How Kentucky is Preparing for the Ole Miss Offensive Tempo

Lane Kiffin has cultivated a reputation for fast offenses that pack an early punch. Ole Miss is outscoring its opponents 78-3 in the first quarter this season while running more than 75 plays per game.

The Kentucky defense has been excellent during the first month of the season, but they have yet to face a foe like this. Simulating their style of play in practice is a challenge, and that’s putting it lightly.

“It’s impossible to simulate it. You just try to do the best you can to try to get as many quality reps in as you can,” defensive coordinator Brad White said this week.

“It’s hard for anybody in the country to simulate what they do and especially at the efficiency they do it at. They’ve got eight seniors, two juniors, guys that have been in the system for a long time. They understand how to operate. They understand what they’re trying to get done on each play-call. To add the pace on top of it is why they’re so effective and efficient and is why they’re going to give anybody they face all kinds of problems.”

It’s not possible to replicate the Rebels’ production, but there are ways to help the defense feel that down-to-down intensity. Rather than facing a scout team, the first-team defense has often faced the first-team offense while they go tempo. The drawback is that the offense isn’t running Ole Miss’ plays, but at least they have an idea of how quickly they need to recover after each snap.

“It doesn’t mean that it’s going to lead to the simulation that we are going to see Saturday because that is a whole different level,” said Stoops. “That is what they do and they do it all the time and they are very good at it.”

Ole Miss Won’t Let Kentucky Sub

Once Ole Miss gets a first down, they’re going fast, preventing Kentucky from substituting defensive linemen off the field. During team periods in practice, players aren’t getting any rest. When you’re in, you’re in, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the game for a very long time.

“The one thing I tell the defense all the time, even if they go on a 10-play drive, it may only be two minutes and 30 seconds. You can do anything for two minutes and 30 seconds full speed,” said White. “Your tongue might be hanging out and you may need the next series off, but they gotta rock and roll.“

Not only do the quick snaps eliminate your ability to sub, but you don’t have any time to let a bad play linger. Kentucky’s coaches have stressed a “next play” mentality throughout the lead-up to Saturday’s game in Oxford.

“You gotta have a next-play mentality,” said Deone Walker. “If they get a 10-15 yard run, instead of being down in the dumps, I could’ve stopped that play, you gotta hurry and get ready and make the next one.”

Even though they have not faced a style quite like this, the Kentucky defense has shown they are capable of slowing down the best of the best. They did it against Georgia, and despite the change in circumstances, there’s confidence they can execute a winning gameplan against Ole Miss.

“We know we can play with any team,” said cornerback DJ Waller. “We come into this game knowing that we should win this game. No disrespect to them, but we know what we got to be ready for.”

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