Kiffin: Jimbo jabs supplied ‘real’ fuel for Ole Miss
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — After beating Texas A&M 31-28 on Saturday night, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said that Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher’s offseason comments were extra motivation for him this week.
In his postgame news conference, Kiffin was asked if Fisher’s jabs in February served as a motivating factor for the matchup.
“It’s real. I don’t do coachspeak,” Kiffin said. “Most coaches would say no. But when someone attacks you personally and calls you and your buddy Coach [Nick] Saban both clowns, you take that personal.”
“I’m glad we won,” Kiffin added with a smile.
The rift dates back to the Fisher-Saban feud in February after Saban told a group of Alabama businessmen that Texas A&M “bought every player” in its recruiting class with name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. Fisher then went after Saban, and Fisher included Kiffin after he continued to take jabs at the Aggies.
“We don’t have the funding resources as some schools with the NIL deals,” Kiffin said then. “It’s like dealing with salary caps. I joked I didn’t know if Texas A&M incurred a luxury tax with how much they paid for their signing class.”
Fisher responded in his news conference by ripping Saban. “And then to have coaches in our league say it? Clown acts,” Fisher then added. “Irresponsible as hell. Multiple coaches in our league, the guys griping about NIL and transfer portal, are using it the most. That’s the ironic part. It does piss me off.”
On Saturday, during a postgame interview on the field, Kiffin was asked what he would be dressing as for Halloween.
“Maybe Jimbo has a Joker outfit for me,” he responded.
“Maybe Jimbo has a Joker outfit for me.”
Lane Kiffin interviews never disappoint ? @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/eeWsf6I332
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 30, 2022
The Aggies also had several injuries, mostly to defensive linemen, during the game, which slowed the action at times. The NCAA added a new rule in April that would allow for schools to report suspicious injury timeouts. Kiffin was visibly annoyed when asked about Texas A&M’s stoppages.
“I’m not going to get very far into it,” he said. “At one point, it was eight injury timeouts, all on defense. Whatever. It is what it is. There’s a way around the rule. I’m not going to say they did it. But what are the analytics of that happening? And then seeing the players like a play or two later back out there …”
Kiffin made repeated comments about five-star recruits and discussed what an achievement it was to rush for 390 yards against members of the Aggies’ highly touted recruiting class, calling them “some of the best high school players ever” in the “best recruiting class in the history of football.”
During the game, the broadcast caught Kiffin talking to a Texas A&M player, telling him to lay down and fake another injury.
“I was just having fun with them,” Kiffin said. “Those kids are highly energetic, like a lot of five-stars. Kind of fun to mess with. It was all good.”
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Chris Low
Alabama will be without team captain and starting defensive tackle Tim Keenan III for Saturday’s opener against Florida State after he suffered a high ankle sprain Tuesday in practice, sources told ESPN.
Keenan was scheduled to undergo a tightrope surgical procedure Wednesday and is expected to miss multiple games, but sources said Alabama expects him back at some point this season. The Crimson Tide face UL Monroe in Week 2, Wisconsin in Week 3 and then have a bye week before traveling to Georgia for the SEC opener on Sept. 27.
Coach Kalen DeBoer said earlier Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference that Keenan was still being evaluated after suffering a lower-body injury and would “probably not” be full go for the game.
Keenan, a fifth-year senior, is one of the anchors of an Alabama defensive line that should be one of the strengths of the team. He’s a two-year starter and one of the strongest leaders on the team. Redshirt freshman Jeremiah Beaman and true freshman London Simmons are next in line to step in for Keenan, who was second on the team a year ago with 7.5 tackles for loss.
Offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts‘ status for Saturday’s opener remains uncertain, according to DeBoer. The fifth-year senior, who has started 21 games over the past two seasons, has been “very limited” in recent practices as he works his way through the NCAA concussion protocol.
The Crimson Tide were already going to be without starting running back Jam Miller, who dislocated his collarbone in a scrimmage and will miss multiple games. DeBoer told ESPN last week he expected Miller to be back for the Georgia game.
On3.com was the first to report the news of Keenan’s surgery and the expectation he would miss multiple games.
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