Lane Kiffin Isn't Worried About 'Covering the Spread' With His Offensive Game Plan

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin just wants to win ballgames, whether his offense puts up record breaking numbers or not.

Oct 26, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin reacts during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels haven't quite looked like themselves on offense during conference play this season, but is some of that perhaps by design?

According to head coach Lane Kiffin, there are areas where the Rebels need to improve on offense, but there have been a couple of instances during SEC play where the proverbial foot was taken off the gas late in the game. He says this was done against South Carolina and Oklahoma, two games that the Rebels would go on to win--so far their only two wins over SEC opponents this college football season.

"This is now two games where we play a little different in the fourth quarter than what people are used to seeing," Kiffin said during a press conference on Monday. "We do want to take some time and be safer in our play calls because we want to win the game."

Some of Ole Miss' struggles on offense are not related to this, including some issues in run blocking that Kiffin also referenced on Monday. But the bottom line is that the Rebel defense has been a definite strength of this team in 2024, and with so much new depth up front along the line, why not play into that advantage?

"We're not trying to cover the spread," Kiffin said. "I know it wasn't necessarily exciting the way we played in the fourth quarter on offense, but some of that comes with it when you defense is playing that well. When we slow down, we tend to be less productive."

So, yes, there are things that Ole Miss needs to do better on offense against SEC opponents, especially on the road against Arkansas this weekend and when the Georgia Bulldogs come to Oxford next week. But at the same time, leaning on a defense that has suffocated competition up front can be a winning strategy, one that Kiffin has employed twice in October.

Kickoff on Saturday between the Rebels and Razorbacks is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN.