Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin may or may not have accused Nick Saban and Alabama of running up the score during Saturday’s game.
The Ole Miss Rebels had the chance to be the team to upend the Alabama Crimson Tide’s undefeated season. They were the 12th-ranked team in the nation entering Saturday and had not suffered a loss in the 2021 season as well. But, Ole Miss was slapped back to reality once kickoff took place, as they were defeated 42-21.
After the game, Kiffin made a comment that Alabama senior running back Brian Robinson Jr. was “still in there at the end.” Did Kiffin accuse Saban of trying to run up the score?
Lane Kiffin notes that Brian Robinson was “still in there at the end” which was probably a compliment but might have been something else.
— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) October 2, 2021
What else did Lane Kiffin say after Ole Miss’ loss to Alabama?
Without video, it is hard to tell what Kiffin meant when he said it or the tone that he used. So, we are not going to make any assumptions.
Robinson had a great game at the expense of Ole Miss, as he rushed for 171 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries. The final touchdown by Robinson on the day came in Alabama’s third-to-final drive of the game.
In that very press conference, Kiffin was asked about his decisions to go for it on fourth down on the Rebels’ first two drives of the game. Both of those attempts were unsuccessful, and the Crimson Tide immediately responded with touchdowns on both occasions. Kiffin pointed out that he was certain he would get bashed for those decisions, but said that that was “analytics” and that he had trust in his players in those situations.
Lane Kiffin: "I'm sure I got killed on going for it on fourth down. That's analytics. We believe in our players. When it doesn't work when you follow the book, it doesn't look good."
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 2, 2021
In terms of the performance of the offensive line, Kiffin said that the squad was “dominated up front.” He also expressed his opinion that linebacker Will Anderson should be the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Lane Kiffin: "We got dominated up front."
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 2, 2021
Lane Kiffin says Bama LB Will Anderson should be the first pick in the draft.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 2, 2021
In the game, Anderson logged three total tackles (two assisted), while logging a sack on Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral for a six-yard loss. While Corral was able to get the passing game going, the same could not be said for Ole Miss’ running game, as they logged just 78 yards on the ground on 32 carries.
Kiffin and the Rebels will look to put this blowout loss behind them, as they face an Arkansas Razorbacks team that was defeated 37-0 by the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs. The good news is that one of those teams will get a win after their brutal losses this weekend.
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