Lane Kiffin doesn’t sound bothered by LSU’s uneven stretch - if anything, he thinks the timing may help his team sharpen up before a major road test.
After No. 8 LSU beat Louisiana Tech 45-14 on Sept. 12, the Tigers still had a sluggish first half, holding only a 10-7 lead at the break. That came a week after LSU’s 51-10 win over Clemson, and quarterback Sam Leavitt threw three interceptions against Louisiana Tech.
With No. 11 Ole Miss up next on Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. on ABC, Kiffin said the Tigers’ stumble may have landed at the right moment.
"It was good because of that," Kiffin said of facing Ole Miss next. "We're getting ready to go on the road in the SEC vs a really good team that has played really well for years at that place.
"It was good because it's hard to get their (LSU's) attention after last week ... I'm glad it happened."
The matchup also brings Kiffin back to Ole Miss less than a year after he left for LSU. Kiffin departed on Nov. 30, taking the LSU job before the Rebels made their first College Football Playoff appearance.
Kiffin wanted to stay on to coach Ole Miss in the CFP, but Rebels athletic director Keith Carter said that wasn’t possible once Kiffin had left.
Ole Miss elevated Pete Golding from defensive coordinator to head coach the same day Kiffin headed to LSU. Golding then guided the Rebels to CFP wins over Tulane and Georgia before their season ended in the semifinals with a loss to Miami.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin's Oxford Return Is Turning LSU's Trip Into A Frenzy
Lane Kiffins first trip back to Oxford as LSUs coach has already turned a late-September matchup into one of the hottest tickets on the Ole Miss calendar. The Sept. 19 game is driving up prices across town, with short-term rentals in Oxford climbing above $4,000 for just two nights and hotel rooms in the city and nearby areas getting scarce fast.
The frenzy is not limited to the stadium side of things, either. As ticket demand surges around Kiffins return, the spillover has pushed fans into surrounding towns in search of a place to stay, and even those options are being priced at a premium. For Ole Miss fans, it is the kind of weekend that has become as much about navigating the market as securing a seat. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Faces A Kewan Lacy Decision Fans Will Be Watching
Kewan Lacys status has been one of the bigger early-week concerns for Ole Miss, but Pete Golding offered some relief by saying the running back is expected to be available for the upcoming game against Charlotte. Lacy has been dealing with a thigh bruise, and the Rebels also expect linebacker Keaton Thomas back after an ankle injury, giving the defense a potential boost as well.
Lacys return still comes with a caveat, though, because the staff plans to manage his workload and he could be held to limited snaps. For Ole Miss, the question now is less about whether Lacy can suit up and more about how much the Rebels need to lean on him, especially with a game in which they can afford to be cautious but still want to keep their offensive rhythm intact. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has Bigger Concerns Than Charlotte Heading Into This Week
Ole Miss comes home this week for its first game in Oxford in the 2026 season, and the Charlotte matchup would normally look like a comfortable reset after a tense road win over Louisville. But the bigger story for the Rebels is not the 49ers on the schedule so much as what followed them back from that trip. The Louisville game exposed some defensive issues and left the roster dealing with injuries that touched both sides of the ball.
With LSU still looming on the horizon, this feels like the kind of week Ole Miss can use to catch its breath and sort through its depth. The staff should have a chance to ease up on some veterans and get younger players real snaps, which makes the game especially important for one newcomer in particular. For a team with bigger goals than simply getting past Charlotte, the next step may be less about the score and more about who is ready to help when the schedule tightens again. [Read more 🡒]