Lane Kiffin And Mike Elko Previews Saturday's Matchup During SEC Coaches Teleconference

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin and Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko spoke with reporters during Wednesday's SEC Coaches Teleconference to preview Saturday's matchup between the Tigers and Aggies in Baton Rouge.

Both coaches discussed the upcoming SEC showdown, their respective teams, and what they expect from Saturday's game at Tiger Stadium.


Lane Kiffin on LSU's loss to Ole Miss and the missed opportunities to win the game:

"Well, we got to finish in that. Offense and defense, we both had a chance to win the game and didn't do it.

"You know, and obviously there's a lot made of that because of the media, of coaching there and all that. But, you know, someone put it into perspective, said, you know, if it wasn't for the name Ole Miss, you know, and if it was more of a traditional name that we're playing that we hadn't coached at before this, you know, how would everybody be feeling if, you know, in your third game of your first year of a program, you know, you went to Ohio State, you know, and came all the way back and the quarterback self-admittedly didn't play very well, and theirs played lights out.

"And, you know, you're looking at, sure, after three games, you know, would be named the Heisman winner.

"So I think when you look at it that way and say, okay, man, their Super Bowl, them, all the stuff around it, all the energy in the stadium, you know, everything, and, you know, we're right there at the end with multiple chances to win the game.

"We have to learn from that and finish when we're in that type of situation again."


Lane Kiffin on previsouly recruiting Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed and the SEC's nine-game schedule:

"Yeah, you know, years ago we really wanted guys that can move around, guys that just performed so well on third down, out of rhythm in college football.

"We were excited about him. He was committed to us. I think he's a really dynamic player, and they're really hard to prepare for, guys like this.

"Obviously, we just played the best one in the country last week that can hurt you even when you have the right call on and everybody covered and a guy comes free.

"He played great a year ago here in Tiger Stadium.

"So this is one of those scheduling quirks, just like last week, where, you know, never in that LSU-Ole Miss series had ever been played two times in a row. So that game was supposed to be here, and this one (Texas A&M) was supposed to be there.

"So these are the scheduling quirks that come with our awesome move to nine games that has sure looked so great here lately," Kiffin sarcastically explained.


Lane Kiffin on Sam Leavitt bouncing back against Texas A&M:

"I think it's about Sam and his preparation to get back on track, play at home... Those (Ole Miss) games happen. And a lot of factors go into that.

"You know, we didn't protect really well around him, and crowd noise and music being played all the way through the snap when the center's hands on the ball, again and again.

"So those will help you struggle, and at quarterback, and false start. So there's a lot of things to improve on around him, and that he'll do better and play better this week.

Lane Kiffin on how his new transfer portal roster is gelling together:

"I think it's going great. I think we've got some really unfortunate injuries, again, with some really special, critical players, unfortunately, but the team and how they're working together and stuff has been great."


On improving the quarterback's accuracy, you know, under pressure?

Kiffin: "Ours or theirs?"

Reporter: "Your quarterback."

Kiffin: "I'm all in favor of it."



Mike Elko on LSU's comeback against Ole Miss:

"I think obviously they showed a lot of fight. They're extremely talented on both sides of the ball. I'm sure that game last week was an emotional roller coaster for both teams.

"You know, that's kind of a unique game, the way that played out from an emotional standpoint. And so I'm sure you expected some ebbs and flows.

"And, you know, certainly a really talented team in that type of game is going to fight all the way through. And, you know, they're really talented, made a bunch of plays to get back in it and almost give themselves a chance to win it."


Mike Elko on LSU's offense and defense:

"Yeah, obviously very explosive on offense. I think they play with tempo. They try to attack personnel. They do a really, really good job. It's very NFL-like in that regard.

"You know, and then defensively, they always play fast and free, you know, and they're willing to take chances because, you know, they know they're going to score points.

"And so they're very aggressive on defense, and they let their defense really attack."


Mike Elko on the changing landscape of college football:

"I think as parity has shifted a little bit in this NIL transfer era, I think the level of balance has really increased.

"And so I think, to me, you're playing these games week in and week out that can go either way. And when that's the case, to me, that's what the NFL is. It's seasons where, you know, 10-7 gets you in the playoffs, and seasons where 11-6 gets you in the playoffs and gets you a chance.

"And I think it's just a change from college football, where for so long, you know, 11-1 and 12-0 defined success. And I just, I'm not sure that that's going to be the reality for a lot of teams in this new era moving forward."


Mike Elko on CFP expansion and the importance of the regular season:

"I've been on record with this before... I don't know that good teams getting left out of the playoffs is important, or something we have to get rid of. I think that's okay. I think that's what makes the regular season so meaningful.

"I think that's why ratings for regular season games in college football are so high, because every game matters. You know, if you look at last year, we played Notre Dame in Week 2, and essentially there was a playoff berth on the line that week.

"Now, do I believe that for the benefit of the SEC and this conference, we've got to figure out a way to get the best teams into the playoff? Absolutely, because I think with nine conference games, that's nine more losses divvied out to this league, and I think we're going to see a much more balanced set of standings at the end of this season."