Everything Lane Kiffin said during SEC Teleconference ahead of Auburn

The middle of the 2022 college football season is here. No. 9 Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin are set to begin the back half of its schedule on Saturday.

Welcoming Auburn (3-3, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) to Oxford on Saturday, the Rebels (6-0, 2-0) return home before setting off on a two-game road trip to LSU and Texas A&M to close out October.

Ahead of this weekend’s game Kiffin made his weekly appearance on the SEC Coaches Teleconference. The third-year Rebel coach was asked an array of questions regarding Tennessee-Alabama, the transfer portal and a couple pertaining to the Tigers.

Here is everything Kiffin said on the call:

OPENING STATEMENT

Lane Kiffin: “Excited to get back home in front of our home crowd after going on the road and playing well in the second half to get a win. We’ve struggled against Auburn. They’re a talented team that we know will come to play. Got a really athletic quarterback who’s hard to catch and that’s always an issue and really good defensive players. We’ll have our hands full. Need our crowd to be electric and going to have to do a lot of things in order for us to win.”

With the news of Michael Trigg’s this week what do you expect the role of Kyirin Heath’s to be this weekend?

Lane Kiffin: “We don’t get into injury details and rotations or what goes into those. Sorry.”

Going back to the 2009 Alabama – Tennessee game. If y’all had made the kick on the last play, what, if anything, would it have changed about your season trajectory there or if you’d have stayed at Tennessee or Alabama’s trajectory?

Lane Kiffin: “Well, I’m not God. So I can’t tell you what would have happened. I do think later on in life everything happens for a reason. Who knows what would have happened. So, you know, maybe it happens because if we would have made it went to (Nick Saban) when he’s always been able to say when he’s getting on me, ‘Well, we beat you 1-0.’ So now he’s able to hold that over that he’s 1-0. So, there’s my explanation why it happened.

“You could ask the league office back then for an explanation for all the penalties, though.”

Greg McElroy was suspicious of you guys’ headphone outage at the beginning of that game. Did you have a headphone outage?

Lane Kiffin: “Sure did. five seconds before kickoff. It was amazing how that happened. Especially knowing that I was the play caller on the field and zero ability to communicate on the headset. Just amazing how that happened right at that time. Never happened ever again for some reason over whatever 13-14 years in my career.

“To follow up on that. Made me think of the analytics. So, what are the analytics, what are the percentages that a headset goes out 30 seconds before kickoff when you’re playing at Alabama? It was interesting. Very un-analytic day. Analytics of scoring a touchdown, not giving up a touchdown and attempting four field goals and losing are about 1 to 10,000. Very un-analytic day.”

With facing Auburn this week, what have JJ Pegues and Ladarius Tennison brought to their respective position groups now midway through the season?

Lane Kiffin: “Well they’re both really neat kids. Enjoyable to be around. High-energy, fun. Which you don’t always necessarily know because, you know, you’re dealing with the portal. It’s different recruiting than recruiting guys for years. Actually never met them. Never met JJ. Got the job here and tried to get in on him a few weeks before Signing Day and never got a chance to meet him. Really cool kids, really good players and glad they’re here.”

You mentioned Robby Ashford and he seems to be very effective out of the pocket. How do you keep him in the pocket, first and foremost?

Lane Kiffin: “He’s an elite scrambler. So, like Saban when you’re on the Bryce Young questions. ‘You want to just tell whole game plan and the other team what we’re doing?’ So, I’ll just give you the general, we got to stay in rush lanes and tackle the guy.”

Is this as effective a running game as you have had?

Lane Kiffin: “We’ve been very effective a number of years. I think we’ve led the SEC in rushing in both years before this year. At FAU we led the country, or our quarterback did, in rushing touchdowns. Derrick Henry at Alabama set the SEC record. We’ve been fortunate to have really good players run the ball really well. Just happens we’re considered, for whatever reason, a passing offense.”

Sort of a bigger picture with the portal. But when you’re watching back your own team’s tape do you ever make a note of guys you’re playing against who’d be a fit for you should they ever hit the portal?

Lane Kiffin: “Sure, we’re getting ready to play against a number of them. Going back to the previous question of JJ and Ladarius, ‘Well, I’m glad I’m not watching them. Especially after seeing them on film a year ago playing there.’ Yeah, you don’t really make a list or anything. You’re obviously just studying players but not necessarily thinking, ‘Yeah when that guy hits the portal.’ It’s more of an offseason subject.”

What is the next step for Jaxson Dart? What would you like to see improvement-wise out of your quarterback?

Lane Kiffin: “I’d really like him not to throw the ball to the other team. That would be a big improvement from last week when we’re in two-minute drill. He has done really, really good things. That has been the glaring thing. We really need to take care of the ball in the passing game better.”