Everything Lane Kiffin said previewing Ole Miss vs. Kentucky

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin took to the podium to preview the first SEC matchup for the Rebels against Kentucky. Here’s everything he said at his Monday press conference.

Opening statement: “We talked about the game yesterday with you guys so moving forward this is an exciting game to have up front like this early on. We’re gonna have to prepare really well, this is an extremely well-coached team. Somehow even the one before we got here, the last four I believe games have come down to the last play of the game. Gotta be a record. So these guys always play really tough, really physical against us. We’re gonna have to have a really good week of practice like we did last week and be prepared to go on the road.

On status of Ole Miss DB Jaylon Braxton: “That was a medical situation why he didn’t play. We’re hopeful he plays this week and think he’s going to be a really good player here. Had practiced at times throughout the offseason really well.”

On Braxton’s ability to move around the secondary: “Yeah, it’s exciting to have someone who can cover that can play corner and that can play safety, too. Hopefully, he’ll be back out there this week.”

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On having already faced Kentucky QB Zach Calzada earlier in his career: “I don’t know, I think people change within systems for the good, for the bad, especially at that position. I don’t take a whole lot from years ago how somebody played. I think you see all the time people go into different systems and play differently. He’s very talented, seems to be really smart and savvy, and so he’s won big games. We’re going to have to play really well. We’re going to have to rush the passer and stop the run. Try to go on the road and get a win.” 

On Arkansas TE transfer Luke Hasz’ status: “Yea, I have some thoughts. Hopefully, he’ll play this week. He’s working his way back. Those answers are in honor of Belichick’s first college game tonight.”

On hardest part of preparing for SEC play in camp: “Line of scrimmages. We try to do a lot obviously against ourselves and look back to last year, trying to do more this year because of that, that jump from non-conference to SEC play and us not playing well in the first time out last year. Hopefully, it’ll help us this year.”

On sour taste in Ole Miss players’ mouthes for Kentucky preparations: “I mean, it was a wal-thru, so, I thought our guys did really well last week, being prepared, not about the opponent, who it was, just preparing really well at a high level. So that’s our expectation to do it again this week. I’m sure TJ (Dottery) and a lot of others feel that way when it comes to this matchup. It’s been a long offseason and long season since we played them last. Need to go and play better than we did last year.”

On overall thoughts on Week 1 for college teams: “I don’t really got a lot, was focused on us playing well Saturday so I didn’t see very much of anything. Sounds like there’s a lot of parity in games. I think that’s gonna continue to show, I think it showed last year, just with NIL and how everybody has a chance to get really good players. Any team can overpay and get somebody. I think that causes for parity. I think that causes people to really be able to jump from maybe a really poor season or it might take two, three years to turn over roster to be able to turn over really quick and completely change the roster and be a very different team Week 1 than they were Week 12.” 

On Ole Miss ending up with Kewan Lacy after recruiting him in high school: “Yeah, I mean this age and the setup and the two windows and just how it is, there might be some instances it’s better to be second place coming out. Someone else pays them Year 1 and they don’t play as much and then they come to Year 2. It’s kind of part of the system we live in.”