OXFORD, Mississippi - The scene in the Grove on Saturday afternoon felt less like a normal college football tailgate and more like a packed festival with the temperature turned way too high.
The famous 10-acre stretch outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium was jammed with tents, tree shade and shoulder-to-shoulder traffic as temperatures climbed to 98 degrees, with the heat index in the 100s. LSU fans trying to work their way through the crowd were badly outnumbered for much of the afternoon before No.
7 LSU (2-0) and No. 8 Ole Miss (2-0) were set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
The crush of people brought one LSU fan to a halt as he eyed a turn into a sea of red and navy blue.
“Should I go down there?” an LSU fan wearing purple and gold overalls asked as he considered a right turn toward a sea of red and navy blue.
Someone said no.
“I think you’re right,” he said.
The tension showed up everywhere. As a cluster of LSU fans moved along a barricaded path, Ole Miss fans shouted back, and the insults flew in both directions.
Even some of the well-dressed Ole Miss coeds joined in, cursing at LSU fans as the visitors tried to make their way through the crowd. A few LSU fans gave up and headed for the Port-O-Lets.
One LSU fan, taking in the layout, offered a quick comparison.
“I never understood why they confine themselves to such a small tailgating area,” one LSU fan said in passing. “At LSU, we stretch out across the whole campus - not just one little spot.”
The crowd only reinforced the point. When 300,000 visitors pour into a town of 26,773 for a game in a 64,038-seat stadium, even a sprawling tailgate zone can feel cramped.
“Nobody gets out of here alive,” an Ole Miss fan yelled as three LSU fans walked by.
The afternoon also carried a clear target: LSU coach Lane Kiffin, who left Ole Miss after guiding the Rebels to an 11-1 (7-1 SEC) season and their first College Football Playoff appearance. Ole Miss fans made sure he heard about it, with Kiffin called a “Heaux” on posters and buttons and hit with plenty of other words that won’t make print.
Still, LSU arrived with key personnel expected to be available. Starting quarterback Sam Leavitt was expected to play after a strange week on the Southeastern Conference availability reports.
Kiffin listed him as “doubtful” with the SEC office on Wednesday night, then “questionable” on Thursday night. By Friday night and again at 5 p.m.
Saturday, Leavitt was off the report entirely, which meant he was available.
“Sam’s doing great,” Kiffin said on ESPN’s GameDay Saturday morning. “Early in the week, he had a scare in practice. But he’s had a great recovery.”
Kiffin added: “He’s worked really hard,” Kiffin said. “And he’s ready to go.”
LSU linebacker TJ Dottery, who transferred to the Tigers from Ole Miss after last season, was listed as a “game time decision” in the 5 p.m. availability report. Earlier in the week, he had been listed as questionable.
The rest of LSU’s injury report was light, with three backups listed out: wide receiver Phillip Wright III, linebacker Jaiden Braker and running back Raycine Guillory.
Ole Miss had three players listed out as well: cornerbacks Cedrick Beavers and Victor Lincoln Jr. and offensive lineman Emanuel Faulkner. All other Rebels were expected to be available.
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