What Lane Kiffin said after Ole Miss' blowout loss at Alabama
It was a rough day in Tuscaloosa for Lane Kiffin’s No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels. The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide dominated from start to finish, winning 42-21.
Kiffin was set on rolling the dice from the get-go, frequently deciding to go for it on fourth down. Kiffin’s aggressiveness helped give Alabama some short fields, helping the Crimson Tide establish a 28-0 lead at the half.
After the game, Kiffin stuck by going for it on fourth down, telling the media he trusted his players to come up big. Kiffin also discussed line play, Jonathan Mingo’s injury and more.
Here are the highlights of Kiffin’s postgame comments, as shared by reporters:
"I'm sure I got killed on going for it on 4th down. That's analytics. We believed in our players." – Lane Kiffin #OleMiss
— Jake Thompson (@JakeThompsonOE) October 2, 2021
Kiffin: "I tell it how it is, good and bad. We got dominated up front. Matt didn't have very much time. That's not us doing a very good job. Credit to a really good defense."
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) October 2, 2021
Kiffin on Robinson: "Brian is a good player. I remember him playing high school here in Tuscaloosa. Brian did a really good job and was still in there at the end."
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) October 2, 2021
Kiffin on the Bama lines: "I think that's always an issue with Alabama. They sign the best players in the country, everywhere. You've got to scheme around it."
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) October 2, 2021
Kiffin says one game does not define the season. He says it's better to lose games like this instead being so close to winning like last year's matchup. He hopes the team learns from this an refocuses going forward
— Joe Cook WAPT (@JoeCookSports) October 2, 2021
Kiffin did not have an update on Jonathan Mingo's injury, noting it was "a late in the week thing."
Said Mingo was in tears when he found out on Thursday he couldn't play today. #OleMiss
— Jake Thompson (@JakeThompsonOE) October 2, 2021
Keidron Smith on where they go now: (Have to) Digest the loss. Learn from it tomorrow and Monday. We can't just think about this game so much. We've got another good opponent coming in at home."
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) October 2, 2021