Why Lane Kiffin chose Austin Simmons, not Walker Howard, as Ole Miss football's backup QB
OXFORD — Ole Miss football opted for youth at backup quarterback, with coach Lane Kiffin giving the nod to redshirt freshman Austin Simmons over junior Walker Howard against Furman on Saturday.
Kiffin said postgame that he remains confident in both Simmons and Howard, noting that the battle between the two in preseason practice was "very close."
"Both guys had a very good camp, played really well," Kiffin said after the Rebels thrashed Furman 76-0. "It was a hard decision. Just felt that Austin played a little better right at the end."
Simmons played the bulk of the second half for the Rebels (1-0) against the FCS Paladins (0-1), throwing a 35-yard touchdown to Cayden Lee on his first collegiate snap.
Thereafter, the results were mixed. Simmons missed a few throws. His receivers let him down with a few drops, too.
In total, he finished 7-for-16 for 111 yards and a touchdown.
"Started well," Kiffin said. "Touchdown throw was a really pretty throw. Misses one late, the receiver thought he was going to go to the post, so he threw it behind. It was a big third down that would have kept the drive alive. But I thought he did some things good."
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It's a remarkable step for Simmons, who reclassified up by two classes to join Ole Miss ahead of the 2023 season. A dual-sport athlete, he suffered a UCL sprain while pitching for the baseball team this spring, but avoided Tommy John surgery with rehab.
"I thought he played great," Ole Miss starting QB Jaxson Dart said. "It was awesome for him to come in on his very first college play and throw a touchdown. It's awesome when you're able to see that, root for the young guys because I remember when I was young, having those moments."
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 chose Austin Simmons as Ole Miss' backup QB. Here's why
