While people discussed if Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin threw shade at Hugh Freeze last week, there is no doubt he showed respect to Kentucky football head coach Bob Stoops after they pulled off the upset Saturday, 20-17. The coach who always has rumors attached in Kiffin would speak about Stoops' decisions towards the end of the game and how it changed the trajectory of the result.
Ole Miss football's Lane Kiffin gives credit to Bob Stoops
As the Rebels were up by four points with just over four minutes left in the game, there was a point where they held the Wildcats on a fourth and seven. People thought that Stoops would've elected to punt since he did the same two weeks ago against Georgia when they were down one with around three minutes left, but they went for it this time and it paid off big time.
It led to a 63-yard pass play setting up the go-ahead touchdown for Kentucky to pull off the upset, receiving some high words from Kiffin according to On3 Sports.
“We end up getting them to 4th down and they throw a go route. I have to credit Stoops, that’s not anything he’s probably ever done in his life,” Kiffin said. “He got out of his character with three and a half minutes left. I commend him for doing that. I’m sure the ESPN percentage had us 98% winning at that point. Good throw and good play by them.”
Ole Miss football's Lane Kiffin on “out of character” decision
The loss brings a halt to Ole Miss football's possible undefeated season to solidify their position not just in the SEC, but also in the expanded college football playoff as they were ranked sixth going into the game. That gutsy call from Stoops leads to the Rebels' first defeat as the Kentucky head coach reflects on that aforementioned decision from two weeks ago.
“I understand the position I was in a couple weeks ago,” Stoops said. “I clearly do. But I also was going to have great field position there, pin them, and we had been playing so well (in the red zone). I also know what this offense is capable of. Analytics will tell you on 4th-and-6 or less to go for it. We were on 4th-and-8, but I felt good about the matchup.”
One has to wonder if a game like this will be the start of a fatal flaw for Ole Miss football games of being unable to defeat conference opponents at a consistent level. It still is relatively early in the season, but at this moment, Kiffin is more than willing to give flowers for Stoops and the Wildcats for their risky move, even repeating the claim that it was “out of character.”
“It’s very unusual the whole situation if you study people and analytics and how people coach,” Kiffin said. “I told him after the game, great job. I think it’s certainly a reaction to all the criticism he got from the Georgia game when he punted. So he went out of character, threw a go-ball. Guy made a great throw, a great catch, and so I commend them.”
The Rebels are still 4-1 as their next game will be against South Carolina next Saturday.
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