“It’s not about me,” Lane Kiffin said Saturday afternoon on ESPN’s College GameDay during a virtual interview hours before LSU’s SEC showdown against Ole Miss.
That line may have been aimed at calming the temperature around his return, but Ole Miss isn’t planning to spend much energy on its former coach anyway. For the Rebels, the focus has shifted hard toward what Pete Golding has been preaching in Oxford: keep the noise out, keep the attention in-house, and let the details decide the rest.
Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy made that clear when he spoke to ESPN’s Marty Smith. Golding’s message to the team, Lacy said, has been blunt and simple: “We don’t need to block it out,” Lacy said.
“Since PG became our head coach he’s preached, ‘It’s all about us.’ We have the talent to achieve everything we want to achieve.
We have the right mindset to focus on us, and on the fine details. The details are what’s going to lead us to victory, not any exterior noise.”
Lacy also had plenty to say about quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who helped guide Ole Miss to a 13-2 record and a national semifinal berth last season. His assessment didn’t leave much room for debate.
“He’s come out of his shell since last year. He’s more vocal on and off the field.
He’s the best quarterback in the country-yessir, you know it’s true. He’s a gamer.
Whatever the situation is, he’s gonna know exactly what to do, and always make a play. If the game is on the line, No. 6 is always the best option,” said Lacy.
That kind of confidence matters because the backdrop here is impossible to ignore. Kiffin’s exit from Oxford last year still hangs over this matchup, and his move to LSU in November 2025 only widened the spotlight around Saturday’s SEC opener.
Since then, he has drawn even more attention with his controversial effort to add former NFL players to the Tigers’ roster. When he appeared on College GameDay, the reaction from the Ole Miss crowd was immediate and vicious, with boos and profane chants drowning out the interview.
The Rebels, though, have already shown they can move forward. Golding’s team earned praise for how it handled the drama surrounding Kiffin while putting together an impressive CFP run that ended with a loss to Miami in the national semifinals. In Golding’s first full season at the helm, Ole Miss kept Lacy and Chambliss, with Chambliss also receiving a state court injunction for another year of eligibility.
Saturday brings the next test, and it is a big one: No. 8 Ole Miss against No.
7 LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Security has been tightened for the game, and both starting quarterbacks are healthy.
Lacy will line up against some former teammates now wearing LSU colors - TJ Dottery, Devin Harper, Princewill Umanmielen and Winston Watkins - but he said earlier this week that he never had the urge to follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
“They have something, you know, the transfer portal. But I didn’t enter the transfer portal. I stayed at Ole Miss,” Lacy said.
He made it plain that there is no lingering connection driving this one either. “Really don’t have a relationship with him,” Lacy added. “Just focused on the season.”
That focus has shown up on the field. After rushing for a career-high 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns last year, Lacy has opened 2026 with 30 carries for 148 yards and three touchdowns in Ole Miss’ two wins. The Rebels have scored 41 points in both games, and Chambliss now faces what could be his toughest challenge yet against a rebuilt LSU defensive front.
When Ole Miss takes the field, the noise will be everywhere. The cameras may chase Kiffin, but the Rebels are trying to keep the night centered on themselves. As Golding has drilled into them, the message is the same one Lacy repeated: “It’s all about us.”
In Other News...
LSU Fans Have One More Reason To Hate This Ole Miss Loss
Ole Miss 32-24 win over LSU was already frustrating enough for Tigers fans, with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss putting together a big day through the air and on the ground in a game that helped the Rebels leave with a rivalry win. He threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns, added another score rushing and had just one interception, giving Ole Miss plenty to celebrate after the final whistle.
For LSU fans, though, the irritation did not end with the scoreboard. Chambliss postgame interview with ESPNs Holly Rowe added one more layer to the loss when he let an expletive slip while delivering the Ole Miss cheer Hotty Toddy, a moment that will only sharpen how this result is remembered in Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffins Family Is Forcing Ole Miss Fans To Confront Something Ugly
As LSU and Ole Miss prepare for a high-profile matchup Saturday night, the attention around Lane Kiffin has spilled far beyond the sideline. His family, including daughter Landry, has been hit with inappropriate jokes on social media, a reminder of how quickly rivalry week can turn ugly when football noise bleeds into personal attacks.
Layla Kiffin, Lanes ex-wife, posted a message calling for kindness, and Landry publicly addressed the offensive comments as well. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and will air on ABC, but the lead-up has already shown how much harder it can be for families attached to a marquee SEC game to stay out of the crossfire. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Trey'Dez Green Concern It Can't Ignore
TreyDez Green gave LSU a lift against Ole Miss before the fourth quarter turned troubling, and the Tigers immediately had to adjust to life without their tight end. Green hauled in a 19-yard reception before suffering an apparent right leg injury, then was evaluated on the field by medical staff as the LSU sideline watched a key pass-catching option go down.
By the time he was carted to the locker room, the LSU Football Radio Broadcast had ruled him doubtful to return, leaving the Tigers with a real concern in the passing game. Green had been LSUs leading receiver at the time of his exit with four catches for 60 yards, a reminder of how much the offense had already leaned on him before the injury interrupted the night. [Read more 🡒]