What Lane Kiffin Said After Alabama Pulled Off 30-24 Victory at Ole Miss
It came down to the end again, but Lane Kiffin has yet to beat his former boss and head coach, Nick Saban.
Here's everything he said about the 30-24 loss to Alabama on Saturday night:
So really disappointing finish to that game, with your winning streak on the line, and playing Alabama, all in own our hands to win. So, you know, we didn't do it. Watched two other teams do it this year in Tennessee and LSU, and you have a chance to do it. [I] commend those guys, these guys have got a great team, and you have the Heisman Trophy winner … I said all week, so I am not making this up now, the guy puts his cape on and takes over when no one else is making plays around him. Did a great job, like Bryce does, and you know we didn’t finish.
Really a shame, a waste of a lot of things.
On the final offensive drive:
Yeah, it went really fast. The whole think seemed to go fast, obviously, and in a two-minute situation just knew we had issues with their rushers. For whatever reason they were only playing one of them at a time early in the first half, and so we were able to know where one of them one of them was and then when they both go in it becomes a different game. So tried to pop some runs in there, which were effective, and then you saw there at the end, had to go back to a fade delete group. Really dominated that match with the entire day over there … big plays at the end. That’s always when you make plays, and we can call better plays.
Thought on why second-half offense hasn’t been as a good as first half this season:
Yeah, I think that’s a fair assessment. I don’t think it’s been the whole season, wasn’t last game, you know, A&M. We had a really good third quarter. I do think people get used to the speed, like I've said before, and so a lot of times what works better early has really kind of been the case a lot of times. Now the game was a strange game in the third quarter because you look up and we have one series. I think one series maybe for 14 minutes or something like that, and actually scored on it. Scored a touchdown. And then we had back-to-back three-and outs. So I think off-hand, until they're at the end, three series for what a quarter-and-a-half.
On early defensive success:
I thought our guys did a really good job, and they were one-dimensional. The had the ability to run the ball and at times didn't care to. You know, I get it, they have Bryce. He makes you end up throwing the ball a lot. I thought our defense did a really good job, early, late. In the middle, not as great but plenty good enough to win. When you play that team, especially at home, you gotta score more points.
On what he told the team after the game:
“I mean it is what it is, it's just a shame. Unfortunately it's gonna be one of those games, against a team, one of those games you remember your whole life. … It was right there, you know? The chance to win. To me, I’d always rather have ball than be playing defense against Bryce. Go to have the ball in our hands… I actually, you know, not that it mattered in the play-calling and what was going on but as we were driving down there I would have taken the score. Don't get me wrong, but it was almost like as we took a little more time in the red zone I was saying ‘OK this is good,’ just don't want to score because I really didn’t feel like him the ball back with more than minute left.
Were you attacking Bryce more compared to last year?
You look at the analytics of it, three-man rush and first Bryce, you know, his completion percentage off the charts against the blitz. He’s just, you know, he’s won the Heisman Trophy. He’s a great player and gives you problems because he's an elite thrower, and the first guy rarely gets him down. He extends plays and like I said, once he's not in rhythm where he sets his feet and then he moves off the target, you're probably gonna try … you don't have very good feeling because something's going to go wrong, because he's going to find a way to make a play somehow unless someone drops a ball, basically. He’s special.
How critical was that fumble at the end of the first half?
“There's really a ten-point swing there and they start the third quarter with that field goal, so yeah, that was you know obviously discouraging. It is what, Zack took a big hit and unfortunately the ball came out, and he actually, as you can figure out, ended up with concussion there and then didn’t return, on the play. So a really good play by them, and obviously a big deal in hand them seven points there right there.
On final drive, do you kind of wish you had the running back more involved after his 14-yard run?
Yeah, I mean there's a lot that goes into it with the little time to think, and I think that's very, very fair. I always wanted to do something different if it didn't work, but he was also really tired. And as you guys know with us you can sub, you’re going allow them to take forever and sub and basically give them a timeout and take him out. Zack was already out of the game with a concussion, so yeah, I wish we would have stayed with that, but also as a normal story we would have got him out because he was so tired. You now, you can’t predict everything and they played coverage. A lot of times after those explosive runs as you get in the red zone they'll come after you, and they didn't. Their head coach and defensive coordinator make a lot of money for a reason. There’s a reason why they’re really good.
After being so close, how does the program take the next step?
Make one more play. OK it’s not some magic formula of, you know, we gotta go change all these things, or do all these things different. Games come down to one possession, one-play games like that. One side makes the plays and finds a way to win. Those guys have been in a number of them this year. Texas has them like that, the corner comes free and Bryce makes him miss. You don't change your old program when you're sitting in eight and two and just lost your first home game in two years.
Do you have any positive takeaways from a game like this?
I mean not right now I'm sure there would be people out there and say ‘Well you played Alabama down to one play,’ and all that stuff. But these usually get worse by the hour because it sinks in more and more, everything that was at stake there and how hard you work all offseason, during the week of preparation, all that stuff. One-play losses are always the hardest.
On what he told Bryce Young after the game:
Yeah, I probably shouldn't share what I said to him. He's an unbelievable player, put the team on his back again, like he does. Whatever team is going to get a great player next year. I don’t want to play him anymore.
On rushing yards …
“Yeah, guys … this is something [that will] just explain it really well: I don't really give [expletive] about how many yards we had, how close the game was. We didn't win the game. Two years ago they walked off this field and I said we come here to cover spreads and come here to play what at the time was the number one team in the country close. So all these things about what you did this good, and freshman running back rushing it, it doesn't matter. We didn't win the game. Maybe at some other places that’s good. or it's been good here the past. It ain't good enough. We came here to win, to beat Alabama and we didn't do it. So we're 0-1 today.”
See Also:
Alabama Showed Some Heart with Narrow Win at Ole Miss
No. 9 Alabama Football Escapes No. 11 Ole Miss, 30-24
Alabama Defense Steps Up in Second Half with Key Stops in Road Win
Jase McClellan, Run Game Spark Alabama's Second Half Offense
Forced Fumble Turned the Tide for Alabama against Ole Miss
Instant Analysis: No. 9 Alabama 30, No. 11 Ole Miss 24
Everything Alabama Coach Nick Saban Said After 30-24 Ole Miss Win
Byron Young Leads Alabama Defense By Example in Win over Ole Miss
Notebook: Multiple Alabama Players Suffer Injuries in Win Over Ole Miss
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