Lane Kiffin: 'I'm not going to overreact in loss' following upset loss to Kentucky

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels should have been better prepared, it's that simple. The Rebels were ranked No. 6 in the country heading into Week 5 and their game against the Kentucky Wildcats but it looks like the team relied a little too heavily on their ranking in the SEC matchup.

Earlier this season, the Wildcats went toe-to-toe with then-No. 1 Georgia so Kiffin could have, no should have, seen this coming. However, as the game unfolded and the Rebels struggled offensively, Kiffin couldn't find answers to the Kentucky offense or defense.

Before the game, Kiffin admitted that Ole Miss' schedule so far in the season hadn't prepared his team for an SEC game.

"I'm a realist. I don't think our opponents have prepared us for SEC play," Kiffin said at an Ole Miss press conference. "My hope is that our practice and our fall camp has prepared us."

Clearly, the Rebel practices and fall camp weren't enough. At halftime, Ole Miss trailed 10-7 and by the end of four quarters, Kiffin and the Rebels had fallen to the unranked Wildcats, 20-17.

"I'm not going to overreact in loss, just like I don't overreact in a tight win," Kiffin said following the game. "You can't let people hang around, especially in this conference."

But that is exactly what the Rebels had done. Ole Miss let Kentucky stay in the game by not taking up enough of the game clock and making minute mistakes throughout the matchup that led to bigger gains for the Wildcats.

To put it simply, the Rebels could have and probably should have won this game, however, they continued to shoot themselves in the foot which kept the Wildcats in the game.

"We all had our chances to win in all three phases," said Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss quarterback. "There are a lot of things in all phases we need to improve on."

Dart went on to say that this game is a learning opportunity for himself and his team. He shared that an individual or a team can either give up after a loss like this or " take it on the chin and get up" and move on.

Next week, the Rebels travel to Columbia to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks who, coincidentally, blew out the Wildcats 31-6.

"I'm confident. We put in a lot of time and work this past offseason. We have a lot of experience on this team," Dart said about his team bouncing back.

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