Lane Kiffin knows how to rub salt in the wound, and when the opportunity presents itself, Kiffin doesn't hesitate a bit -- even if that means triggering a budding rivalry between him and another controversial Ole Miss coach.
Specifically, Kiffin took aim at Hugh Freeze throwing his QBs under the bus for the loss of his team vs. Arkansas. Everyone knows how good the Ole Miss coach is with his humor, now was his time to show them "how it's done in Ole Miss 101," along with an indirect lesson on how to put people back in their place.
"I think it pays off when you have relationships and quarterbacks trust you too," Kiffin told the reporters when asked about his relationship with QB Jaxon Dart ahead of his SEC opener against Kentucky.
"You can go back to Matt Corral when he threw six interceptions, and before I even got to the media, I sit down with him and tell him that we've got to do a better job calling plays, and I have to coach better and don't worry because we've got your back," Kiffin continued, explaining how he deals with his QB after a bad day.
"I think that goes a long way, and it goes a long way with kids in recruiting. Knowing what they're going to get when they get here with relationships, and that they can trust us to have their back." While no names were taken and no direct shade was thrown, Kiffin knew what he was doing by detailing the whole process there (h/t Footballscoop).
Hugh Freeze is in seriously hot water
First, the injury, then the insults, and the turmoil isn't just ending for Hugh Freeze. After the Auburn HC did not appreciate his QBs in his post-game interview, Hank Brown (who brought in three INTs in the first half) and Payton Thorne (who threw an INT in the second half), Freeze became the magnet to some very heated traditional criticism.
Auburn football is getting mocked and some of its own fans are demanding that Freeze be fired after his media bravado. Kiffin knew it would be the perfect time to dig at him, and he did it in his signature Lane Kiffin way.
Safe to say, Kiffin knows how to slither under someone's skin without even so much batting an eye.
