The biggest game of the college football season is next up on the list for No. 8 Ole Miss.
The Rebels host No. 7 LSU in the return of Lane Kiffin to Oxford for the first time since leaving for Baton Rogue. This game has been circled on every fan’s calendar since last December and it’s finally here. Now, the coaches and players can’t completely avoid talking about the mega spotlight on this week’s SEC game.
Here’s everything Pete Golding said at his Monday morning press conference:
Pete Golding, Head Coach
On keeping the team focused amid all the storylines surrounding LSU week…
Both teams and both schools have put themselves in a great position to have a Top 10 matchup, to open SEC play for us at home with College GameDay. There’s so much on the line just from what the game means in conference play and being a Top 10 matchup. Then, obviously, there are the former players, former coaches and relationships you’ve had. I don’t think that’s unique to one game anymore. It’s no different when we play Missouri and you’re seeing Austin, Cayden Lee and guys you have relationships with. With the portal and coaches going different places every year, there are always relationships there. Obviously, this one is unique because their head coach recruited a lot of these guys and is now on the opposing side. But they know it’s a Top 10 matchup. Regardless of who we play, if you’re playing a Top 10 team in this league and you don’t prepare really well, practice really well and play your best game, you’re probably not going to win. I think we have a mature enough group to understand it’s going to be a hard football game. They’re a really good football team. They have a good quarterback, good skill and they’re really good defensively. But we have good players, too. We’re going to prepare the right way this week, get locked in and get focused. There’s a lot going on. You’ve got Ella Langley, GameDay and so much other stuff, but to me it’s like high school homecoming for these dudes. If you focus on the wrong shit, that homecoming dance ain’t very fun after you get your butt beat on Friday night. We have to make sure we’re doing everything right throughout the week to get the outcome we want.
On whether the team has stayed focused through the first two weeks…
Within reason. Obviously, you’re preaching that same message week in and week out. For some of those guys who might overlook Louisville because they aren’t in the conference or overlook Charlotte because they aren’t a Power Four team, there’s no reason to overlook anything this week. You’re playing LSU, which there’s already a trophy for regardless. It has been a really good game every year I’ve been here. It has come down to the last play pretty much every year, with one of those going to overtime. I think they’re excited for the opportunity to be on a national stage against a really good football team, but you want to make sure you’re preparing the right way to put a good product on the field. I think they’ll be locked in and focused. Obviously, we have to do a good job as coaches giving them really good plans and putting them in position to have success. But if they can’t get up for this one, I don’t know why they play the game.
On his assessment of the secondary after reviewing the Charlotte film…
I thought we made some strides in some things that B and Wes emphasized. I thought we got those done. Some guys improved, but it still has to be consistent across the board regardless of who is in the game. That’s the big thing right now. We’re having a lot of guys play in the back end, and they have to be ready when they get in. The frustrating thing for me is making the same mistake again, regardless of who is in there. When you get something corrected the previous week, drill it, walk through it and practice it, then it shows up in the game, you don’t make the layup the first time and then they come back to it again and you still make the same mistake. They’ve seen it again. We have to do a really good job drilling it and training it throughout the week. Hopefully, they’ll continue to take the right steps.
On whether familiarity between the coaching staffs makes game-planning easier or harder…
I think it goes both ways. Obviously, there’s a lot we know about them and a lot they know about us. There’s a very big database from going against somebody for three-and-a-half years every spring, every fall camp and in all the scrimmages. It’s really easy to overthink things and try to have a plan for everything they’ve ever done under the sun, which is really tough to do within one week for your players. You can outthink yourself sometimes. You have to say, “All right, this is their bread and butter. This is what they do well. This is who they have.” Yeah, they could do something else, and we’ll have to have a plan if they do, but you have to decide what you’re trying to stop based on who they have and who we have, then be able to adjust to some other things. Sometimes you can make it a lot harder than it should be when you know somebody really well. We know it’s going to be really challenging. Charlie does a really good job. Obviously, Lane does a really good job on game day as well, and they have a good quarterback. The familiarity is good, but sometimes as coaches we can overthink it a little bit.
On how often the LSU game has come up since he became head coach…
I think everybody has looked forward to this opportunity. Talking to anybody else, I can’t say that I’ve naturally thought about it since Day 1. I really haven’t. I’ve thought about a lot of other stuff that we need to do well. But it has always been there from everybody else’s perspective, a little bit of the ex deal and the “who’s better” piece of it. To me, regardless of where I’ve been, when you play LSU they’re normally a Top 10 team at this time of year and they have really good players. If you don’t play really well, you aren’t going to win the football game. But I love going against guys I’ve worked with and have relationships with. It’s the competitive part, no different than you and your buddies going to play golf. You like competing against each other, trying to be at your best, and I have a lot of respect for those guys over there. They do a really good job. I’m looking forward to the competition piece of it.
On how similar LSU’s offense looks to what Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. ran at Ole Miss…
Obviously, there are a lot of similarities. You can see their bread and butter and what they’ve believed in for a long time. There are also a lot of new pieces to it. In Year 1 of that transition, I don’t think you’ve seen the whole menu. They do a really good job, and always have, of setting things up, sequencing plays and giving you certain pictures in some games, then coming back and working complements off them. You try to always be a step ahead, but those guys definitely do a really good job. You can still see them playing fast. You don’t have the same sample size you normally would through two games based on the flow of those games. They got up early, and with some of the turnovers, the games looked completely different by halftime. They got to some of those things a little later. You don’t really have the normal sample size of two full games with a new offense. It’s really about two halves, so you basically have one game. You can look at where they might be setting things up for us and look at their personnel, but they’re very talented. They’ve always done what they do, and they’ve done it really well.
On defensive players who stood out against Charlotte…
I think Squirrel did. Obviously, we’ve been excited about him for a long time. He played in the playoffs last year. You know his athleticism and his ability to close. I thought he was physical at the point of attack. That was probably the most consistent he has been. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but I thought he took a big step last week in his preparation and then went out and played pretty well. He definitely flashed for me. Up front, I thought Maldonado played a better game. I think he’s constantly getting better with every rep and every practice. He really flashed. I thought Ferrelli played a better game. He’s getting better with every practice and every week as well. Tah’j has done some good things. In the back end, I thought Squirrel played the way it’s supposed to look for about 75% of that game, which was good to see. It was also really good to get Dorian Barney in there. He’s a freshman we’re really excited about, and with some guys banged up at corner, I thought he did some really good things. Getting those young guys in and getting experience was important. I loved seeing Landon in there. There were two penalties we went over on tape, obviously, but there was really good effort and he played with toughness. We have to play a little smarter. We had the personal foul and then the facemask that extended drives, but I thought he did some good things when he was in there as well. It’s good to get those young guys you recruited and think are going to be good players some game experience.
On Deuce Knight’s development at quarterback…
To me, he’s developing as a quarterback. Everybody sees the hurdle and the athleticism that we all knew about and his ability in the plus-one run game, but I thought he came in and played with tempo. I thought he took the free-access throws, delivered the ball really well and made good decisions. He probably wants one or two of those throws back, but I think his release is better and his timing is better. I’ve been really impressed with his development as a quarterback, staying in the pocket, seeing his reads, getting us in the right protections and all those things. Joe and JDB have done a really good job with him from a quarterback standpoint. Then you just love the athlete. It feels like every time the ball is in his hands, he could take it the distance. It was good to get him in there, get him into the flow of a normal game and still operate the offense. It was really good to see.
On what makes LSU week unique for him personally…
Obviously, there’s a personal relationship there. I’ve been in this league for 10 years, and that LSU game, regardless of where I’ve been, has always been a big game. Then here, obviously, you have the Magnolia Bowl and everything else. I’ve always recruited the state of Louisiana, so I have personal relationships with a lot of the players as well. A lot of those guys, especially on the defensive side of the ball, we recruited either out of high school or the portal. I have a lot of respect for Blake. He and I are good buddies as well. There are a lot of friendships and a lot of respect for the players, coaches and the job they do. But at the end of the day, it’s an SEC game and a Top 10 matchup. I want us to be at our best, prepare a really good plan and hold these guys accountable this week to put a really good product on tape. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that.
On the development of Connor Howes and the offensive tackles…
With Tommy being down, it gave us the ability to see Connor snap in and snap out. I thought when Curran went in there, he did a good job and is continuing to develop. But I thought Connor took the next step. I think it’s important that PK is beside those guys when they’re in there. Kutas does a really good job from a communication standpoint and helping those guys. They’re getting better with every rep they get. Connor is growing up fast and Curran is continuing to develop, but we’re going to need both those guys. Obviously, we’re excited to get Tommy back. He’ll be back and practice tomorrow. We’ve got good depth and guys who can play winning football at that position to sustain us in this league. It’s always good to get those guys meaningful reps.
On his current relationship with Lane Kiffin…
From a friendship standpoint, I developed a really good relationship with him over three-and-a-half years. From a football and professional standpoint, we don’t bounce ideas off each other or anything like we used to. But, yeah, I’ll definitely receive a text from him or text him or call about other stuff that goes on and things like that. We’re definitely still friends.
On his message to Ole Miss fans ahead of the LSU game…
To me, what this place has always been about, and why so many people love coming here and respect this place, is because of the people who are here and how they make people feel when they come here. That has always been something for me. When you come here and meet Ole Miss alumni and everybody else, they’re so respectful, appreciative and welcoming. There’s a competitive part of everybody, and obviously we want to create a really, really good environment for a Top 10 matchup. We want it to be really hard to play offense in that stadium. Be there early and be loud. But I think at the end of it, there’s still a respect piece. This place has always been known for having really, really good people. That’s the first thing you talk about with Oxford, the people there. Let’s not lose that over a game, a person or anything else. There’s nothing wrong with being competitive, being in the moment, being really loud, being an unbelievable fan and providing an unbelievable atmosphere for our players while making it really hard on their players. But at the end of the day, don’t lose what we’ve created and what they’ve created for so long, which is a really unique place with really, really good people that is really hard to play in. I think that’s what it’ll be. That’s what it has always been since I’ve been here.
On LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt…
I remember watching him at Arizona State and seeing his athletic ability. He led in scrambles and all those types of things because of how athletic he was. He has a big arm. He has the experience of taking a team to the playoffs. Coming off the injury, I think there were a lot of questions about how well he would move, and he moves really well. His ability to extend plays with his feet and still throw outside of the pocket stands out. They’re still working to create some of those things where they move the pocket, get him out and give him two-way goes. I’ve been really impressed with his athleticism, especially once he decides to become a runner. It’s going to be really important to try to make him become a pocket passer. He has some good weapons on the perimeter, but for me, it has definitely been his athleticism. Once he decides not to throw it, tucks it and runs, he’s a lot more explosive and has better top-end speed than I knew, especially coming off the injury. I’ve been really impressed with the athlete he is.
On the former Ole Miss players now at LSU…
Obviously, I’m watching the offense more than the defense. Watkins is a huge part of their offense. He very rarely comes off the field. They use him in multiple different ways, use him in the backfield and in different sets to create matchups, use him in the rocket sweep and quarterback power game, and still move him around in the passing game and take shots. He’s a big, big piece of that offense. Obviously, he’s one of the only guys on offense who already knew the offense, which is a huge advantage. We know what type of athlete he is and what he can do with the ball in space, so we’re definitely going to have to know where No. 6 is. A lot of things go through him as part of that package. I think he has played pretty well up to this point. On the other side, I’ve seen the numbers and what they’ve done. We know what type of pass rusher P-Will is. We know what type of football player T.J. is, his leadership and football intelligence. I’m not surprised by anything I read about them or see in their stats. There’s a reason they started for us. I think they’re all having pretty decent years, even though it’s early.
On the latest injury updates…
Tommy will go tomorrow. Mondays are off days, so we’ll practice Tuesday. Sharif will do all the scout periods tomorrow. Denzel will do the scout periods tomorrow. Kite will do some scout periods tomorrow as well, not the whole practice, but he’ll do some of them. Tommy is back in for the scout periods. Odom is back in the scout periods. Everybody we didn’t have in that game, we’re expecting to be able to practice tomorrow.
On what his players have said about the LSU game…
We really haven’t had that dialogue. We bring them back in on Sundays to recap the previous game, and that’s really about us, the corrections and the things we need to improve. Then we lift them, do some walkthroughs and have our rookie bowl. Monday is the day off. Tuesday, when we come in, it’s about the opponent. Here are the matchups, here are the players, here are the schemes they run and here’s our plan moving forward. We better practice and play really well in order to win the game. We haven’t had an open discussion about why this game is so different from another game. I know everybody is going to make it that way, and I’m not saying some of them don’t feel that way, but it’s a Top 10 matchup, it’s at home, it’s SEC play and College GameDay is here. Whether Coach Kiffin was coaching this team or not, in order for their preparation to be right to win the game, it should be exactly the same. Do they have buddies on the other side? Absolutely. Is there a coach on the other side who recruited some of these guys? Absolutely. But you have that week in and week out. Ole Miss-LSU as a Top 10 matchup, regardless of who the head coaches are, is going to be in every headline, as it should be. Our focus has to be on us practicing and playing really well. Is there an emotional piece to this? Absolutely, and there’s an emotional piece every week. There are so many different things involved. It’s going to be the team that can eliminate the noise and distractions, focus on preparing the right way, practice really well, take care of the football, tackle extremely well on defense and eliminate explosive plays that wins the game. That’s how it should be. If they do that better than we do, they’ll win. If we do it better than them, we’ll win. Hopefully, our players will understand that throughout the week.
On the importance of getting Kewan Lacy back into the flow of the offense…
I think it was big for his confidence coming off of that. A big part of this year and this season is understanding there’s a difference between being injured and being hurt. Very rarely are you going to feel 100% in this league. You have to be able to fight through things. That’s what I appreciated about Kewan. It didn’t matter who we were playing. He said, “No, Coach, it’s a thigh bruise. It’s a hip pointer. I’m good. Those are my guys. I want to get in the flow.” We needed to get into a good rhythm early and show we could come out of the gate. We didn’t show that in Game 1. We showed the ability to come out in the second half and finish things the right way. I was glad he came and fought through it when a lot of guys, based on who we were playing and especially with his name and his success, could have said, “No, Coach, I need this week.” That wasn’t him. That wasn’t his mentality. I really appreciate him showing the right example for our players that you don’t need to be 100% all the time. You have to fight through things, be there for your teammates and still come out and play really well. He did.
On how Ole Miss can use the home crowd to its advantage…
When you’re on offense and it’s third down, the communication component and the noise are real. With helmet-to-helmet communication now in college football, it’s a lot harder when you have 67,000 people screaming. You start seeing quarterbacks doing all of this stuff trying to communicate. So much of that communication is done from the sideline to the player now that I think crowds can neutralize it. Now you’re making 18- to 21-year-old kids, or in some cases 24-year-old kids, make their own decisions instead of the coach making it for them. Our players feel the energy, too. Obviously, we want intrinsic motivation for them to come out and compete, but when they come out, see the crowd and feel the energy, that gives them a little more. For sure, cadence operation, check-with-me systems and things that are big parts of offenses can definitely be affected by it.
On Traylon Ray’s emergence on offense…
Probably moving him back to offense. I stole him on defense about halfway through last year and tried to work him at corner. Having the spring and summer, really getting the focus and getting the reps kinesthetically, has helped. He has always been a gifted athlete. He was a little banged up when he first got here as a transfer and had to fight through that injury. Then we were a little short at corner, so we moved him over to defense because we knew he was a really good athlete. I think just getting back into the flow of offense has helped. LD has done a really good job with him. But again, it’s a position we recruited him to play and a position he wanted to play. Moving him back gave him that new energy to attack it and make sure he’s doing everything he can to become a really good player. He has done that up to this point.
On Ray contributing on special teams…
My biggest thing is all these guys who are rookies in the NFL better be able to play special teams, whether you’re a DB, receiver, running back or tight end. We talk about coming here and increasing your value, and special teams is part of that when you start looking at rookie guys who aren’t first-round draft picks. I want to make sure our best guys are playing special teams. We’ll give them a break on offense or defense if that’s the case because we have rotational pieces. He’s long, he’s a fluid athlete and he has competitive character. Those things fit in the kicking game and return game. That’s why he has been a big part of it.
On disguising signals and terminology against a familiar coaching staff…
You have to do it week in and week out anyway with TV copies and so many people in these buildings. You’re constantly doing that. But for sure, when you have this much turnover on the other side, you have to make sure you’re giving yourself the best shot. A lot of that is in the signaling operation, the terminology you use and all those things, which you kind of do every offseason. You’re constantly changing signals, and then you have to have multiple ways to signal within the same game. There have to be multiple different ways to do it because that’s an operation for a lot of people now. It’s, “Let’s go. Hurry up. Let’s check. Let’s kill. Let’s get the signal. Let’s get into the perfect play.” You have to have multiple ways to signal and get in and out of certain things so they don’t always know what you’re in.
On why he always wears a hoodie…
Y’all need to go upstairs. It’s like 42 degrees in this building every day, so I always have one on in my office anyway and then I’m usually going straight out to practice. I’ve always worn long sleeves at practice everywhere I’ve been because of the sun. I don’t want to do sunscreen and all that type of stuff. Then, as a play-caller, I like having the pocket for the call sheet and everything. I’m just not a cutoff-hoodie guy. I’m not Belichick. I can’t pull that off. I just love the pocket and everything, so it stuck. It’s not anything where I think we’re going to win the game because I’m wearing a hoodie. It has nothing to do with that. It’s just a comfort thing.
