Ole Miss Vs Kentucky Preview

Ole Miss hits the road this week as they head to Lexington, Kentucky, to take on the Wildcats.  Both the Rebels and Wildcats had disappointing losses this past weekend to open up their 2020 season campaigns. They each look to bounce back this week and capitalize on the moments of promise they did show.

Ole Miss Rebels

Lane Kiffin and his squad had a strong early showing against the Gators before the orange and blue completely took over. Ole Miss piled up 613 yards and 29 first downs but lost 51-35 against Florida.

Although they had a strong showing offensively, Ole Miss struggled on the defensive end of things.

When Kiffin was asked about the team’s defense he said that they improved but still have work to do.

“Obviously we didn’t play well Saturday, we had a good week of practice and our players have been upbeat. So, we need to keep the ball in front of us and tackle well this week.”

He also believes that every week is a new week and they will continue to get better.

With an essentially brand new coaching staff and not being able to have spring practice, it’s been a challenge that the Rebels have faced. Kiffin believes things will improve with time and to be patient after just playing their first game of the season.

Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats fell short to the Auburn Tigers last week, despite outrunning Auburn 384-324, having more first downs (21 to 15), and running 78 offensive plays to the Tigers’ 57.

It was when the Wildcats got sloppy with the ball, with two fumbles and an interception, that they got into some real trouble. Head Coach Mark Stoops also credits Bo Nix’s progress from being a true freshman and the tough passes he made under duress. Falling 21-6 to the Tigers, the Wildcats are looking to bounce back this week.

When Stoops was asked about potentially being 0-2 after having to play a ranked team out of the gate, his response was simple.

“You can have that same discussion with a lot of people every week,” Stoops said. “That’s what I tell my players in the locker room that 50 percent of the league was on the same side we were and none of us like it.”

Stoops made it clear that they’re not interested in being competitive. They’re focusing on winning games and putting his team in the best position to do so. He is planning to do the same tomorrow and looks forward to a competitive match up with Ole Miss.

Game Time

Kickoff is Saturday at 4 p.m., and the game will air on SEC Network.