choose that to basically have all home games left. Very unusual, you know, and so that’s great. But at the same time we got to play well, got to prepare well, do all those things or doesn’t matter. You see, every week around the country, but especially in this conference, how hard the games are. All our games have been one possession, final scores. And so, this is this is a really challenging time to play in the SEC and coach in the SEC  especially adding another game next year to this and battling through the schedule. And think about what we just did going to Georgia and Oklahoma and playing those type of players.

Question: I know we’ve talked about them a little bit the last couple of days, but Winston Watkins was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. What has allowed him as a freshman to break through in a veteran crowded receiver room?

Lane: Yeah. Preparation. He’s just an elite mindset, very similar to Elijah Moore that we had here. He’s such a pro. And so I don’t know why we do this. You asked me about him and I see all these great things and his price (NIL) is just going to go up. So, not really smart by me. But I really enjoy being around him, and he’s deserved to get the playing time that he has. He and Cayden (Lee), really, if you look at that position, you know, they played a phenomenal game between the two of them in very big time plays.

Question: Lane, a big win on the road against Oklahoma. Just curious your thoughts following the game, coach Brent Venables said he felt like he he had the better team. Just your overall thoughts on that?

Lane: That’s a interesting take. That’s a hot take. Got a better team? I wouldn’t have thought that people watching would say that, you know, I felt that, One, we won at their place in weather that as a defensive head coach, you would normally wish for, and won by eight points. And, I think we left a lot out there. I think we should have won by a couple scores. So I don’t know how he evaluated that game that they were the better team. I mean, we had way more yards, 21 first downs to 14, and we played what, 87 plays of offense. And they had one sack and didn’t force any turnovers. That’s a that’s a interesting take. But what whatever he needs to say.

Question: Also following up to road trips,

Lane: Maybe they had the better team last year, too, when we beat them. Sorry.

Question: Yes, sir. Following up on the road against Georgia,

Lane: He had the better team in Oklahoma when we beat them 55-19, in the national championship maybe. Maybe he had the better team at Clemson when we beat them 45-40 in the national championship at Alabama. Next question. My bad. You got me on that.

Question: Talking about the last couple of wins, or the win last week against Oklahoma and then prior to that tough loss against Georgia, both those are very hostile environments. What would you say to the fans to try to replicate that for a home atmosphere on Saturday?

Lane: Yeah, I think just for fans to understand what it’s like. It’s not just the third down noise. It’s when you come into a stadium in warm ups and it’s electric as the opposing team, it does a lot to you. You know, I got to talk about when we go into those places, like last week or like Georgia, I got to talk all week about that to the players. You know what the environment’s going to be like and how intense it’s going to be and how much focus they’re going to need to do. So, it’d be great to have that here the whole game through, you know. So. And nights are usually easier. It’s usually a lot more intense at night just how it works. And so hopefully being at night and being in a whatever playoff run, whatever you call this, that we sure would be excited to come watch.

Question: I know you talked about it last night and Saturday, and we’ve seen videos of Trinidad kind of hopping the rails, shaking hands with the fans, hugging people. I know you wanted them to appreciate it. And so did you feel like that the players kind of got the message you wanted when you asked them to come back out?

Lane: I don’t know, I didn’t ask them. I am just trying to teach them things that I missed in life and moments and, you know, just because I was always like, ‘okay, man, we won, you know, get to the locker room, next game and all that.’ And, so just just trying to help them through that, you know, stop and and enjoy the moments because they’re hard to come by. And I said it before, you know, being at USC, we won 34 straight and 26 straight at Alabama with Coach Saban, that I just feel like sometimes, man, I didn’t enjoy the moments because those are historic runs. And so when we get in these good seasons, which there’s been a lot of here, just try to tell the guys like, ‘hey, enjoy it.’ You know, especially after the wins.

Question: I think you touched on it just a little with Pat, but wanted to get your thoughts on the LSU news and just major SEC shakeup. Kind of what how was your reaction to that?

Lane: I mean, very surprising. I mean, it’s the the college world we’re living in now. You know, we really if you think about it, we talk about the players now are like NFL players, how they’re paid. And now I feel like the college coaches now are more like the NFL coaches where the firings happen quicker. NFL coaches see it all the time. They get one two years, and you’d be like, ‘well, in college that doesn’t happen because it’s harder to build a roster and they give you more time.’ So it’s obviously not the case now and I think it’s a product of things that happen. I think that, you know, Elko doing such a great job at A&M, I think puts in people’s heads like, hey, these buyouts are ridiculous to pay, but I’m sure A&M right now is sitting there going, ‘Okay, well yeah that was ridiculous to pay. But we feel pretty good about that right now.’ So anytime something works, other people go ‘well let’s go do that.’ And so I think that’s happened and and once it now has places accepting to pay these buyouts, which I think is ridiculous, but that it’s happening, then it’s easier for the next team and the next team, you know, to do it.

Question: Last OU question for me, but that moment in the game, you opted to go for two with Austin there when you had been taking points, what kind of led into that at that scenario of the game?

Lane: Yeah, I mean there’s so many analytics into things and the time of game and the book and whether you’re down — and there’s newer-age ones now that people haven’t started to accept, like, down 14 when you score or going for two and, sometimes there’s a lot like, what time is it? And is it six or is it seven points, like 6 or 7? So it’s really hard to figure out sometimes and you’re not always going to be right. You know, we ran a two point play and we dropped it. So then it’s it seems like a bad decision, you know?

Question: I’ve noticed every road game, you’ve done the hot yoga kind of in another college town’s studio. I was curious how those trips come together. And, I imagine it’s is just a matter of keeping routine. I know you’re pretty dedicated to those.

Lane: Yeah, I just have some routines and some things in life that I’ve just made non-negotiable. And so no matter if you’re sick or tired or what it is, and there’s things in in my personal life or eating or whatever it is that are just non-negotiables. And one of them is that and that’s been a couple of years now on the road. We’ve found places in advance, and a number of the coaches go with me, and we’ve gotten Keith Carter to go lately, but he didn’t go this week. He went in Georgia for his first time. So now he says he’s not going anymore because we lost to Georgia. So, but it’s actually pretty neat to get up that early in some other town and get a different studio and different teachers. And a lot of our staff goes and it’s a pretty good way to start the day to get your mind right.

Question: Lane, obviously, you know, the personnel staff is always evaluating for transfer guys like that. But does the process start earlier with coaches who’ve already like, dismissed? I mean, you look around the country, I mean, there’s probably like ten coaches who’ve already been let go this year.

Lane: Yeah, I mean, that’s what your personnel department does. and probably heightens a little bit once the coach is gone, that there’s going to be more of more of those guys in the portal. So yeah, that’s that’s part of it.

Question: It feels worthwhile to ask about Knox again, too. I guess being home so much this next month for you, are you going to be able to go to his games from here on out? And what was that like to see again?

Lane: Yeah, that was awesome. For those guys to come back two weeks in a row even though I’m watching it on a screen. You know, there’s a cost and benefit of everything in life. You know, this type of job is awesome in so many ways, and that’s an unfortunate part of it you know that you’re not at your kids games when we have road games. So, I don’t like that, but it is what it is. My dad had it and went through it but I do get a chance sometimes after meetings, if it’s a home one, to get over there for the game. So, that’ll be really neat. And those guys, Coach Cut’s has done a great job with them and it’s really cool to see, you know, they just keep coming back. So, hopefully we’ll start a little faster and not keep doing that. Now, as a fan, I get it. Like, our fans hate that all our games are close and we got to come back in some of them. I understand the feeling now.

Question: Looking back on the 2022 season and then of course, the 25 season, you made mention to Molly McGrath on ESPN about how you decided to talk to the team, whereas in 22 you didn’t. Could you just talk a little bit about your relationship with Keith Carter and Doctor Boyce, and how things have changed over the last couple of years?

Lane: Yeah, yeah, I kind of look back on that. I never just say, ‘Well, this is how it is and these things happen.’ I am always trying to learn from — like in this last win, I don’t like when we got to 2nd and two what we did, you know, at the end of the game, so just I always look at, no matter what, how to try to do something better. And I thought looking back at that because you didn’t have as many portal guys back then and you had guys that had been here a number of years with us. I thought that, you know, the Auburn thing maybe had weighed on them. And maybe that had to do with how we played in that Egg Bowl. And, so I just have said, ‘You know, hey, learn from that and make sure that you address it.’ Then this year, I really didn’t think that it needed to be done because we had so many team, so many guys that had been here and been through it. But then I was thinking, well, maybe with so many new players just to to address it and just explain to them that’s what happens. That’s a product of them playing really well. When players play really well and assistant coaches do really well, then these other fan bases want the head coach. And so that’s just a product of our guys doing really well. And then the second part of it, Doctor Boyce and Keith have been amazing. They’ve done everything that they can to help us win. And I’ve been very appreciative of them as my two bosses and also as friends. You know, just going through things over time here and, you know, Knox moving and they’ve just they’ve been amazing, amazing people for for me to be around and and I consider them both really good friends.

Question: You talk a lot about your wide receiver room and how deep it is, but how vital has your four tight end set been this year with Walker, Odom, Wright and Hasz?

Lane: Yeah, I think that when you talk about evaluation and the personnel department structure of your whole building, if you look at NFL organizations that are good over a long time, a lot of it is the evaluations. And it’s not just the high draft picks. There are bottom draft picks and free agents. So I try to run our program like that and really stay on an offseason. ‘Hey, we may already have our starting guy at a spot, but hey, who’s our third or fourth and can we go find somebody that we can bring in better?’ And I use Trace (Bruckler) as an example of here’s a guy that you wouldn’t have necessarily expected to catch the touchdown and then be on the significant play, which that play was really cool, too, because it was three offensive players doing what we practiced. We practiced offensive turnovers the other way, too, like getting the ball out in case you’re ever in that situation, or you throw an interception and a receiver tackled him, a tight end knocked the ball out, and an offensive lineman recovered it. That’s a very low analytic for that to happen.

Question: How has that allowed you to be more creative and effective at the line of scrimmage this year with your tight end room?

Lane: I just think it’s more creative and in plays because they all have different skill sets. We have a lot of receivers and tight ends that are all different skill sets. Sometimes you have a lot of guys that are alike. And so, it’s been really good to have and be able to play in some different personnels, especially with Dae’Quan limited in that game.

Question: Coach, you’ve had the 1-0 thing going with players talking about it and you know, maybe it sounded kind of tongue in cheek, but with Ole Miss favored the rest of the way and every game important, what is the level of importance and staying in that mentality?

Lane: Huge. Because none of those other games you’re talking about being favored matter. This is the only one that matters. And these are really good players, really good team and you know, we’ve got to play really well and prepare really well and find a way to get to 1-0, I said it last week in Oklahoma. I didn’t care if it was 48 to 46 or 2-0. We got to get to 1-0 and beat Oklahoma and get back home. And we did.

Question: I’m curious how the RealTree collaboration started and kind of how cool is that for you and the players to have something new every single year here?

Lane: That’s been a great relationship. I don’t remember the exact date, you know of just being around the Jordans and getting to know them and then kind of with them coming up with this idea, how can we you know, when I got here, I just I felt Ole Miss, right or wrong, I just felt needed to be significant, like in recruit’s eyes nationally, two people and, and I’ve always said kind of have the Oregon factor. Years ago when we were in the Pac 10 at the time and Oregon became really unique with uniforms, style of offense, tempo, and kids just wanted to go play in it. And so RealTree I felt was was an avenue of being part of that, of something really unique and they’ve been great to our players.

Question: What’s the biggest thing you’ve seen on film thus far heading into this week against South Carolina?

Lane: Really good players. You know, they’ve done a great job of recruiting there and really great defensive long players and a quarterback that’s really, really hard to bring down, that’s really fast too.

Question: My follow up on that hot yoga question is, can any of the other coaches keep up with you?

Lane: Um, yeah, sure. We’re all at different stages in our lives, you know? You know, it’s not really about who’s best in there, you know? It’s just maybe we liked getting Keith in there, you know, like, watch him struggle the first day. That was kind of fun. But no, I don’t know. You know, Lou Spanos on our defense, he’s pretty amazing. Pretty amazing mindset. You know, he’s in the front every day. Every morning he goes and he’s pretty motivated. He sings in there like to the songs, he’s awesome. Awesome energy in there.