Saturday at The Grove, Ole Miss fans turned their stadium into a stage for mockery aimed directly at Lane Kiffin, booing him loudly the instant his face appeared on a big screen for an ESPN interview. The display was one of inventive contempt, with spectators waving signs that labeled him a traitor, depicted him putting corndogs in his nose and his mouth, and ridiculed him over an injury-report loophole.
No. 8 Ole Miss takes on No. 7 LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and the rivalry between the two institutions runs deep.
Early Morning Crowd In The Grove
Early in the morning, the Grove — that tree-lined tailgating spot where the Rebels enter the stadium — was already packed with people. The crowd’s reaction to Kiffin’s face on the screen was loud and hostile.
Signs behind the set made sport of Kiffin’s recent injury-report drama. One sign read, “This sign was listed as ‘doubtful,’” a reference to Kiffin’s Wednesday-night act of gamesmanship. He had listed LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt as “doubtful” on Wednesday night before taking his name off the injury report by Friday night.
Social Media Video Shows Kiffin’s Own Heckling Plan
Later in the week, social media video emerged showing Kiffin inviting LSU fraternities and sororities to come to the school’s football facility so they could be subjected to ridicule directed at the Tigers. The point of the move was to let them get a feel for what they would encounter when the game took place on Saturday.
“We just try to do everything to simulate the game, simulate the day,” Kiffin said when asked about it during his morning TV appearance as boos and chants laced with vulgarities emanated from the crowd in The Grove. “There’s going to be a lot of emotion all through the stadium obviously that you’re feeling there right now.”
Kiffin was not sitting back during the taunting; he was getting his players ready for it.
Kiffin’s History With Rival Crowds
Throughout his coaching career, Kiffin has served as a lightning rod for rival fans. At Tennessee, where he returned to a previous coaching stop when Ole Miss played there in 2021, play was stopped for roughly 20 minutes during the final minutes of a close game. Volunteers fans, angered over a fourth-down spot of the ball, threw objects onto the field. Kiffin said he was struck by golf balls and liquor bottles.
The history behind it explains why the security measures in Oxford are so large.
Mississippi’s Largest Law Enforcement Deployment
Officials in Mississippi said a huge police presence would be on hand for the game, with hundreds of officers and troopers assigned to duty in town.
Officials with law enforcement said they were putting together the largest law enforcement presence ever for a college football game in Oxford. The town’s permanent population stands at roughly 26,000, and authorities anticipated some 100,000 people would arrive — many of them lacking tickets for the stadium’s 64,000 seats.
Security Operation Details From Tindell
Earlier this week, Sean Tindell, the commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, said between 65 and 70 troopers and officers from the highway patrol and commercial transportation enforcement division would be heading to Oxford for “maintain a highly visible and proactive presence through the conclusion of the weekend.”. A helicopter and a mobile command center will join the effort, coordinating surveillance at the scene. The purpose is not to respond to any specific threat, but to take a proactive approach.
Louisiana State Police were sending 15 officers to work with Mississippi law enforcement, Tindell said, to help ensure safe and efficient transportation and operations for LSU’s traveling party.
“Our priority is making sure everyone can enjoy the game and surrounding events safely,” Tindell said. “This enhanced presence is about being prepared, staying proactive and working together.”
Ole Miss Coach Golding Calls For Restraint
The head coach of Ole Miss, Pete Golding, joined the voices of his team’s supporters in asking for calm.
“About Oxford, the first thing you talk about is the people there. Let’s not lose that over a game, over a person or anything else like that,” Golding said this week at his regular news conference. “There’s nothing wrong with being competitive, being in the moment, being really loud and being an unbelievable fan. At the end of the day, don’t lose what we’ve created.”
As the afternoon continues, Golding’s observation bears repeating: it should never be the game that causes people to stumble.
The Setting For All Of It
Saturday’s game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, broadcast on ABC13. The taunting started in The Grove, home to a large screen and a boisterous crowd, and it will probably carry on all afternoon there.
Security Measures And What They Cover
| Role | Number | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi troopers and officers | 65–70 | From highway patrol and commercial transportation enforcement division |
| Louisiana State Police officers | 15 | Working with Mississippi law enforcement |
| Helicopter | 1 | Part of the mobile command center operation |
| Mobile command center | 1 | Coordinating surveillance of the scene |
Later this week, a video emerged showing Kiffin bringing LSU fraternities and sororities into the school’s football facility so they could jeer at the Tigers. He did it to ready his players for the trouble ahead.
Chants and signs make up the spectacle on display. Law enforcement’s presence serves as a fixture in the scene. The real draw, the purpose for gathering, is the match itself.
See the video the story is built around at ABC13 Houston.
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