Postgame Quotes vs. LSU

OLE MISS HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN

Opening statement...
It wasn't the prettiest at times but, I gotta remind myself that we were down a lot of players on offense and obviously Matt [Corral] wasn't a hundred percent and that's the same team that just beat Florida so I probably gotta be more positive myself."

On the team's defensive effort and changes that helped that side of the ball...
"Jake Springer? That helps kinda like having a Matt Corral on offense. Our guys have really done a good job against two completely different offenses going from a tempo offense last week to a traditional run game offense, so that's awesome to see because we had our Arkansas bad game and sorta get back on track. So awesome on defense."

On Jake Springer and what he brings to the team...
"Well, he's just a really good player that makes a lot of plays and I think that he kind of brings the defense up just like the play at Tennessee. They respond to him like a quarterback or great middle linebacker."

On the running backs' performances...
"We're obviously not very pleased with Snoop [Conner] on his reaching the ball out... he knew it, the whole team knew it. We preach about that, would've had three turnovers to none, but he ran really well early and got us out of a backed up minus one situation with some good runs. We needed that. When your quarterback's down and a couple of receivers are down to get 266 yards without the quarterback putting much in, that its really awesome."

On the offensive line's performance...
"Well, we had some critical penalties on two long runs that were called back and we had to mix some guys in there. The stats seem pretty good, but I know we struggled in pass protection but we did good in the run game."

On the homefield advantage...
"I felt like the fans showed up. They were there early on the walk, it was awesome to see. That's like our players when they make a great play, that's what you're supposed to do. Let's keep it up."

On how much it means when former players come back for games...
"We say if you build it they'll come and that's not just former players, but other people. We had all kinds of people, the SEC Network people, everybody at the practice Friday and a lot of former players. When you win and you win with some excitement, they come."

On facing Auburn next week...
"That's a really big challenge. They have great players and Bo Nix at home has played really well. We're gonna have to get healthy so we can get some explosive plays in our pass game. Hopefully some guys come back."

OLE MISS QB MATT CORRAL

On the retirement of Eli Manning's jersey number...
"It was for sure a blessing just to have him in our presence. It's not every day that you get to see a family like that, and I think Ole Miss is blessed to be a part of that and for that to be a thing. And you know that family... It's a legendary family, right? And just for them to show their faces and show everybody some love here at Ole Miss. It is truly a blessing for sure."

On the offense not having to constantly outscore the other team…
"[I] definitely think that this team is bridging to [go] from good to great. It's easy to be a good team. But it's hard to become that great team, because you need all three phases to do their job. Like I said in the other interviews, we had some guys banged up on the o-line and we are moving guys around. You know they did what they were supposed to do, running backs rotate, that rotation that's not new, and that's something that has always happened; receivers moving them around and we got a DB that went to receiver and got a big play. And defense, I mean you guys saw the showcase that they put on. We are finally starting to put it together and it doesn't matter who is out there you know we are going to make it work. I think that's the big thing, that it doesn't matter, we trust the game plan. We trust what we are getting. We trust and [are] relying back on our training and that's what it's going to take to get where we want to get. And we don't know who is going to be that star player, and we don't care. It's going to be somebody because somebody has to step up for Ole Miss to win, and that's just the reality of it and every week it's a new person."

On what makes this team different…
"It's just selling out every play. That's the reality of it. It's all a decision. Like I said before, we have the game plan, we have the coaches, we have the players, we have the scheme. Everything is there, and we don't got to do anything new, everybody sitting in these seats on Monday can get the job done. Winning doesn't matter what mood you are in, winning doesn't care how tired you are, we win the game on a Monday, we win the game on a Sunday when we come in here for treatment and workout. Those little things and taking it day-by-day, that's what's going to make this team sit up a few months from now; and we are going to like where we are at, and that's just something that's getting preached every single day. Don't worry about the future, we will worry about this next game because it's the biggest game, because it's the next one. And, just taking it day by day, play by play, and every situation just worry about what is happening right now. Do the best of your ability and sell out and finish every single play and that's going to get us where we want to get."

OLE MISS DE CEDRIC JOHNSON

On what the team was doing up front to generate pressure…
"We've just been switching up our movement schemes and how we've been going into gaps. We're trying to open up different gaps for us to hit, and it just really worked. We've just been practicing really hard and doing different looks and it's starting to work out."

On if playing in front of a sellout was everything he had expected it to be…
"Absolutely. It was crazy. It was exactly what I expected after coming off of our last game at Tennessee. That was a hostile environment, so it's nice to be in our hometown and in front of our fans."

On what changed after LSU's opening touchdown that shifted the momentum to score 31 unanswered…
"I think after that happened, everyone just came together and we settled in. We got back to playing how we know how to do. We were playing for each other and giving as much effort as we can."

On the strip sack…
"Honestly, I wasn't even expecting to get it. The tackle pulled, I played into, I believe it was guard, but I played into the next guy and I just kept bending the edge. I don't even know what I hit on him to even get the sack, but I'm just glad I got it."

LSU HEAD COACH ED ORGERON

Opening statement...
"I thought we competed, and give them credit. We had some breakdowns in our discipline and our gap assignments, especially on third down. They made some big plays on third down; they ran the football on us, give them credit. We couldn't protect the quarterback in the second half. He had too much pressure on him to make plays. We should've capitalized on the 4th and one and then we could've capitalized on the field goal. We didn't. When you would score points on these guys you win, and we didn't score enough points. I thought Garret [Nussmeier] came in and gave us a little firepower at the end and gave us a little spark so we'll have to look at that and give him an opportunity."

On the run game...
"We got behind. We didn't have the success to beat runs. We just go behind on the chains a little bit. We tried to throw the football and plus we got behind in the first quarter. We were just taking our time. To keep the ball away from them, I think we did a good job on that and we just couldn't capitalize when we needed to."

On Damone Clark's performance...
"I think he's playing like an All-American. I'm so proud of Damone. He's all over the field making tackles, he's a tremendous leader, he's having a fantastic year and we're very proud of him."

LSU C LIAM SHANAHAN

On the offense...
"How we started the game, that's what our game plan was, control the tempo a little bit to get the ground game going. We started out strong with that, but obviously we weren't able to execute. Not too much after that we started bringing a little bit more pressure and what not. All stuff we had anticipated them doing, but we didn't execute like we had to. We stalled out there after those first couple drives."

On game preparation…
"I thought we had a good week at practice. So, obviously it's a little disappointing sitting here after how the game just went. But regardless of what you are alluding to about Coach O, we we're all playing free. There wasn't too much of a difference."

LSU LB DAMONE CLARK

On the defensive performance…
"We just had to execute the call that Coach Jones was making. We were doing a good job at first. Like I said in the other interviews, you just have to finish. That's the biggest thing that we have to do. We just have to keep finishing and whatever call defense calls we have to execute it."

On his personal motivators…
"Biggest thing that is keeping me going throughout the season is my daughter. I have a one year old daughter. You know, I don't want anybody else to put food on the table for her. I want to be the one that puts food on the table for her. It just hit different when you have a daughter. You have more to fight for. Also, just my teammates. We go out there each week and just compete with one another. It's not another group of guys that I would rather go out there with. Like I said, it's my daughter and my teammates."

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Players Mentioned

Matt Corral

Jake Springer

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