Lane Kiffin talks defensive improvement as Ole Miss faces Malik Cunningham
By Keith Farner
Published:
Ole Miss opened official game week preparations on Tuesday as the Rebels get set to play Louisville on Monday.
Coach Lane Kiffin discussed that changing schedule and how to adjust, but the Rebels are also aware of the challenges the Cardinals pose. Ole Miss’ defense will be under the microscope as Matt Corral and the offense is expected to pick up where it left off at the end of last season.
However, Kiffin addressed the issues Ole Miss faces from the other quarterback in the game, Malik Cunningham, who he said puts a lot of pressure on the defense.
“Because they throw the ball really well and then takes off and runs,” Kiffin said. “Very challenging to contain him so there’s a lot of challenges with that. In a perfect world you want unathletic quarterbacks to play against, so when you cover people, they can’t bring another dimension.”
Kiffin again reiterated that having a spring practice to work on fundamentals will lead to an improved defense. The combination of young players getting more experience and transfers playing more will be the key to improvement.
“I think we’re going to be better on defense, it feels like that,” Kiffin said. “I’m kind of excited to finally get through a real game to see where we’re at because you never know. Some years you think you’re better on one side than you end up being or better as a team or worse as a team. It will be exciting to play a quality opponent with really good players and good coaching schemes to see where we’re at.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
