What Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin said about facing Alabama
For the third time as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, Lane Kiffin will face off against his former employer, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
During Wednesday's SEC teleconference, Kiffin talked about his relationship with Saban and the challenges Alabama poses prior to Saturday's game in Oxford.
Opening statement...
"Good to get healthy and get some guys back this week. We're ready to play at home in front of a great crowd and we have a great home winning streak. We have the best program around for years coming in. It's a big challenge as always to play Alabama, especially with the returning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback. They are a lot different than the old Alabama with a quarterback like that. There have been games where he put his Superman cape on and took some games over."
On Bryce Young and Will Anderson...
"He's kind of put on his Superman cape a number of times this year and brought them back in games and has taken over games. He's an ultra-elite passer that is hard to get down and as I was alluding to the old Alabama teams, prior to the last few quarterbacks, didn't have an elite first-round Heisman winner type of quarterback. It changes the game because, at any point when teams have done well against him, he's brought them right back.
On if Blake Sims would take offense to that…
"He might, but Blake didn’t win a Heisman Trophy. This is a very, very elite player, and that’s why he was the best player in the country last year, and then they have the best defensive player in the country on the same team. It’s not like he’s at corner or something where you can just throw the other way."
On how much the Ole Miss secondary will be tested against Alabama...
"I think a lot. These guys have very talented receivers. Obviously, we talked about the quarterback and the running back is extremely talented in the passing game. We're going to be tested a lot on defense. We played well early in the year and haven't played well in the last three games, so it's a big challenge."
On the "GOAT fuel" and if it's a motivating factor this week...
"I don't know the stat but maybe since the first year he was there, he hasn't lost after a loss. That should tell you guys how good he is at motivating the guys after a loss. I'll let you guys look it up but I'm going to bet that he's undefeated since his first year at Alabama during the regular season, outside of that Iron Bowl followed by the Sugar Bowl. He does a phenomenal job at it, and even though his intensity is up all the time, I think it's even more up after a loss."
On his relationship with Nick Saban...
"I think it's good, we see each other at the meetings and talk. At the last one, we sat down and had breakfast with Kirby (Smart) and Billy Napier so it was kind of like an old staff meeting. It was an awesome experience to learn from him and one that as you get further away you have more appreciation for everything he did for me and everything I learned from him. He took a chance on me and really saved my career."
On who the best basketball player was...
"I actually, which is probably something you won't believe, never went over for basketball and I'll tell you why. They recruited me to go over but they told me 'Hey Coach picks the team, Coach picks who guards him, you can't foul him and you have to let him score.' I said 'I'm not doing that, it's not in my DNA.' So I never once went to the 'Noon Hoops.'
On the Saban leadership group...
"The author sent me a copy and I opened it about a week ago on the plane during the bye week, I glanced at it and read a little bit of it. Pretty in detail about a lot of different situations and it was well-written."
On the comments that Saban's dynasty is over...
"I understand, it's your job, it's the media's job and Paul (Finebaum's) job especially to create attention and to create the storyline all the time. When he said what he did it got a lot of attention, but it's ridiculous. When you dive into coaching and not the result of the game and go, OK, Tennessee, I mean, loudest place, the whole thing and then if Alabama makes a kick, Tennessee can’t win the game and Alabama wins the game. And then you go down to a 2-point play that’s 50 percent either way, alright, so the guy’s literally one foot from being stopped short. If he’s stopped short or the guy misses a throw, one play and then they’re undefeated and they’re No. 1 or No. 2 in the country.
"I mean, if they were getting 14, 21 points or something, that would be different. So it really is ridiculous. But I understand that’s just what you need to do in the media to have something to talk about. No one’s gonna really listen if you say, ‘Hey, the dynasty is still going. But it is ridiculous. Like I said, dynasties are over when you see people be out-coached, out-played, losing by 21 points. You’re talking about two of the hardest places versus two really elite teams that, at the time, were as hot as anybody in the country as they went into both those places and elite quarterbacks and down to one play."