Inside the Kick: How Ole Miss pulled off the onside kick surprise on Auburn
Jonathan Cruz had just nailed 23-yard field goal in the early stages of the third quarter and was preparing for the ensuing kickoff when the Ole Miss place kicker got the word it was go time.
Throughout the season Ole Miss has been practicing onside kicks all season in practice but had yet to attempt one in a game. That changed last Saturday against Auburn.
Cruz got the play call, lined up the ball and the Rebels converted the onside kick, catching Auburn off guard. Ole Miss turned the extra possession into seven points off a five-yard touchdown run by Quinshon Judkins nine plays later.
All of that reads like it was a very simple process of getting the call in to Cruz and just executing a garden variety onside kick.
In reality it was a little more complicated than that.
“I kicked the field goal and (the refs) called a TV timeout then they called the play but I had to make sure they called the right play, because I didn’t think we were actually going to run it” Cruz said. “We ran it and we were lucky to get it back.
Cruz had to play it cool as to not tip Auburn off on to what was happening.
“I took my normal steps and took the same approach and everything and (Auburn) had a big gap open and just took advantage of that.”
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was also trying not show his poker face prior to the kick.
After Kiffin made the decision to go for the onside kick he then decided to go for the bluff and walk down the sideline some away from the action.
“I was trying not to be up there and pay attention,” Kiffin said after the game on Saturday. “Because I always think with the other coach ‘Oh, if he’s up there and talking to special teams, they’re doing something.’ I was actually pretending I was down there talking to the defense about the next series. I probably over-think things. I actually watched on the screen instead of watching the kick.”
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Quarterback Jaxson Dart was not even aware Ole Miss was going for the onside kick. After wrapping up the previous possession on offense Dart was with his teammates discussing the drive.
When he looked up on the big jumbotron in the south endzone Dart saw his teammates recovered the balll and went back out to work.
“I had no idea,” Dart said on Saturday. “I thought it was huge. Extra possessions are massive. Especially in a game like this. Huge momentum shift.”
Cruz was brought in over the summer as the new placekicker, replacing Caden Costa who is serving a year-long suspension.
So far the move has worked out well for Cruz who is a perfect 36-for-36 on extra points and 6-for-7 when it comes to field goal attempts.
Cruz’ longest made field goal this season is from 53-yards out against Kentucky.
As for the the onside kick it was the fourth of his entire playing career, according to Cruz’ memory.
“I think I’ve done a pretty good job,” Cruz said of his season. “Coming out here and practicing and working every day to get better. The battery, me (long snapper) Jared (Lawrence) and (quarterback) Kinkead (Dent) have been working hard just to get our operation down to be as consistent as we can to help the team.”
Watch Cruz’ full post-practice interview from Tuesday below.
