‘It just all sucked’ – Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin prepare for SEC road test in Week 2 versus an annoying and familiar foe
Lane Kiffin has won a lot of games at Ole Miss. Like A LOT. In fact, since 2020 the Rebels have the third-most wins in the conference behind only Georgia and Alabama. But, there’s one foe who has been a very specific thorn in Kiffin’s side.The Kentucky Wildcats.In 2020, Matt Corral and Kiffin needed overtime […]
Lane Kiffin has won a lot of games at Ole Miss. Like A LOT. In fact, since 2020 the Rebels have the third-most wins in the conference behind only Georgia and Alabama. But, there’s one foe who has been a very specific thorn in Kiffin’s side.
The Kentucky Wildcats.
In 2020, Matt Corral and Kiffin needed overtime to best Mark Stoops’ bunch in Lexington. Two years later, a strip sack of Will Levis sealed a 22-19 victory for Ole Miss. But, last year is the one which really stings for Kiffin.
In a year when Jaxson Dart led your program to a 10-3 campaign, the one blemish which most believe could have been avoided was a 20-17 September 28 loss at home to a really, really bad Kentucky team. Win this one and you’re in the CFP most likely. One could say it still haunts Kiffin.
Lane Kiffin spoke to the media Sunday and was asked about last year’s nightmare finish.
“So many things went their way,” Kiffin said. “It was really hard to deal with. I just didn’t think we played that well either. …It just all sucked.”
In a conversation with 247Sports’ Neal McCready, Kiffin detailed the nightmare and how it unfolded in real time in the middle of the day.
“The game being at 11 a.m. made it worse because the game was over around 2 p.m. and ‘you can’t go to sleep yet’,” Kiffin said. “It was horrible on all fronts.”
This year, Ole Miss has virtually a brand new at damn near every spot. Austin Simmons is at quarterback, the offensive line is essentially brand new, the running back room has fresh faces, the wide receiver turnover turned into a transfer overhaul, and the defense has new difference makers at all three levels.
But, you can bet your bottom dollar the new Ole Miss team will know just how much this one means.
“It’s been a long year since playing these guys a year ago.”
Kiffin has admitted the game plan for Saturday has been in the works for some time.
“We spent a lot of time in the offseason on these guys and hopefully, that’ll help.”
In 2024, Ole Miss’ runway to begin the season was cupcake after cupcake after cupcake. This season however, you get a conference game in Week 2. This is something Kiffin thinks can be beneficial and then some to his fresh faced Ole Miss squad.
“That jump from who we were playing and the way the games went and not being in any challenging situations — shoot, you could say (the Georgia State game Saturday) early on with the adversity of the (two Austin Simmons first-half) interceptions had more adversity in it early than all four of those non-conference games last year — I just didn’t do a good job, obviously, of having them ready to finish games out close like that,” Kiffin said. “Hopefully, we’ll be better this year.”
