Lane Kiffin: Tulane QB Michael Pratt “playing as well as anybody in the country.”
Lane Kiffin knows the challenge his Ole Miss Rebels face in Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt, the reigning AAC Offensive Player of the Week.
Pratt got a little banged up in the Green Wave’s 37-17 win over South Alabama on Saturday, but he still managed an impressive 14-for-15 line. He had 294 passing yards and four touchdowns and also rushed 11 times for 39 yards.
Pratt entered the week with at least some uncertainty about his status for Ole Miss. However, Tulane head coach Willie Fritz this week declared Pratt “fine” and seemingly full-go for this weekend’s showdown of Top 25 teams.
The No. 20 Rebels and No. 24 Green Wave face off Saturday in New Orleans. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
“He poses a lot of problems,” Kiffin said, in making his weekly appearance on the SEC teleconference call. “He’s super savvy, really smart, has really good timing with the ball (and) can move around and get out of trouble.
“This guy is playing as well as anybody in the country.”
Pratt was a catalyst in Tulane’s run to a New Year’s 6 bowl game last season.
The Green Wave knocked off Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans in a Cotton Bowl meeting of two 11-win teams.
Pratt, for the year, completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,684 yards, 25 touchdowns and five interceptions. He averaged 223 passing yards per game.
“We’ve talked about it extensively,” Kiffin said, regarding the quality of opponent in Tulane. “I’m glad they beat USC and the Heisman Trophy winner last year, ‘cause that should certainly help grab (the Rebels’ attention).”
Ole Miss is a 3.5-point favorite at Tulane.
“We’re going to have our hands full with one of the hottest teams in America,” Kiffin said. “They’re extremely well-coached (with) a great quarterback, and they play with great resiliency.
“This is like an SEC game.”
Kiffin was also asked about the new clock rules in college football.
The sport’s decision-makers instituted three new rules for the 2023-24 season, among them a running clock after first downs, similar to the NFL. The clock only stops in the last two minutes of each half.
The general complaint is the rules have led to, on average, more commercials and less football.
“People pay for tickets to go to a game, and we’re going to shorten it,” Kiffin said. “It’s not like it was broke, and there are a lot of problems that needed to be fixed in the world around college football.
“I don’t get it. Do you want to (be at a concert and) have them sing two less songs? No? Then why do you want the game to be shorter?
“Really just not showing enough awareness of what should be getting worked on and fixed around college football, in my opinion.”
