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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Lane Kiffin Weekly Press Conference
10/26/2020 | Football
<i class="icon-video"></i> Lane Kiffin Press Conference<i class="icon-video"></i> AJ Finley Press Conference<i class="icon-video"></i> Ben Brown Press Conference
Kiffin Meets with Media to Recap Auburn Game, Preview Vanderbilt
Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin met with the media Monday to recap the team's 35-28 loss to Auburn last weekend and take an early look at this Saturday's matchup with Vanderbilt (3 p.m. CT, SEC Network). A transcript of the press conference can be found below.
Opening statement…
"Disappointing game. Bunch of chances to win the game. Really on offense twice, have the ball and four or five minutes and give it back to them. Then they go down and score on us. Throw a back-shoulder fade into two-man, which I've never seen in my life. It's a dead play. The corner doesn't make the play and the safety runs out of bounds, so they score a touchdown. We have another chance and ball's going down about the six or seven, we drop the ball. Going to have three seconds and one play to score and go for two and win the game. Tough one to swallow. We did play better at times defensively. We did run the ball for 280 yards. First turnover killed us; we got no turnovers the other way. So, tough game. Should have won that game."
On seeing the team progress into this weekend…
"Just get better. We have in some areas. I think we are running the ball more consistent. We're playing a little bit better defense, so we need to put it all together which we still have not. We came closer this week but didn't finish it out. It would have been a great win."
On the kickoff play being sent to the SEC for Review…
"I was late to this because I was on the phone with John McDaid and the SEC. I have really struggled with this, a lot. I just had the conversation with him, he called to explain what happened. I really wish for our players, for our fans, that they could hear what I was just told. I think they deserve to, but I asked and they made sure to tell me there's a policy that I can't tell you, the players or the fans their explanation for that situation and how the TV copy and everyone in the country could see it hit him. I asked the side judge 'Why aren't they replaying it? Do I need to challenge?'. He said, 'They've already looked at it, there's nothing there'. I'm not allowed to say anything about the conversation, but I really wish our fans and players could hear what I was told. I've had to take about a five-minute power yoga class before I walked in here and said what I really want to. You know what I'd really like? I'd really like that when you guys ask me questions about managing the game or how I play players, to just say that's a personal thing and I can't discuss it with you. I would really like to be able to answer those questions like that."
On the mindset of the guys following the loss…
"Well we pointed out this morning, good, bad, ugly on the tape that I do for them and show them. There are sometimes I feel like we turn down some hits. Didn't block as well as we should receiver wise on the perimeter, didn't cover as hard in some special teams. Our job was to come here and fix that, so when you see some plays that look like what you've seen on film before, you get frustrated. The DK Metcalf clip, we ended with that which was really good timing to show here's us not finishing plays and look at this guy. This is unbelievable. I hope maybe that helped."
Chances on getting Tisdale, Hawkins and Leonard back…
"We usually don't discuss that, but those guys are back. Which back to another thing. We've got two defensive players that are 13 days out when we play Saturday, obviously would have helped us. No symptoms, no positives and they can't play. But if you had it 10 days ago yourself, you could have played. I told you guys all along I don't understand why players are sitting out, symptom free, 13 days after a close contact, not being able to play in a game. We're sitting here in a game playing two players that were on offense in crunch time, on defense a week after being on offense."
On the loss of Jaylon Jones…
"Very difficult loss. Great kid. Played a million snaps for us. We just between him and some injuries, between close contact shutdowns, it's rough. I know everybody's got issues, but I don't know if they got them that bad. We're trying to beat Auburn in a huge game, big program win for us. They're driving down and we got two players that were on offense last week, trying to get calls, trying to yell from the sidelines to tell them what to do. Like you're coaching 10-year-olds or something."
On speaking to Jaylon Jones about next year…
"I have not yet. We'll get to that I think this will be a unique year because you are going to have to have those conversations with all your seniors."
On two-point conversion decision-making process…
"I just thought, usually if you are an underdog you say 'go for two', but I just felt if we have a shot to win with our offense verse their defense and one to play to win the game especially after all the momentum we would of have scoring there. I would have done that. That's decided in our meetings before the game."
On Miles Battle and Tylan Knight playing defense…
"When I said it's like coaching little league make sure you understand what I meant. That's nothing to do with them. That's literally like when you're in little league you have to yell at the kid what to do, because we just moved them over there. We are in two-minute which means you have a lot of different calls that are happening really fast, so just thinking how crazy it was. I'm sitting their listening to our coaches have to yell 'play press, blitz, play off'. In that situation we were in I think they did a great job for the little amount of time. Think how hard that is. They are doing their best."
On facing a Vanderbilt team that has not played in three weeks…
"Well, it's kind of dangerous. Less games for us to watch on them. I believe they've had some COVID issues, where it sounds like now they are coming back from them. Players that were banged up are all coming back so I don't know if it's a great advantage a lot of people would like to have back-to-back byes."
On how the layoff will impact the Vanderbilt QB…
"I hope in general it works in our favor, obviously. Us being tempo, it's hard to simulate in practice. I'm hoping that time off helps us because we're tempo, and them not getting used to seeing it. And they don't do a lot of it on offense. So, I'm not sure about the development of the quarterback. It's less games he's played but also he has a had a lot of time to practice and get ready for us."
On Snoop Conner and Jerrion Ealy's production…
"Good. If we would have finished the four-minute thing off like we would have liked to and went down and scored or ran the clock out the whole time we would have been looking at over 300 yards rushing against Auburn. I would've taken it at the beginning of the year if you would have told me we were running the ball for 270, 280 yards against Alabama and Auburn, I would've thought we'd be doing pretty good."
On Conner and Ealy's meshing personalities…
"They do. Talented kids that came in together and really get along together, work really hard, very different personalities, but they do a great job together. And Kevin Smith does a really good job with those guys."
On not taking as many deep throws...
"Well you've got to run them out of it. After Arkansas these guys make a lot of money for a reason in this conference for a reason. They are really good coaches and they copy and so they came out in the first quarter and ran exactly Arkansas' defense which they hadn't done before. I think we ran them out of it by the success running the ball and got them to change a little bit. When they do that, there's no shots to take and you've got be patient which I don't think we did a great job of two weeks ago we did a much better job last week. We did have one that got a PI on so that's an explosive play and took another one but they were deep. He kinda forced it, he could've checked the ball down to the back for 10 yards. We did hit the tight end up the seam. They're not giving us the same ones that they were early on."
On coaching a team to learn to finish…
"I was thinking about that, our first year in the system with Pete Carroll at USC we started 2-5 and then won the last four games of the season in the first year. It kind of set that off and then a great run after that seven straight years of coach going to BCS games. They just came together. We were playing a lot of young players on defense at that time, and then the last half of the season just started playing better. This team can do this. This team can go on a great run here in these next five games. We've just got to put it together and get better."
Opening statement…
"Disappointing game. Bunch of chances to win the game. Really on offense twice, have the ball and four or five minutes and give it back to them. Then they go down and score on us. Throw a back-shoulder fade into two-man, which I've never seen in my life. It's a dead play. The corner doesn't make the play and the safety runs out of bounds, so they score a touchdown. We have another chance and ball's going down about the six or seven, we drop the ball. Going to have three seconds and one play to score and go for two and win the game. Tough one to swallow. We did play better at times defensively. We did run the ball for 280 yards. First turnover killed us; we got no turnovers the other way. So, tough game. Should have won that game."
On seeing the team progress into this weekend…
"Just get better. We have in some areas. I think we are running the ball more consistent. We're playing a little bit better defense, so we need to put it all together which we still have not. We came closer this week but didn't finish it out. It would have been a great win."
On the kickoff play being sent to the SEC for Review…
"I was late to this because I was on the phone with John McDaid and the SEC. I have really struggled with this, a lot. I just had the conversation with him, he called to explain what happened. I really wish for our players, for our fans, that they could hear what I was just told. I think they deserve to, but I asked and they made sure to tell me there's a policy that I can't tell you, the players or the fans their explanation for that situation and how the TV copy and everyone in the country could see it hit him. I asked the side judge 'Why aren't they replaying it? Do I need to challenge?'. He said, 'They've already looked at it, there's nothing there'. I'm not allowed to say anything about the conversation, but I really wish our fans and players could hear what I was told. I've had to take about a five-minute power yoga class before I walked in here and said what I really want to. You know what I'd really like? I'd really like that when you guys ask me questions about managing the game or how I play players, to just say that's a personal thing and I can't discuss it with you. I would really like to be able to answer those questions like that."
On the mindset of the guys following the loss…
"Well we pointed out this morning, good, bad, ugly on the tape that I do for them and show them. There are sometimes I feel like we turn down some hits. Didn't block as well as we should receiver wise on the perimeter, didn't cover as hard in some special teams. Our job was to come here and fix that, so when you see some plays that look like what you've seen on film before, you get frustrated. The DK Metcalf clip, we ended with that which was really good timing to show here's us not finishing plays and look at this guy. This is unbelievable. I hope maybe that helped."
Chances on getting Tisdale, Hawkins and Leonard back…
"We usually don't discuss that, but those guys are back. Which back to another thing. We've got two defensive players that are 13 days out when we play Saturday, obviously would have helped us. No symptoms, no positives and they can't play. But if you had it 10 days ago yourself, you could have played. I told you guys all along I don't understand why players are sitting out, symptom free, 13 days after a close contact, not being able to play in a game. We're sitting here in a game playing two players that were on offense in crunch time, on defense a week after being on offense."
On the loss of Jaylon Jones…
"Very difficult loss. Great kid. Played a million snaps for us. We just between him and some injuries, between close contact shutdowns, it's rough. I know everybody's got issues, but I don't know if they got them that bad. We're trying to beat Auburn in a huge game, big program win for us. They're driving down and we got two players that were on offense last week, trying to get calls, trying to yell from the sidelines to tell them what to do. Like you're coaching 10-year-olds or something."
On speaking to Jaylon Jones about next year…
"I have not yet. We'll get to that I think this will be a unique year because you are going to have to have those conversations with all your seniors."
On two-point conversion decision-making process…
"I just thought, usually if you are an underdog you say 'go for two', but I just felt if we have a shot to win with our offense verse their defense and one to play to win the game especially after all the momentum we would of have scoring there. I would have done that. That's decided in our meetings before the game."
On Miles Battle and Tylan Knight playing defense…
"When I said it's like coaching little league make sure you understand what I meant. That's nothing to do with them. That's literally like when you're in little league you have to yell at the kid what to do, because we just moved them over there. We are in two-minute which means you have a lot of different calls that are happening really fast, so just thinking how crazy it was. I'm sitting their listening to our coaches have to yell 'play press, blitz, play off'. In that situation we were in I think they did a great job for the little amount of time. Think how hard that is. They are doing their best."
On facing a Vanderbilt team that has not played in three weeks…
"Well, it's kind of dangerous. Less games for us to watch on them. I believe they've had some COVID issues, where it sounds like now they are coming back from them. Players that were banged up are all coming back so I don't know if it's a great advantage a lot of people would like to have back-to-back byes."
On how the layoff will impact the Vanderbilt QB…
"I hope in general it works in our favor, obviously. Us being tempo, it's hard to simulate in practice. I'm hoping that time off helps us because we're tempo, and them not getting used to seeing it. And they don't do a lot of it on offense. So, I'm not sure about the development of the quarterback. It's less games he's played but also he has a had a lot of time to practice and get ready for us."
On Snoop Conner and Jerrion Ealy's production…
"Good. If we would have finished the four-minute thing off like we would have liked to and went down and scored or ran the clock out the whole time we would have been looking at over 300 yards rushing against Auburn. I would've taken it at the beginning of the year if you would have told me we were running the ball for 270, 280 yards against Alabama and Auburn, I would've thought we'd be doing pretty good."
On Conner and Ealy's meshing personalities…
"They do. Talented kids that came in together and really get along together, work really hard, very different personalities, but they do a great job together. And Kevin Smith does a really good job with those guys."
On not taking as many deep throws...
"Well you've got to run them out of it. After Arkansas these guys make a lot of money for a reason in this conference for a reason. They are really good coaches and they copy and so they came out in the first quarter and ran exactly Arkansas' defense which they hadn't done before. I think we ran them out of it by the success running the ball and got them to change a little bit. When they do that, there's no shots to take and you've got be patient which I don't think we did a great job of two weeks ago we did a much better job last week. We did have one that got a PI on so that's an explosive play and took another one but they were deep. He kinda forced it, he could've checked the ball down to the back for 10 yards. We did hit the tight end up the seam. They're not giving us the same ones that they were early on."
On coaching a team to learn to finish…
"I was thinking about that, our first year in the system with Pete Carroll at USC we started 2-5 and then won the last four games of the season in the first year. It kind of set that off and then a great run after that seven straight years of coach going to BCS games. They just came together. We were playing a lot of young players on defense at that time, and then the last half of the season just started playing better. This team can do this. This team can go on a great run here in these next five games. We've just got to put it together and get better."
Players Mentioned
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