Lane Kiffin responds to Ole Miss QB Matt Corral wearing 'Lane Train' shirt
Lane Kiffin is one of the few college football coaches who truly embraces social media. On Monday, Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral showed up to his press conference sporting a “Lane Train,” t-shirt. The Rebels head coach, of course, took to Twitter to express gratitude toward his signal caller.
Kiffin has always been regarded as one of the top offensive minds in the game, and almost instantly, his starting quarterback flourished in the new offense.
Corral’s 3,337 yards and 29 touchdowns last season ranked him seventh in the nation in both categories. The Ole Miss signal caller closed out 2020 with a quarterback rating of 177.6. Additionally, the dual-threat quarterback showcased his versatility with 506 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Sticking it out
Last season was far from perfect for the Rebels’ passer, but Kiffin stuck with him as he mastered the new system. Almost anyone who follows the Mississippi football program remembers the dreadful performance against Arkansas in the fourth game of the season in 2020. Corral threw six interceptions and ended the game with a quarterback rating of just 52.6, his lowest of the year by far.
But Kiffin stuck with his young passer through the growing pains, a decision that ended up being a major turning point.
“I get asked all the time about, why didn’t we pull him?” Lane Kiffin told the Daily Journal. I’ve just always believed that you’re really slow to do that, because you get into pulling the quarterbacks and back and forth and their confidence is lost,” Kiffin said. “I’m glad we stayed with him. He learned a lot from it. Sometimes you’ve got to have obstacles.”
While he wasn’t perfect, Corral closed out the season with more confidence and poise. The Rebels fell the following week to Auburn, but Corral was better. The Ole Miss QB then led his squad to win four of its final five games, including a 26-20 victory over a tough Indiana team in the Outback Bowl.
Ole Miss fans hope the strong bond and loyalty between coach and player translate into a special 2021 season.