OXFORD, Miss. — No. 6 Ole Miss capped its nonconference schedule with a dominant win over The Citadel, but the Rebels’ attention now turns fully to Florida.
Rebels’ coach Lane Kiffin offered his final thoughts on the 49-0 victory and previewed the upcoming SEC matchup during his Sunday Zoom teleconference.
He knows, like everyone else, the stakes involved in this game. A loss to the Gators last year combined with the bad loss to Kentucky probably knocked them out of the playoffs.
This year Ole Miss is on every projection for the playoffs and solidly in the middle.
The Rebels improved to 9-1 (5-1 SEC) behind a balanced offense and a defense that held The Citadel to just 106 total yards.
Kiffin said he was pleased with how his team approached what could have been an easy game to overlook.
“I really thought guys answered what we asked of them — to play like it’s the first game of the year,” Kiffin said. “The standard is the standard regardless who you’re playing, and I really thought they did that.”
Focus on standards and balance
Ole Miss spread the ball around to 13 receivers, something Kiffin said reflects the team’s offensive balance and depth.
“I think that shows that, without one major stat guy, we have a lot of balance in our passing game and good quarterback play,” Kiffin said. “A lot of good stuff.”
Defensively, the Rebels limited The Citadel’s option attack after the Bulldogs rushed for 240 yards against Clemson last season.
Kiffin called the effort “a really good day” for a unit that continues to show progress late in the year.
Some offensive backups, he added, “didn’t finish drives late,” but he was satisfied overall with how the team handled its final tune-up before heading to Gainesville.
Experimenting with versatility
Kiffin confirmed that sophomore wideout Traylon Ray saw time on defense against The Citadel, a move the staff had considered earlier in the week.
“We asked him to do that last week. He did a really good job,” Kiffin said. “He’s got a really good upside on either side of the ball. Was actually a two-way player yesterday. So, we’ll see.”
The coach also praised freshman defensive tackle Andrew Maddox for his early contributions in the trenches.
“Pretty cool for brothers to play in that,” Kiffin said, referring to Andrew and quarterback A.J. Maddox. “He’s done really well for a true freshman. It’s a really hard position to play. Excited about him.”
Young talent emerging
Kiffin singled out freshman receiver Caleb Cunningham as another young player beginning to make an impact.
Cunningham’s early-season injury slowed his development, but the coach said his performance against The Citadel was encouraging.
“He looked great on that play and, again, really excited about his future,” Kiffin said.
When asked about the faster offensive tempo Ole Miss displayed, Kiffin agreed it was noticeable but declined to elaborate.
“That’s a good observation,” he said. “But just competitively for this week, I really don’t want to get into why that was.”
Florida presents familiar test
The Rebels will face a Florida team that beat them last season. Kiffin said he expects the Gators to play with energy despite recent struggles.
“These guys are going to come out ready to play,” Kiffin said. “They got great players. You’ve seen them pull off big games and play other people really close like Georgia. I think that second half of the Kentucky game is not going to be indicative at all of what we would see.”
The Gators are playing under an interim coach, but Kiffin said he doesn’t expect that to change the challenge.
“I’ve been the coach that was fired for the interim coach,” he said. “But I’ve never been on a staff with one. Players play, and sometimes head coaches get too much credit. When you’re a Top 10 team, guys get up for the game.”
Kiffin addresses Florida speculation
As he prepares to face Florida, Kiffin was asked about Gator fans who have called for him to replace their coach. He laughed off the notion.
“I don’t think so,” Kiffin said when asked if Florida fans might cheer for him. “People run pretty true to their schools when it comes to cheering for the game.”
He said he avoids social-media chatter but was told about online debates between Ole Miss and Florida fans.
“One of our student assistants said, ‘I think there’s a new rivalry,’” Kiffin said. “Ole Miss fans and Florida fans should put a steel cage somewhere and let them fight it out — maybe halftime of the game.”
Key takeaways
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Lane Kiffin praised Ole Miss’ focus and balance in the win over The Citadel.
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Young players like Andrew Maddox and Caleb Cunningham impressed.
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Kiffin expects Florida to play hard under its interim coach and dismissed fan speculation.
