Three takeaways from opening day of SEC Football Media Days
Three takeaways from the opening session of SEC Football Media Days:
1. Lane Kiffin brought the heat
Sporting an enviable tan and no-tie attire, the Ole Miss coach brought his A-game when it came to his noted quote-game at the College Football Hall of Fame on Monday.
First question, Kiffin was asked about his love of trick plays and what his former boss, Nick Saban at Alabama, thought about trick plays.
“It’s like Kirby Smart says, sometimes you come up here and end up talking about Alabama,” Kiffin said.
What does it take to do well in NIL?
“Have really good boosters,” Kiffin said. “That’s how you do it.”
Kiffin repeated his claim that NIL is “legalized cheating. I said from day one, get ready for the programs that have the most money to get the best players.”
And Kiffin said it is true that he has signed a lot of mustard bottles this offseason after Tennessee fans threw items — including a mustard bottle — onto the field during the Rebels’ 31-26 win over Kiffin’s former employer last season.
“One guy had an Alabama shirt on,” said the Ole Miss coach. “That kind of confused me.”
On the field, Kiffin guided Ole Miss to a 10-3 mark and a Sugar Bowl bid last season, his second in Oxford. The Rebels lost star quarterback Matt Corral to the NFL, however. Southern Cal transfer Jaxson Dart and heralded sophomore Luke Altmyer will compete for the starting job.
Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby departed Oxford for his alma mater, Oklahoma. Charlie Weis Jr., the son of the former Notre Dame head coach and New England Patriots offensive coordinator, is the Rebels’ new offensive boss.
And Ole Miss will play host to Kentucky on Oct. 1. The Rebels defeated the Cats in Lexington 42-41 in overtime in 2020, Kiffin’s first season as head coach of the Rebels.
“Coach Stoops has done an unbelievable job at a place which isn’t traditionally winning eight, nine, 10 games,” Kiffin said.
Stat to remember: Ole Miss set an FBS record last year by going for it on fourth down 49 times.
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2. The Missouri-Kentucky rivalry
Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz was asked about the Tigers’ games against Kentucky his first two seasons at Mizzou.
Missouri won 20-10 in Columbia in 2020. Kentucky won 35-28 last season in Lexington.
“Coach Stoops has done a tremendous job,” Drinkwitz said. “He knows exactly what the blueprint of his program is and how he wants to develop it.”
Drinkwitz also said Kentucky’s “defensive line is impressive as anyone we go against, save Georgia.”
Drinkwitz recalled last year’s game at Kroger Field in which the Tigers were driving with a chance to tie the game when UK’s Marquan McCall tackled Mizzou’s Tyler Badie for a three-yard loss.
“We didn’t get it done,” Drinkwitz said Monday.
Kentucky plays at Missouri on Nov. 5 this season.
3. Brian Kelly making the southern adjustment
LSU Coach Brian Kelly was participating in his first media days since 2009 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati. After 12 seasons at Notre Dame, Kelly made the move to Baton Rouge to take over the Tigers.
He inherits a team that stumbled to a 6-7 record last season, which included a 42-21 loss at Kentucky. That helped get Ed Orgeron fired as head coach just two years after winning the national title.
“This was right time at the right place,” said Kelly of leaving South Bend for LSU. “The timing was right and the place was perfect.”
The big question has been about Kelly’s background. A Massachusetts native, he has coached in Michigan (Grand Valley State and Central Michigan), Ohio (Cincinnati) and Indiana (Notre Dame).
“At LSU, they love football. They love family. And they love food. That fits me well,” Kelly said. “Maybe I should have been in the South all along.”
Asked for his favorite Cajun dish, Kelly said, “I’d say probably crawfish étouffée. How can you wrong with that?”
This story was originally published July 18, 2022 at 5:19 PM.
