Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin wasn’t crazy counting on Caden Davis from 56 yards out
Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin was asked in his Monday press conference if he minded being called crazy for calling for a 56-yard field goal with a touchdown lead against Tulane with the ball resting on the Green Wave 39 with a 4th-and-6 down and distance with 1:53 to go in the game.
No, he intimated, it was perfectly logical to him for several reasons.
“Analytics tells you to either kick the field goal there or go for it. We weren’t going to punt because most of those punts end up as touchbacks and that would not have accomplished much,” Kiffin said. “We also had the wind behind us in the fourth quarter.”
And there was another major reason – Kiffin had Placekicker Caden Davis at his disposal.
Davis, the transfer from Texas A&M, explained it best.
“We had a wind behind us and in pregame I had kicked a field goal from 67 yards with room to spare going that way,” said Davis, who has taken over kickoff and placements duties so far this season and has been perfect through two games. “I told coach that anything inside the 50 and I could get it there.
“When he called for it, I was ready to go. I had to get out there quick because the play clock was running but it felt good the whole time. I was excited to get my opportunity.”
Prior to the game, Davis had a conversation with Deep Snapper Jared Lawrence and Holder Charlie Pollock.
“I told them I wanted to hit a bomb that day. I was feeling really good and we had practiced well with the operation, so I was ready,” Davis noted. “Those are the moments you look forward to. It’s what you work so hard for.”
Davis said having the clock running down may have helped him not get nervous about the kick.
“You don’t want to cut it too close time wise. You want to be able to go through some kind of pre-kick routine, but I had to hurry mine up on that kick and it may have helped because I just went out there and kicked it,” Caden added. “Just going out there playing without thinking was good for me in this instance.”
The 56-yarder was his long kick in competition. The next longest was just 45 yards, but in practice, he has kicked a moon shot.
“I have made a 76-yarder in practice before at A&M, but it as with a 15-20 mph wind behind me,” he smiled.
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When Davis was shopping around to leave Aggie Land, Ole Miss seemed like a fit to him.
“I wanted to stay in the best conference, the SEC, and I liked Coach Kiffin a lot,” he continued. “The program has a lot of excitement and I always thought Ole Miss was a cool place. I have been comfortable since I got here in Oxford. This is a great place.”
Caden Davis has won the job, for now at least, over another Caden, Caden Costa. (There are four Caden’s on the team, by the way. Davis, Costa, TE Caden Prieskorn and WR Caden Lee.)
Costa was the top kicker two seasons ago as a true freshman but was suspended for 11 games last year. The competition has been tight since spring training.
“We have been competing since I got here in January and that competition has made both of us better,” Davis noted. “We compete at everything.”
For his efforts, Caden was named Special Teams Player of the Week on the team and got a sweatshirt for his reward, but that was all the recognition he said he needed.
“I just wanted to do my part to help the team win and I’m glad I was able to make it happen when we needed it to kind of seal the win,” he closed. “It was also fun to be able to shut their crowd up like the one Saturday.”
No, Kiffin wasn’t crazy and Davis proved it.
