Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin had hoped to go into this week’s open date coming off a big win at LSU.
Instead the Rebels are getting a break after blowing a 10-point lead to LSU and losing 29-26 in overtime at Tiger Stadium.
The only time LSU led was on the game-winning touchdown pass on the game’s final play.
“These are hard,” Kiffin said in his postgame news conference. “This one will be around forever.”
Kiffin may have been exaggerating about the loss lingering forever considering something he wanted to say about it slipped his mind when he met with the media again Monday.
After Kiffin reviewed the game and discussed plans for the open date, he left the interview room and Ole wide receiver Cayden Lee answered some questions.
Kiffin then came back to the room.
“I forgot one thing,” he said. “I remembered someone who’s been in here a long time said something to me (Sunday), said, ‘I wanted to say, make sure you look at it as a positive.’ “
Kiffin meant the person was telling him to take a positive from Ole Miss fans struggling to accept the loss at LSU.
” ‘Our fans are really upset about the game and really upset about the loss,’ ” Kiffin continued in regard to what the longtime Ole Miss man had told him. “I said, ‘Yeah, I feel them. So are we.’
“He said, ‘You know, understand that for a long time that wasn’t the case here. It would have been, Wow, we went into LSU at night and played them really close and we were ahead the whole game.’
“I said, ‘Yeah, I’m glad that our fans are upset and I’m glad our fans feel like us. I’m glad that we’ve created a new expectation that we’re supposed to go into LSU and win, and if we don’t, we’re upset.’ So, I’m glad our fans feel like that. I’m glad that that’s the expectation around here.”
Kiffin raised expectations by leading the Rebels to an 11-2 record last season and adding a strong transfer class to a group of returnees highlighted by quarterback Jaxson Dart.
“We didn’t come here to play close games, we game here to win those games,” said Kiffin, who has a 39-17 record at Ole Miss in his fifth season. “I’m glad the feeling around us has changed to the same thing.”
Vs. No. 1
Georgia is used to being ranked No. 1 in recent seasons under Coach Kirby Smart, but for a change his team will be trying to take down the top-ranked team Saturday at Texas.
Texas replaced Georgia as the No. 1 team earlier this season after the Bulldogs struggled to win 13-12 at Kentucky.
After Alabama beat Georgia, the Tide moved to the No. 1 ranking.
Alabama’s 40-35 loss at Vanderbilt moved Texas back to the No. 1 spot.
Georgia is 3-5 all-time against No. 1 teams, including 2-1 under Smart.
The Bulldogs won their two most recent games against No. 1 beating Alabama 33-18 in Indianapolis in the 2021 national title game.
Georgia beat Tennessee 27-13 in 2022 when the Vols were No. 1.
Smart phones
Georgia Coach Kirby Smart said he called Mississippi State Coach Jeff Lebby and quarterback Michael Van Buren to apologize for shoving Van Buren on the sideline in the fourth quarter of Georgia’s 41-31 victory last week at Sanford Stadium.
In Smart’s postgame news conference, he said he didn’t remember shoving Van Buren to the ground.
Then Smart watched the tape of Van Buren being knocked out of bounds and being shoved after he got up to return to the field.
“I went back and watched it,” Smart said Monday at his weekly news conference. “I didn’t even realize that I had run into him. (Sunday) I talked to Mike and told him that I had no intentions or ill will toward him at all.”
Smart apparently was so confused with getting the attention of defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann that he had no recollection of shoving Van Buren.
“If you’ve ever been on the sideline, it’s pandemonium,” Smart said. “It’s really pandemonium when you’re trying to change personnel, and you’ve only got 3 to 4 seconds to do it.
“We were bad off, in a bad personnel grouping, and I was trying to get to Schumann to get that changed.”
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that Smart’s shove should have resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but the officials didn’t throw a flag.
“(Smart) has appropriately reached out to Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby and quarterback Michael Van Buren,” Sankey said. “I am confident the contact was not intentional, and the clear expectation is this conduct will not happen again.”
Van Buren, a true freshman making his second start, completed 20 of 37 passes for 306 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception against Georgia.
“He was great,” Smart said of his conversation with Van Buren. “He’s a really good player. He’s going to be a good player in this league, and he played better as the game went on against us.”
Get it to 27
Auburn senior running back Jarquez Hunter is averaging 6.8 yards per carry, but averaging 13 carries through the first six games.
That doesn’t seem to add up for someone who is an experienced play-caller like Tigers Coach Hugh Freeze.
Hunter’s most touches in a game this season came when he had 20 carries for 152 yards in Auburn’s 45-19 victory over New Mexico.
In three games since then — all losses — Hunter has a combined 42 carries for 255 yards.
“There’s no question, 27 needs to touch it more,” Freeze said Monday at his weekly news conference, referring to Hunter by his jersey number.
Hunter had 12 carries for 67 yards in a 24-14 loss to Arkansas, 17 for 97 in a 27-21 loss to Oklahoma and 13 for 91 in a 31-13 loss at Georgia.
Mertz hurts
Florida Coach Billy Napier won’t be using two quarterbacks — at least not the previous combination of senior Graham Mertz and freshman DJ Lagway.
Mertz’s Florida career is over after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Gators’ 23-17 overtime loss at Tennessee last week.
“Graham Mertz has torn his ACL and he will be done for the season,” Napier said this week. “He’ll have surgery next week, and it’s only right for me to say how much I appreciate and I’m thankful for Graham in terms of all that he has brought to the table, to our team.
“Not only his production on the field but also just his impact on the team as a whole, his leadership, the work ethic, the example, the self-discipline.”
Mertz’s final play for the Gators was a touchdown pass to Arlis Boardingham that put Florida ahead 10-0 in the third quarter.
Injured on the play, Mertz finished the game completing 11 of 15 passes for 125 yards.
Lagway completed 9 of 17 passes for 98 yards. He had an interception to set up a field goal by the Volunteers, but also led a touchdown drive that sent the game to overtime.
“I think there’s some excitement in terms of DJ and what he’s been able to accomplish thus far,” Napier said. “And I think he’ll be much more prepared having started a game, but also having played in each game this season.”
Lagway got some starts earlier this season when Mertz was sidelined. He has completed 47 of 72 passes for 765 yards for 5 touchdowns with 4 interceptions.
“DJ has this innate ability to kind of rise to the occasion and step up in big moments,” Napier said. “I’m confident that he’ll do that in this situation.”
Mertz completed 72 of 94 passes for 791 yard and 6 touchdowns with 2 interceptions.
“During my recovery, I will remain a part of the program and do whatever I can in meeting rooms and from the sideline to help my teammates win,” Mertz wrote on is Instagram account. “I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support at this time.”
Smart take
Maybe Georgia Coach Kirby Smart was just heaping praise on Texas — the Bulldogs’ opponent on Saturday — or maybe he was taking a shot at Alabama?
“The most complete team that we’ve seen or faced this year and probably in multiple years,” Smart said about Texas. “When you look at what they’re doing defensively, offensively and special teams, they’re clearly one of the best teams in the country.”
Alabama beat Georgia 41-34 earlier this season.
Diego tough
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, the transfer from New Mexico who has been instrumental in the team’s 4-2 start, suffered a knee injury at Kentucky last week.
But Pavia only came out for a play, returned to the game wearing a brace and helped the Commodores beat the Wildcats 20-13.
“We’re not surprised,” wide receiver Richie Hoskins told The Tennessean. “Diego’s a dog. We’ve known it since he’s been here. … That’s a true leader. He’s going to put the pain aside and go win a football game.”
Pavia is expected to be ready to play against Ball State on Saturday.
“Short of amputation, I think that dude’s playing,” Vanderbilt Coach Clark Lea said. “He’s tough.
“He got his knee banged up. They just wanted to check it out. He was fine. He’s going to get banged up. This is a tough stretch. So, he’s a fun player to have on our team. He fights every night. He’s got the chip on the shoulder that defines our program, and he’s going to be OK.”
Third time
No. 1 Texas will host a matchup of top 5 teams at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium for only third time when it plays No. 5 Georgia.
The first time was in 1970 when No. 1 Texas beat No. 4 Arkansas 42-7. It happened again in 2006 when No. 1 Ohio State beat to No. 2 Texas 24-7.
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