No. 7 LSU’s trip to Oxford on Saturday came with plenty of heat before the first snap was ever played.
The Tigers were set to meet No. 8 Ole Miss in the earliest matchup ever between the two schools, and the game had already taken on extra bite because of Lane Kiffin’s departure from Oxford last November.
Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU just days before the Rebels were due to enter the College Football Playoff, and that move still hasn’t been forgiven by fans in Oxford. Saturday was his first return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium since then, and the buildup around his visit had been intense for days. LSU also drew scrutiny earlier in the week over a confusing quarterback injury designation, with fans openly wondering whether Kiffin was working the betting lines tied to Sam Leavitt’s status.
All of that made the atmosphere around his return even more charged, and one photo that started circulating hours before kickoff only added to the frenzy. An account posted an image of Kiffin stepping off a private jet with models ahead of the game, captioned, “Lane Kiffin hitting the field straight from the Mile High Club 💯.” The image raced around social media almost immediately among fans who had been tracking every detail of his trip back to Oxford.
The catch, of course, was that the photo wasn’t real.
Even so, the fake image drew plenty of reactions. “Don’t hate the playa, hate the game,” one fan joked.
“What’s he got? A newspaper?
What is this, 1985?” another user asked.
“Actual f***ing legend,” a third fan added.
Kiffin’s arrival had already been a major story by then. He was booed during a remote College GameDay appearance in Oxford earlier Saturday, and reports also surfaced suggesting his daughter had launched a new clothing brand timed to the buildup around the game.
The matchup itself matched the noise around it. Both LSU and Ole Miss entered Saturday undefeated at 2-0, turning the game into a top-10 showdown with real playoff implications. With that much attention on Kiffin’s return, even a fake airport photo was always going to get plenty of traction.
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LSUs Quarterback Situation Just Got Dragged Into A New Controversy
LSUs quarterback room was already under a fresh spotlight after Sam Leavitts transfer from Arizona State, and the attention only intensified after the loss to Ole Miss. The game itself was enough to put the Tigers back under the microscope, but the conversation quickly shifted online when an account believed to be linked to Leavitts father, Jared Leavitt, drew notice for controversial comments about Muslims.
Jared Leavitt, a former BYU linebacker, has become part of an unwanted side story around his sons move to Baton Rouge, even though LSU has not said anything publicly about the posts. There has also been no apology from the account, leaving the situation hanging over a program that would much rather keep the focus on the field and on settling in after a high-profile quarterback change. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Drew The Wrong Kind Of Attention In Oxford
Saturdays LSU trip to Oxford ended up drawing attention for more than the scoreboard, with multiple security incidents unfolding during the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. One LSU fan was injured in a physical altercation with security and law enforcement, and video from the scene showed officers using force to restrain him as the situation escalated in the stands.
Elsewhere during the day, a security guard was assaulted in a separate confrontation, and an 18-year-old was arrested on charges including aggravated assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. For a rivalry game already carrying plenty of edge, the off-field disruptions became a bigger part of the conversation than anyone in purple and gold would have wanted. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Are Debating What Really Happened In That Viral Stadium Fight
The weekend trip to Oxford left LSU fans talking about far more than what happened on the field. During the Ole Miss-LSU game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, multiple security incidents unfolded, and one physical struggle between an LSU fan and law enforcement produced visible injuries as video of the scene spread quickly online. Another altercation in the concourse added to the chaos, with a security guard struck amid the commotion.
What has kept the discussion going is the lack of clarity around how the episodes fit together. An 18-year-old was arrested on charges including aggravated assault and resisting arrest, but it is not clear which specific incident that arrest is tied to, leaving fans sorting through viral clips and secondhand accounts trying to piece together what actually happened. [Read more 🡒]