Lane Kiffin on defense: ‘This was like our COVID identity, we couldn’t stop anybody’

During 2020’s abreviated COVID season, Ole Miss allowed 30 points per game on a weekly basis. During the 10-game stretch, they gave up at least 40 points on five different occasions.

Saturday’s 55-49 win against LSU reminded Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin of those days — saying a performance like that isn’t going to cut it moving forward.

“This was like our COVID identity, we couldn’t stop anybody,” Kiffin said postgame. “I didn’t want that part. I wanted the part of balance on offense. 80 plays with 700 yards. High-play count with 700 yards, no turnovers and no sacks — that’s as good as you can perform, really.

“So yes, I like that and I don’t want to get back into the defense we’ve seen before. We have to get that corrected because here comes a good quarterback coming in this week.”

Ole Miss totaled 88 plays for 706 yards on the night with seven touchdowns to show for it. The offensive line played as clean as possible and Jaxson Dart had his best game in two seasons as the Ole Miss starter after completing 26 of 39 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns, not to mention seven rushing attmepts for 50 yards and another score.

Quinshon Judkins carries the ball a whopping 33 times for 177 yards, while Tre Harris — who scored the game-winning touchdown in the game’s final minute — and Jordan Watkins were the two Rebel wideouts to tally 100-plus yards through the air.

The fun, for Kiffin, ends offensively. While the defense created the game’s lone turnover and compiled three sacks and and four tackles for loss, the Ole Miss defense was shredded by LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The Tigers’ star QB threw for 414 yards, rushed for 99 more and produced five of LSU’s seven touchdowns on the afternoon. No Rebels defender totaled more than four solo tackles on the afternoon and finished the game having allowed 637 total yards.

Next up for Ole Miss is a matchup against Arkansas at home. The Razorbacks are averaging 35 points per game through five contests this season, and with KJ Jefferson leading the charge under center, proves a real headache for Kiffin and his coordinators against their SEC West foe.

Kickoff between the Rebels and Razorbacks is set for 7:30 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network. Ole Miss has opened as a 9.5-point betting favorite, per Vegas Insider.