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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Postgame Quotes vs. Liberty
11/6/2021 | Football
Ole Miss 27, Liberty 14
| OLE MISS HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN |
"Glad to get the win, get to 7-2, which is good, great, that is kind of where we are. You know we really struggle to get to the next step. First half was great, 24-0 in the first half, 6 sacks or something. Halftime was awesome. Unfortunately, we tried to get them up the same we started the game in the second half and we didn't do that. We played bad in the second half lost 14-3. That is always challenging in the game you go so well into halftime going 24-0 versus a team they don't think of as an SEC team and you loosen up and that is what we did. We didn't tackle as well and they have a very elite player we contained in the first half and didn't in the second half. It was almost like the Arkansas game reversed, where we played really good on one side and not on the other and you know 9 sacks is awesome and 3 interceptions and now we can play as well as like but play counts got lopsided 81-55 because we didn't make third downs on offense which is obviously an issue. Putting our defense back out on the field a lot. Matt was courageous, played pretty well, good to see two backup receivers, Plumlee and Dannis Jackson go over 100 yards and make some plays which was really good to see. It's very human nature to let up first."
On Dannis Jackson…
"It was huge. Plumlee and him are probably the stories of the game offensively. Probably even more him because he had missed lot of opportunities, so for him to do that was huge. He had the one Tennessee and he was wide open and making competitive plays and those are what we have been waiting on him to do. You know he is very talented."
On Sam Williams' sack record….
"I think it says what an elite player he is. He is one of the three-man rush. Keep that stat. What's a nation leader when you're a three-man rush team because it is a lot harder hitting double all the time. That to me shows how special Sam is by setting a school record and having three ranked university games to go says a lot."
On having to finish no matter what the score is…
"Like I said, we try. I don't think there is a magic potion. I'm not making excuses when you're fully healthy it helps because you have more players. On offense, all those receivers are out there. All these guys are rotating it through, and you have more energy cause the play counts are lower versus delaying every snap, and that helps too. When the quarterback can't move very well; remember, think about throughout the season there are a lot of third downs he's making on his own things are broke down and you get beat up front and he scrambles and makes them where today he can't do that. That's not great down third down combination basically your top three receivers are out and your quarterback can't run."
| OLE MISS WR DANNIS JACKSON |
"I mean (coach) did say keep my head up, you know play the next play. But that's something that I put in my head myself to just go ahead and move on to the next play and not let the last one affect the rest of the game."
On his first 100-yard game…
"Just building on it, I'm starting to build on it. Then again, my teammates help me and they put me in a position to make the plays."
On chemistry with Matt Corral…
"During the offseason I worked with Matt a lot, you know caught balls from him to be ready for this moment so that's what really helped us and practicing every day."
| OLE MISS QB MATT CORRAL |
"I trust Dannis and he knows that. So, I mean it's just going out there and trusting himself He knows he has the ability.You know I preach that, and all those guys who may not seem as confident in themselves. Dannis is going to be a great player very soon, and he knows he's got it. It's just going out there and doing it because we see it in practice all the time. He's really comfortable out there. It's just going out there and doing it he's starting to really show flashes of what he can do."
On not practicing much this week…
"You know I didn't practice all week until Friday. It's all about mental reps. You know you don't really skip anything if you're paying attention and seeing every look and staying locked-in in practice and seeing the play call and seeing the defensive looks and just staying on pace. Just because you're out doesn't mean you're not paying attention, you know what I mean. That's just taking that pro mindset and what we preach and actually doing it just because you're hurt you're still going to be playing in the game. I'm not injured, just hurting so just staying locked in going through the call sheet and doing everything I can do mentally."
On playing in the game despite injuries…
"I know there are people on this team that look up to me. There is a fine line of the position I'm in right now, of being hurt and being able to play. I just think it wasn't one of those things where I needed to step back and not play this game. I didn't think I needed to do that, and I didn't want to set that example for the younger guys. I'm just playing football. I'm not injured, I'm just hurt, and I am playing through that my teammates know that and they know they got to help me out even more because I only have one leg; and, they definitely did that and I'm proud of them. it is just because we are moving guys around, and a lot of moving parts. The center is playing right guard, right guard is playing center and just getting into rotations like that and it's tough for them. It's not their usual position, so those guys definitely deserve something from me, and I'm going to get them dinner like I usually do. I'm proud of them."
| LIBERTY HEAD COACH HUGH FREEZE |
"You know I told them in the locker room that I'm proud to walk out of here with them and they fought for 60 minutes. I mean you look at the first downs and the stats and everything and the game should have been closer. We made way too many mistakes and whether there's a drop ball here or a turnover here or holding call on that drive, you know to beat a team that's as talented as Ole Miss you don't want to make those mistakes. We certainly made some. I probably should have ran the ball more in the first half and we struggled to protect Malik and our defensive ends. Just again proud of our fight and just really proud of our kids. 10 straight weeks plus Fall Camp is a long time to play this game without a break. They gave us everything they have today and proud of them. Love being their coach and I also love being here today. It has fun, I just wish we would have got one more in and really interesting there in the end. Congratulations to Ole Miss. Matt Coral was one heck of a player. Those receivers were really good. Running backs, they have a really good system. Congratulations to them. Really proud to walk out of here with these guys."
On their defense..
"You can't give that many explosive plays that we did in the particular first half. Ole Miss is very good at that. One of the top in the nation at creating those and we knew that coming in. We allowed them to have too many that created scoring opportunities. That was probably the difference in the first half. Second half I thought we played a little better. Still gave them some explosives but kept them out of the end zone. If we could have done that the first half then I think it would have been a pretty interesting ball game but if, if. You know we didn't. So we go back to the mountain and get rest and hopefully healed up and get ready for 2 very difficult home games."
On re-watching the film…
"You know we're going to be sick. Whether it's a missed field goal or something that killed a drive or a turnover. You know, I'm going to be sick. If we come in the half and get in possession you know and get two scores. You feel a little better but we didn't play well enough in the first half."
| LIBERTY S JAVON SCRUGGS |
"They caught us in zone coverage and they kept going to zone beaters and obviously that's the way to get us on our heels. Then, we switched it up and started playing man coverage and that's when we started slowing them down."
On how playing man helped…
"We just put bodies on bodies. It didn't matter if it was jam, press, or off just as long as we had everybody accounted for that was when we were able to go slow them down. In zone coverage all it takes is one person to be out of zone or out of fit, that's when you got big plays happening. So, as we transitioned to man coverage we were able to slow down their offense."
| LIBERTY RB SHEDRO LOUIS |
"Coach Freeze said we have to win the rushing battle if we want to stay in the game, and that's what we were trying to do all game. The five-man boxes are perfect to run."
On the first Liberty touchdown versus an SEC opponent…
"It's a blessing, whatever I can do to help my team win I want to do it."
"Going into halftime we made some adjustments on special teams, defense, and offense all three phases. Tried to go all sixty minutes, we ain't gonna stop until the clock runs out."
