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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Postgame Quotes vs. Arkansas
9/14/2025 | Football
OLE MISS HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN
Opening Statement:
"You know, I really, before I get into the game, I hope that the player who was injured is doing okay right now. I saw after that he was moving. Those kinds of things are just really important to all of us. So, pray for him right now, you know. I thought that our guys finished the game pretty well. You know, it wasn't perfect, it wasn't pretty a lot of the time defensively, but on a 72nd defensive play, you just have to learn. At the end of the day, you just have to bend upright and try to get a good turnover, and we did it. We just have to make that first down in the game, especially in an SEC game. I said that we were getting that power with the roster we had last year. We've had good chances in these two games, and we will in the game ahead. We did it today, and I feel we did extremely well. Unfortunately, Austin (Simmons) hurt himself, and I am really proud of Austin for going out there to make big money off the situation. In the last game, he surprised me. Whenever we have gone to a stadium and done scrimmages, or how he's played in the last two games, he's done a fabulous job. He has a gift, and it's what brought him here. Looking around the country a year ago, wanting to be on a team, an SEC team, he could've been on a completely different team. We got him, and we've kept him on the team. During the off-season, just like anyone, he was like, 'let's see improvement in him overall.' He's probably been in front of more fans today than in his entire career. A lot of the time, quarterbacks, no matter their age, when they start, their main issue is taking care of the ball. He did a great job of it, and we needed that day."
On the defensive change in the second half:
"Over time, we've done a great job, like last week, of halftime adjustments on things defensively. We have to figure something out because it didn't work in the first half. You can figure it out with the quarterback and stop and change stuff. It always depends on how we make adjustments from the first to the second half."
On making the right call with Austin Simmons:
"There's a lot of lead-up, you know? Taking a lot of information in, and you have to make a decision. I just thought schematically, and there are a lot of things that lead up to this, and issues with quarterback runs. With Austin (Simmons), I didn't really want to play Austin in that situation and get him hurt or anything else. He got us that first down, and Austin has done great things for us, so it was hard to make that decision today."
On Trinidad Chambliss' transfer:
"I think that credit goes to our personnel department and how they structure that, it's hard to find in what we do. We scour a lot, and look for different things, like if it were the draft. He found him, and now he has done some great things for us. There is just a lot of research that goes into an off-season."
OLE MISS LB TJ DOTTERY
On how it felt to force the fumble:
"Man, we did it. That was the turnover we were looking for all day on defense. We made some opportunities earlier that didn't turn over, so obviously we came up with it and really created it."
On if there was anything profound said during halftime:
"Nothing was said other than kind of what we need to do, but I think the team needed to come together and stand together. The offense continued to just believe in the defense that we were going to go out there and get some stops and the defense just not going against each other and standing together when we went out there. That was huge."
On the run defense allowing at least 170 yards in the last two weeks:
"Definitely, but I feel like it's not really nothing spectacular that either team did, it's always been us just misassigning or aligning. I feel like that's when we give up those big plays. I feel like the times that we have given up big plays and drives are just all due to missed assignments."
On if he was thinking of causing a fumble with the tackle:
"It kind of happened, honestly. That has been a big emphasis this week to just try and take the ball. We practiced that exact position plenty of times this week, so it was kind of just taking it back to the drill."
OLE MISS WR HARRISON WALLACE III
On preparing to play with Trinidad Chambliss
"I wouldn't really say it was anything different. I'd just say it was like a normal week."
On how Trinidad Chambliss galvanized the offense and how it is different from Austin Simmons:
"We took our preparation really seriously. I feel like Trinidad just didn't miss a beat. He just did what everyone knew he was going to do."
On if the offense is run different with Austin Simmons and Trinidad Chambliss:
"I wouldn't really say we operate it really differently because both quarterbacks can run and both have great arm talent. I'd just say we stuck with the playcalling for today."
OLE MISS QB TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS
On when he found out he was starting and his experience playing in front of a great crowd:
"Throughout the whole week, I was given a lot more reps. Me and Austin (Simmons) yesterday were splitting reps with the ones and I was just giving up a prayer for whatever role I was going to have today, whether it was a limited amount of time or have a lot of time out there."
On if he was nervous today:
"Yes, I was a little nervous. I'd be lying to you if I told you I wasn't. But you know what, God's got me. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was with me the whole time, but yes, I was."
On ranking Zxavian Harris's dunk:
"I gave him 50 points, 10/10. He broke the rim and I have never seen that before."
On winning a close SEC game:
"It's a dream come true. You dream of moments like this. Coming from a DII, I'm very grateful and appreciative for the opportunity that arose today. I'm just going to soak it all in and interact with all the fans because that was me when I was little."
On how playing in the Kentucky game helped his play today:
"It helped. Anytime you get out there, and you go up against a defense, you have to execute the plays and whatnot, you just got to be prepared whatever your number is called. That did help a lot, you know, kind of putting me out there. Seeing a better defense, you know, obviously Georgia State isn't a Kentucky or SEC opponent, so it was good, you know, get out there, kind of see how it feels."
ARKANSAS HEAD COACH SAM
Opening Statement:
"Was a heck of a game by two good offenses and certainly came down to the end where we had a chance to win it and unfortunately we couldn't. I was really proud of our offense. They kept us in it. Our defense couldn't do anything in the first half especially and most of the game. We've got problems there and we've got to get them fixed. But the offense kept us in the game there and then the defense got a three and out, and we had a chance to win at the end. Two good SEC football teams out there. Unfortunately, we came up on the short end."
On the defensive performance and the late fumble
"We've got to communicate better. I mean two or three of the scores in the first half we had guys wide open. We couldn't cover a back. We were checking to check Lane's (Kiffin) checks and we cut all that out in the second half because we had to give our guys a chance. We didn't open field tackle very well, especially in the first half where we couldn't cover a back and didn't put pressure on their quarterback. Those are some of the things at half that we certainly talked about and during the first half and then I certainly don't think there's anybody in the room that didn't think we were going to win the game at the end of the game. We just had a turnover and I've taken Jalen (Brown) already aside. It's certainly not his fault that we lost the game. He certainly feels terrible about it but I wanted to talk to him about it because he's made a lot of good plays for us in our first three games and we've got to hold onto that ball, he understands that. There is a ton of stuff in that game we could have done better and we'd have won that game and I'm sure they feel the same way on the other side."
On if he expected Trinidad Chambliss to start with the Austin Simmons injury:
"I don't know the expectations. To be honest with you, I expected him not to be listed. You know, we had prepared for both guys and to be honest with you, they do the same thing with both guys, one's right handed and one is left [handed] but we had prepared for their offense which they run with either guy. Now obviously, when [Austin] Simmons came in, he couldn't run but he certainly threw a touchdown on us. So no, I didn't pay much stock into the injury report because I figured they played whoever they wanted to and we were prepared for either one of them."
On how the team will regroup:
"He's a good player. I knew he was fast and I knew he had a strong arm. I figured they would run the ball with him a little bit more than the other one just because that's what they had done in prior games. I thought he played a really good game. I mean, we had interference and holding, so we helped the situation as well with our seven penalties but I thought he played a really good game and did a good job running the football and throwing it."
ARKANSAS QB TAYLEN GREEN
On the tough loss when there was a chance to win the game:
"It definitely hurts with all the work we have done since Monday. At the same time, it's a team effort. It's a team loss. We are going to go back to the drawing board. See when we did well, and see what we didn't do well and grow on that."
On the mindset when Arkansas got the ball back at the end of the game with a chance to score
"Go score. The defense gave us an opportunity to do that. My job is just to go score."
On how the loss will affect them going into next week:
"It's early. It's early in the season. We just keep everybody's heads up. Like I said, just get to the drawing board, just continue to get better. It's early in the season."
On if they have spoken to Taylen Green and how he is:
"He took it pretty hard, but at the same time it shows you how much he cares. If you see Taylen (Green) and how hard he works day in and day out, you know he never complains. It means something to him and you know I had a couple words, you know what I'm saying. At the same time, it's a team effort, it's not just on him. I need to do better with my reads and getting people lined up quicker, and just to execute too. Like I said, I am proud of this team and proud of the defense and just giving us opportunities. Especially in the SEC. It's a four quarter conference. All games are won in the fourth quarter, so you know we gotta lock in and execute."
ARKANSAS LB XAVIAN SOREY JR.
On how the defense was able to go three and out:
"We were just together. Good execution and I think those previous plays that they did drive the field, it was just bad execution and things like that and as a defense we have to work on."
On what they saw out of Trinidad Chambliss:
"Coming into this game we knew he was a good runner. That's what we saw on his feet. He ran the ball real good and he threw real good too so that's what I saw. Good player."
On the defenses' problem with communication or execution:
"I would say just more execution or things like that. I don't know exactly what it is, because we haven't watched the film yet. So as we go Monday and watch the film and things like that, we will know exactly what the problem was. But, just coming right out of the game I would say execution."
On preparation for the week for either Austin Simmons or Trinidad Chambliss:
"We were preparing for both of them, really. Didn't know who was going to start until really yesterday or today, so really just preparing for both of them and yeah that's what this week was like."
