Lane Kiffin Talks Rebels Defense, Bouncing Back After Loss in Baton Rouge
OXFORD, Miss. -- For the 2022 season, the Ole Miss Rebels are entering uncharted territory this week, namely trying to bounce back after a loss.
The Rebels suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday to the LSU Tigers, and head coach Lane Kiffin discussed the unique challenges that are present when dealing with a disheartening performance like last week's.
"It's a new challenge for our guys," Kiffin said. "The biggest key is that one loss, you don't allow it to move into more losses. I look at the game and the final score, you'd think they weren't ready to play. That wasn't the case.
"Played really poorly for the 19 minutes after the interception. Can't let that beat us again. Had too many penalties. We've got to do a better job with that and definitely finish games better than we did."
While LSU didn't start the season on the right note, it has gained momentum as of late, and the Rebels have another tough road test this Saturday when they travel to face the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station.
"We're getting ready to go play one of the top five rosters in America and one of the top-five hardest places to play," Kiffin said.
Monday's practice for the Rebels was a walkthrough, but Kiffin believes that his players are responding well to the tough loss they experienced last weekend.
"I think they were good," Kiffin said. "Just like when we play a really good 19 minutes, we can't let that define us. We've got to do better in a lot of areas.
"When you play really talented players and programs, they will expose certain areas. You learn more about issues that you have. Sometimes, they can be hidden until you play a program like the next three."
One of the largest red flags for the Rebels on Saturday was its defensive performance. LSU was largely able to move the ball at will throughout the afternoon, and injuries and poor tackling have impacted Ole Miss on that side of the ball.
"We've got to tackle better," Kiffin said. "Certainly hasn't helped with Cedric [Johnson] not being available and limited. Troy [Brown] having to come out in both games, those are really significant players. It's not like we have to come up with [tackling] out of nowhere. We've done it."
Ole Miss will face Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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