Ole Miss wins against South Carolina, although star wide receiver had to leave the game early and did not return. Despite this, he recorded three receptions for 81 yards before exiting.
He is believed to have suffered an ankle injury towards the end of the second quarter. He went into the sideline medical tent during the game and was later seen moving around the sideline, though he had a noticeable limp. Head coach Lane Kiffin realized Harris wouldn’t be back for the second half after speaking with him in the locker room.
“We were not close to putting him back in,” Kiffin told local reporters. “I talked to him at half, so we knew he wasn’t going to go. I don’t know a whole lot more yet. I get that report later tonight.”
Harris is a crucial part of Ole Miss’ offense and is their leading pass catcher by a wide margin. In six games this season, he has tallied 52 receptions for 885 receiving yards (17.0 YPC) and five touchdowns.
Below is the remainder of what Kiffin discussed, along with the topics he addressed.
Week 6 Recap
“I thought our defense was dominant, showing great effort and physicality. They really limited explosive plays, with the longest pass play being just 17 yards and a non-quarterback scramble for 12 yards. I was very pleased with their performance.
Offensively, however, we left a significant number of yards on the table in the passing game. Jaxson would probably be the first to admit that he missed a few big throws downfield. We also had one or two opportunities that we should have converted but didn’t, which was frustrating to see on film.
The disappointing turnover by Juice was particularly tough, as it looked like we were heading for a touchdown or at least a score on the next play or two. We essentially handed away seven points. That said, at least Jaxson protected the ball against a team that has historically capitalized on turnovers, and that was a critical aspect of the game.”
How Ole Miss Responded From Loss
“I think Kentucky is a really good team with a strong defense; they pushed Georgia to the limit and held them scoreless until the fourth quarter. I felt we didn’t need to change everything, especially since we had multiple chances to secure the win, including having the lead late in the game. We just needed to correct some issues, particularly the defensive penalties, and we did a much better job in that regard. We mixed up our coverages, and Pete did an excellent job with that. Overall, we made far fewer mistakes compared to the week before.”
Why is Kiffin’s Program Fun? (dunks, slogans, fire extinguisher, etc.)
“Probably the biggest influence was growing up with my dad and hearing his NC State stories—like when he rode a horse in, parachuted in, and even boxed Joe Frazier. There’s definitely some of that in my approach. Then there’s Pete Carroll, who was great at fostering an environment where players could find joy and have some variety, creating a place players wanted to be, not felt obligated to be. I’m sure a lot of my philosophy comes from those two.
It’s very easy to take a conservative approach as a coach, especially given the scrutiny. Nowadays, with social media, if you lose, the narrative often shifts to things like our antics or the head coach doing TikTok videos with his daughter. It all comes to light when we lose. Whenever you do something unconventional, you have to be prepared for criticism the moment things go south. For example, we’ve faced comments about how Jaxson walked into the stadium looking unkempt. He even told me people said that to him. But when we win, no one mentions any of that. It is what it is; you just have to have confidence in what you’re doing.”
SEC Playoff Team With 3 Losses
“I don’t worry about that because it doesn’t impact how we prepare for or win games. However, I do think there are possibilities to consider regarding the conferences teams play in. You could go undefeated without facing any ranked teams, or you could have three losses, with all of them coming against top-10 teams if you’re in the SEC. So, I think that scenario is definitely possible.”
Target Share Plan Going into SC Game
“There were several instances where they doubled Tre, which is beneficial because it leaves others in one-on-one situations. As I mentioned, Kentucky is a tough matchup, and they do an excellent job of recognizing patterns. We managed to get a lot of players open throughout the game, which could have led to some big plays for all four of our receivers.”
This week, Ole Miss will continue their road trip with a primetime matchup against LSU in Week 7. Next Saturday’s game (Oct. 12) will be broadcast on ESPN, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. Fans can also tune in to the Ole Miss Radio Network to listen to the game. Ole Miss is currently favored by 2.5 points over LSU.
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