Establish The Run! What Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin Is Looking For Against Middle Tennessee

Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin is looking to set the tone on the ground against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders.

Sep 16, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Matt Jones (40) runs the ball for a touchdown during the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

What is Lane Kiffin looking for heading into Ole Miss' matchup against Middle Tennessee State?

Honestly, more consistency. The Blue Raiders might not be a perfect team under first-year coach Derek Mason, but they are 1-0 following a 32-25 win over FCS Tennessee Tech.

"We're in the middle of a tough week in practice here," Kiffin said on the SEC weekly teleconference call. "We really didn't have many high play counts from last week's game. We've been practicing really hard and ready for a really good team with Middle Tennessee State coming in here. We've played them before, and they always play really hard. We have our hands full."

The No. 6 Rebels (1-0) are coming off a dominant 76-0 win over FCS Furman, though Kiffin has little time to celebrate. The Blue Raiders will be an upgrade over the Paladins in play style and talent. Any slip-up early could lead Ole Miss to fall out of good graces surrounding the College Football Playoff.

Not all was perfect in what felt like a 100 percent outing Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway. Jaxson Dart made history by becoming the first player since Joe Burrow in 2019 to total five touchdowns and 350 passing yards in a half, but the run game might be the backbone in Saturday's contest.

Kiffin hinted that Ole Miss could emphasize establishing a consistent rushing attack with Matt Jones, Henry Parrish Jr. and Ulysses Bentley IV. It's not because he doesn't believe the Rebels can't be successful on the ground, but rather because the competition is only going to elevate as the season progresses.

Aug 31, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) hands the ball off to Mississippi Rebels running back Ulysses Bentley IV (24) during warm ups prior to the game against the Furman Paladins at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

After the Blue Raiders, Ole Miss travels to Winston-Salem to take on Wake Forest. Two weeks later, the Rebels take on Kentucky in their SEC opener.

"The linemen and the front seven are getting bigger here as we go, from week one to week two that we're playing," Kiffin said. "It's more of a challenge this week for them. We really want to establish the run in this game. We were really pass-oriented as that game went on (Saturday), and we'd really like to establish the run in this game."

Ole Miss kicks off at 3:15 p.m. The game will be televised on SEC Network.