Austin Simmons injury update: Lane Kiffin updates status of Ole Miss QB

Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons may have exited the 30-23 win over Kentucky thanks to an injury, but head coach Lane Kiffin said the first-year starter was good to go back into the game. Simmons exited the game and Trinidad Chambliss replaced him in the 4th quarter.
“Austin was okay to go back in and showed a lot of courage, kind of (like) the Georgia game for Jaxson,” Kiffin said in the postgame press conference. “He was ready to go. We just had a plan there, wanted to go with Trinidad with Austin, not being at full speed, and it was good.”
Kiffin said for Ole Miss, the Rebels ultimately wanted to get Chambliss in there for schematical reasons. Simmons finished 13-of-24 for 235 yards with two interceptions. He rushed eight times for 44 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s tough, man, he’s tough, like he’s so mature for his age,” Kiffin said. “You’ve seen him go in and strike out, what the third pick of the draft in baseball as a freshman. This guy going in Georgia, play the way that he did. He’s built different that way. I wish I would have protected him better early and more efficiency early.
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“He was fine. He said he was fine to go back in. He was throwing and I just wanted Trinidad for some scheme stuff just in that situation I’m trying to basically in a 4-minute offense.”
The Rebels closed the door on Kentucky late on the back of running back Kewan Lacy. Simmons said his injury was “minor” and “little.” He was excited to watch Ole Miss finish the job to improve to 2-0.
“That’s what’s special about us,” Simmons said. “Having that run game and pass game. You really just see it all over the field. I feel like (Kewan Lacy is) an amazing player. He’s still going to excel, he’s still going to keep on growing from this point on.”
The Rebels face Arkansas next weekend in Oxford as Ole Miss looks to improve to 3-0.