Lane Kiffin on High Alert as Kentucky Star Vows to Punish Austin Simmons on Saturday

The playoffs list from last year wouldn’t have seen as much controversy had Ole Miss made the cut. Kentucky upset the Rebels big time, ending one of Lane Kiffin’s best runs in the sport with Ole Miss. Kiffin will once again be facing off against the Wildcats in a rematch of their last game. But the ghosts of this memorable loss can threaten to haunt Kiffin and QB1 Austin Simmons. Will the new QB1 be able to take the heat?

After Week 1, the Rebels are ranked at No. 20, after a commanding 63-7 win over Georgia State. Austin Simmons turned up to dutifully fill in for Jaxson Dart, debuting as QB1. First-game jitters got to the QB, as he ended up getting sacked a few times and also tallied 2 interceptions. But Simmons still came out strong, going 20-for-31 on passes for 341 yards. And he can also pat himself on the back for the 3 scores. Simmons is going to create some more ruckus for Ole Miss in the future. But he’ll have to face Kentucky next, which is going to open up some wounds for Lane Kiffin.

Kentucky was the first loss for Kiffin last year, and had that game been a win, Ole Miss might have made it into the playoffs. This season, Ole Miss is looking to avoid a repeat of last year at all costs. The Wildcats’ defense that outsmarted the Rebels’ offense last year has a fiery message. LB Steven Soles Jr. told SiriusXM, “Mentality is, you know, ain’t no walking in our trap, taking over our trap. It’s none of that. None of the shenanigan games. Treat them like any other team on the schedule. They’re going to come in here. I’m going to get five sacks and we’re going to send them home.”

Soles was part of the dominating defensive showcase that stopped the Rebels in their own home. Alex Afari Jr. ended up finishing with 9 tackles, and Steven Soles Jr. had 2 sacks. This was also when Soles didn’t even have a big role on the team, being a freshman that year. But this time, he’s coming out strong already. He sacked Toledo QB Tucker Gleason twice in the Wildcats’ 24-15 win. It’s going to be an interesting game for fans on either side because Kentucky can prove doubters wrong. The offense last time was lackadaisical from Kentucky, leaving the defense on pickup duty.

This time, Ole Miss will be the away guests. They already have a put-together team with Simmons leading the front, and the offense hasn’t given much reason to complain. As of now, the Rebels, like last year, are the favorites to win this game. But things can swing Kentucky’s way if Ole Miss turns out to be a bust. The last couple of times that the two have met ended in close finishes. Lane Kiffin will want to keep all his bases covered, nonetheless.

Lane Kiffin is yet to forget the 2024 Kentucky loss

Ole Miss will hope to finally leap the playoffs this year, after two back-to-back seasons with double-digit finishes. They will be wary of Kentucky, which was the nail in the Rebels’ coffin, because it was a loss to an unranked team. Lane Kiffin is still upset about that season-defining loss. “I mean, it was horrible on all fronts because it was such a bizarre game that, and in football, everything can go different ways, but it was like all these plays. …It’s just so many ways that game could have went our way and so many things went their way,” Kiffin told the press.

“It was really hard to deal with because I just didn’t think we played that well, either, and still had the ball ahead later in the game,” he added. With 48 seconds left, Ole Miss had the opportunity to save themselves from a humiliating defeat by tying the game with a field goal. It just wasn’t Kiffin’s night that game, as the field goal attempt failed to meet the mark. “It all sucked,” the HC said, lamenting the missed opportunity.

It’s surprise losses like these that hurt the most, and Kiffin must’ve been beating himself up over it. This time, with a promising QB in Austin Simmons, he will hope to have revenge on the Wildcats for taking away a playoff spot from them. Let’s see what Simmons will have in his response to Steven Soles Jr. when they clash on the field.