Lane Kiffin's Monday comments on Kentucky, Zach Calzada

Lane Kiffin’s Monday press conference was brief, lasting shy of six minutes. Still, Kiffin spoke about his team’s upcoming trip to Kentucky and the challenges in playing the Wildcats, so we listened.

The Ole Miss head football coach opened his comments saying, “This is an exciting game to have up front like this early on, and we have to prepare really well. This is an extremely well-coached team. Somehow, even including the one before we got here, the last four, I believe, someone said, have gone down to the last play of the game. That’s gotta be a record.”

Kiffin added that Mark Stoops’ teams always play really tough, physical football, so the Rebels will need a good week of practice in preparation for the SEC opener.

Kiffin on Zach Calzada

In his only other comments related to Kentucky, Kiffin was asked about Kentucky quarterback Zach Calzada, who Kiffin coached against in 2021 when Calzada started for Texas A&M in Oxford. Kiffin got the better of Calzada that night, coaching Ole Miss to a 29-19 win over the 11th-ranked Aggies. Calzada threw a pick-six in the fourth quarter to give Ole Miss an insurmountable lead. He threw one other pick in the game, with 237 passing yards and no touchdowns in the loss.

On Monday, Kiffin wouldn’t comment on his past run-in with Calzada, only that Calzada is very talented. “He seems to be really smart and savvy, and he’s won big games.”

“So, we’re gonna have to play really well. We’re gonna have to rush the passer and stop the run and try to go on the road and get a win.”

Hear all of Kiffin’s comments below.

Lane Kiffin’s Monday Press Conference

(via Ole Miss Rebels on YouTube)