Scouting Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin’s Best Rebels Await Gators
It’s no surprise that Lane Kiffin remains the top option for the head coaching job in Gainesville. That makes this weekend’s matchup between Florida and Ole Miss one of the most anticipated of the season despite the Gators’ 3-6 record.
“He’s a really good football coach,” Florida interim Billy Gonzales said. “There’s a lot of really good football coaches. He is definitely one of them.”
On the other side, Ole Miss’s 9-1 start is the best in Kiffin’s tenure. Now in his sixth season with the Rebels, Kiffin looks to beat Florida for the first time. The Gators hold a 13-12-1 record against Ole Miss, winning the last three straight, a streak that dates back to 2015.
“Got an unbelievable opponent that we’re getting ready to play,” Gonzales said. “They’re extremely good. They do a lot of great things both offensively and defensively, so we’re going into a place where they have not lost this year. And they do a really good job of playing fast and tempo wise, so we have to do a great job on offense and defense to make sure we can contain the quarterback, contain the weapons.”
Ole Miss’s quarterback room is No. 1 in the country in passing yards. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is the lead guy of this top-tier offense after the original starter, Austin Simmons, suffered an ankle injury on Sept. 6.
“Just a really good system,” Kiffin said. “They get along really well, and again, I said it last week, I think we have two better quarterbacks than most people’s first. That’s an awesome situation to be in and truly pleased.”
Chambliss has taken the title of starter in stride, recording 2,356 passing yards and 13 touchdowns with just two interceptions, in addition to 434 rush yards and six touchdowns. His legs will carry him past the Gators defense, which has struggled to protect against the run this year and allowed 1,195 yards this year.
The Rebels spread the ball through the passing game well, with four players recording over 400 receiving yards. Wide receiver Harrison Wallace III tallied 579 yards and two touchdowns on 36 catches in his first 10 games of his senior season. He is the primary punt returner, with 110 yards on 13 returns. In his first year at Ole Miss, redshirt sophomore Deuce Alexander put up 467 receiving yards on 30 catches.
Tight end Dae’Quan Wright leads Ole Miss in receiving touchdowns, catching four in his senior season. He also tallied 449 yards and an average 18 yards per reception. Other top receivers Cayden Lee and De’Zhaun Stribling recorded 412 and 391 yards, respectively.
In the run game, sophomore running back Kewan Lacy is nearing the 1,000 mark with 912 yards on an even 200 carries. The transfer from Missouri is on track to hit this milestone for the first time in his career with an average of 91 rush yards per game.
Between Lacy and Chambliss, the run game is covered. However, redshirt sophomore Logan Diggs contributes 16 yards per game with three rushing touchdowns this season.
Likely going against Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, who has 12 interceptions this season, the Rebels defense looks to put the Gators’ season to rest and end Florida’s hopes of a bowl appearance. Ole Miss has five team interceptions, and with an unconfident Lagway in the wake of getting benched against Kentucky, the Rebels look to add to that number.
“I think DJ’s really what the whole team is when I say the concerns,” Kiffin said. “Extremely talented at times, plays at an elite level and is a problem like basically most of their position groups. Extremely talented. At times, you watch film and say these guys are as good as anybody in the country, and DJ’s like that. He played great against us one year ago, and anytime you got somebody that’s got an elite arm and really hard to tackle like him and can run over you, that’s an issue.”
Leading his squad on that front, senior safety Wydett Williams tallied two interceptions in his first season in Oxford. Both came at home, a level of comfortability that will be present this weekend. The Gators are also prone to fumbling, with 11 and four lost on the season, and Williams also has one fumble recovery this season.
“When you’re a skilled guy and you have the ball in your hands, you’re protecting the ball for the team,” Gonzales said. “You’re running the ball, you’re carrying the ball for the team. You’re not carrying the ball for yourself.”
Ole Miss gets to the quarterback efficiently, recording 21 sacks compared to the Gators’ 16. Junior linebacker Princewill Umanmielen leads his Rebels with 4.5 for a total loss of 28 yards.
In tackles, junior linebacker TJ Dottery leads the team with 63, including 4.5 for loss. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins and defensive end Kam Franklin follow with 51 and 48 total tackles, respectively. Franklin also recorded a team-leading 14 quarterback hurries and 3.5 sacks, tying sophomore defensive tackle Will Echoles.
The Rebels also have one blocked kick this season, achieved by defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, who also recorded 7.5 tackles for loss.
While both Gonzales and Kiffin said that they have not recently addressed the coaching rumors with their teams in their respective press conferences on Monday, the two seem to think it is not a distraction this week. Kickoff between these programs is set for 7 p.m.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, NCAA, SEC
