Why Lane Kiffin said Tulane is Ole Miss football's ninth SEC game, including Michael Pratt

OXFORD — Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin could afford to toss around a few jokes about the way Pete Golding's defense began the game against Mercer because of the dominance that followed.

The Rebels' new defensive coordinator started his tenure in Oxford by allowing a 75-yard touchdown run to Mercer quarterback Carter Peevy on the first snap. Postgame, Kiffin recalled his conversation on the headset with Golding, who Ole Miss will pay $1.9 million this year:

"We paid a lot of money for you, Pete, and that's not exactly what we were expecting," Kiffin said with the sort of dry humor he's become known for during his time in Oxford.

After Peevy's huge run, Golding's defense responded by allowing 18 yards on 36 further Mercer rushing attempts. Overmatched against the Rebels' athleticism, the Bears managed just 160 yards of total offense thereafter.

Next for Ole Miss (1-0) is Tulane (1-0) on Saturday (2:30 p.m., ESPN2) in New Orleans. The Green Wave will not be overmatched.

"They ask about a nine-game SEC schedule, so this is really a test of a nine-game SEC schedule because this is an SEC football team with that type of talent," Kiffin said.

Michael Pratt is Ole Miss football's first big challenge

Michael Pratt completed 14 of his 15 pass attempts for 294 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-17 win. He also rushed 11 times for 39 yards. He could be seen limping late in the game, but told an on-field reporter afterward that he was "fine."

Tulane began its campaign by tearing through a South Alabama opponent that won 10 games last season, thanks in large part to its elite talent under center.

"(Pratt) basically played as well as you can on air last week, only threw one incompletion. He's a very savvy veteran," Kiffin said. "Sharp, accurate, really good player."

With Pratt as his catalyst, Willie Fritz has taken a Tulane team that won more than four games once in the decade prior to his arrival in 2016 into the national conversation. The Green Wave won the American last season, beat USC in the Cotton Bowl and finished ninth in the AP Poll. Pratt threw for 3,009 yards 27 touchdowns and five interceptions last season. He also picked up 478 yards and an additional 10 touchdowns on the ground.

QB COMPETITION OVER?: The choice was clear at QB for Ole Miss football, Lane Kiffin. There's still much to learn.

"This is not an evaluation game," Kiffin said. "Going on the road for the first time with this team into one of the hottest teams in the country and probably the hottest quarterback in the country. I would actually like another evaluation game, but that is certainly not what this is."

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Lane Kiffin: Tulane, Michael Pratt Ole Miss football's ninth SEC game