Lane Kiffin Talks Home Atmosphere, Looks Back at 2020 Victory Over Kentucky

The Ole Miss head coach was his usual self previewing his Rebels' upcoming game against the Wildcats

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin held his game-week press conference on Monday, ahead of the Rebels' upcoming game against No. 7 Kentucky. 

The always blunt, dry-humor enthusiast didn't have much to say about the Wildcats. However, he did have some words for his players regarding the lackluster home atmosphere that has surrounded Vaught Hemingway Stadium this season: 

“Regardless of what you come out to before the game or at halftime, when you come back out and you run out the tunnel and it looks like a high school game being played in a college stadium, you can’t let that affect you. There’s a psychology to that. Obviously, there’s a home-field advantage for a reason. And, you know, when it goes the other way, you kind of have that feeling, you know, are we still really playing in a game here? The players have to fight that.”

Saturday in Oxford will be homecoming for the Rebels, almost surely drawing out at least a half-decent crowd. One thing that's for sure is Big Blue Nation will make its presence felt down in The Grove, giving Rebels fans a run for their money, especially with an 11 a.m. CT kickoff.  

The ranked-matchup will also be a homecoming of sorts for two former Rebels and current Wildcats. Linebacker Jacquez Jones and cornerback Keidron Smith both made the jump from Oxford to Lexington, and will make a triumphant return this Saturday, apart of the team with the higher number next to its name. 

"Both really great kids, was awesome to be around them. Really good program guys," Kiffin said of Jones and Smith. "Like I said, it's more like professional sports now where you have free agency, you go play people that used to play on your team, which didn't use to happen very much in college football. Glad they're doing well, just like all of our guys that leave and go other places...wish them the best of luck." 

Both the Wildcats and Rebels are 15-3 in their last 18 games, a mark that Kiffin says he would've taken if given the opportunity back in 2020, when Ole Miss snuck out a 42-41 win in Lexington for his first win as head coach. 

UK head coach Mark Stoops had this to say about Kiffin as a playcaller on Monday: 

“I think they’re very aggressive and their style of tempo definitely puts pressure on you. Also, it’s a credit to him because you can see the way they are adjusting and how creative they are in their run game this year. They have very talented running backs and they have a scheme where they can take it a lot of different ways. It’s very complex and creative with the way they are creating space and then their play action off of it. With Lane, he adapts to the players that are around him, really always have. I go back to the days competing against Lane way back when I’m at Arizona and he’s at USC. Much different style of offense and much different style of defense. Obviously just a lot of respect for him and the way that he coaches and their aggressive nature.”

The Cats will look to snap a two-game losing skid to Ole Miss this Saturday, Oct. 1. Kiffin's full presser can be found below:

Kentucky Football News

Kentucky released its week five depth chart on Monday, welcoming back Chris Rodriguez Jr

Outside linebacker J.J. Weaver is not expected to play this weekend against Ole Miss

SEC Nation will be in Oxford for the upcoming matchup between the No. 7 Wildcats and No. 14 Rebels

Kentucky vs. South Carolina will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 8

Barion Brown has been named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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