No. 7 Ole Miss tunes out talk of Kiffin's future and rankings as the Rebels prepare to host Citadel

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi tight end Dae’Quan Wright and the No. 7 Rebels have been trying to root out the reasons for some recent slow starts on offense.

That's been a point of emphasis this week while preparing for Saturday’s visit from The Citadel of the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision.

“Our biggest thing is we have to start faster. Foot on the gas,” said Wright, who's caught 24 passes for 436 yards and four touchdowns this season. “We need to make a statement.”

Ole Miss (8-1), a fast-starting team for most of the season, stumbled early in last week’s 30-14 win over South Carolina. The Rebels trailed 7-0 early and needed a 10-0 fourth quarter to seal the victory.

That was enough to preserve the No. 7 ranking in the AP poll before securing the No. 6 slot in the first College Football Playoff poll released Tuesday. Coach Lane Kiffin suspects that Citadel (4-5) won't be intimidated by the Rebels' rankings.

“These guys (Citadel) are a very disciplined team. They make you be really accountable on defense with an unusual system that we’re not used to.” Kiffin said. “We’ve talked about getting better and improving.”

Citadel leads the Southern Conference in rushing, with a pair of underclassmen quarterbacks, Cobey Thompkins and Quentin Hayes, accounting for 938 of the team’s rushing yards.

Defensively, Cale Williams has a team-high 65 tackles.

“I’ve watched the film and they are really well-coached,” Wright said. “You see it.”

Maurice Drayton’s Bulldogs are coming off their biggest win, 35-24 over VMI in what is billed as “The Military Classic of the South.”

Citadel has some experience against power conference opponents, losing at Clemson 51-14 last season.

“I have great, great respect for Mississippi. I was an assistant coach at Southern Mississippi,” Drayton said. “I don’t have a direct relationship with Lane Kiffin, but I coached with their quarterback coach Joe Judge and I’ve studied Monte Kiffin, the father of the zone blitz. I’ve been in the same room with him studying his work.”

Potential distractions for Ole Miss players this week have ranged from speculation of Kiffin’s future coaching plans to the release of the first CFP poll. The Rebels joined Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia as SEC teams currently occupying one of 12 playoff spots.

“I really hadn’t thought much about that; This isn’t coach-speak,” Kiffin said. “I really don’t because it’s still so early and so much left to play.”

Wright acknowledged looking at the CFP rankings, but added, “It really doesn’t matter now. It only matters when you get to the end.”

Following the Citadel, the Rebels host Florida before an open date. The season finale is the annual Egg Bowl at archrival Mississippi State on Nov. 28.

Citadel typically travels by charter buses and vans to play Southern Conference opponents. This week, the Bulldogs will break the travel tradition by taking a plane trip.

“We’re actually going to fly,” Drayton said with a smile. “I’ve got a few men who haven’t been on an airplane and we’ve got to calm their nerves.

"I had a couple of players come by and ask if they could just rent a van and drive.”

Drayton, an extensive frequent flyer as a college coach, plus with seven years of NFL coaching experience, sees the outing as more than convenient.

“I told those guys, ‘No.’ We are getting on the plane,” Drayton said. “This is part of the maturation process. This will be a great experience as young men.”

Tupelo, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, serve as the airports most frequently used by visiting Ole Miss opponents. Mississippi is west of the six-state footprint of the 10 Southern Conference members and is more than 500 miles from The Citidel's campus in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Rebels have been candid when asked about Kiffin’s status and postseason possibilities.

Despite the speculation surrounding Kiffin, a CFP ranking and a matchup against an overwhelming underdog that would be easy to overlook, players repeatedly stuck to talking points emphasizing their desire to simply play well this week.

“Right now all we’re looking at is the next game," defensive back Wydett Williams said. "That’s all I’m focused on.”

Linebacker Andrew Jones, with three tackles, two quarterback hurries and a timely tackle for loss against South Carolina, shifted his attention to the run-heavy Citadel offense.

“We play the game plan every week, not the people,” Jones said. “For us (the defense), it’s about doing our job and keeping on the game plan. I’m just doing my job and trying to help this team.”

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