Oxford police are bringing in extra help for Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss, with the department set to get reinforcements from Mobile and New Orleans before Saturday’s showdown between No. 8 Ole Miss and No. 7 LSU, according to Front Office Sports.
The added support will include mounted patrols, giving officers on horseback a better view over crowds and more control in a setting that figures to draw plenty of attention. The outside departments regularly swap resources for major events, but the need here underscores just how charged this one has become at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Kiffin is back in Oxford for the first time since leaving Ole Miss after six seasons to take the LSU job late last season. He walked away from the Rebels before their College Football Playoff run, passing on a chance to chase a national championship in order to start over in Baton Rouge. Ole Miss, under promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding, finished the run to the national semifinals before losing to Miami.
The split has not exactly cooled with time. Kiffin spent the offseason taking shots at Ole Miss, including a remark that Oxford’s history of race relations played a role in his exit. With that baggage hanging over the weekend, security has become a major focus as he heads back to The Grove.
"There's nothing wrong with being competitive and being in the moment," Golding said at his press conference. "But at the end of the day, don't lose what we've created for so long, which is a really good, unique place with really, really good people that's really hard to play."
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also said state officials have been in contact to make sure LSU is covered on the trip.
Kiffin is not making the return alone, either. Four players transferred from Ole Miss to LSU with him, and the program also tried to bring in two others who had moved on to the NFL, Zxavian Harris and Dae'Quan Wright, though the SEC ultimately forced those attempts to be withdrawn despite an eligibility ruling.
"I know that we've been talking with Mississippi and making sure that we have adequate security for the team and coach," Landry told ESPN. "But I'm hoping that we can go there and play in complete Southern hospitality and have a great, great game."
The game itself carries major weight beyond the emotions surrounding Kiffin’s homecoming. LSU opened the season by rolling past Clemson 51-10, a result that pushed the Tigers ahead of Ole Miss in the AP top 10. With both teams eyeing the College Football Playoff and a shot at the national championship, Saturday’s meeting has the feel of a game with real postseason consequences.
Kiffin, for his part, said he told his players not to get caught up in the noise.
"I told the players today, 'Man, you don't have anything to worry about as far as, like, attention on you all week and everything. There's going to be so much attention, hatred, everything on me. You just get to go play,'" Kiffin said.
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LSU Fans Are Facing A Brutal Price To See This Ole Miss Showdown
The buzz around Saturdays LSU trip to Oxford has already spilled well beyond the field, and the price of admission makes that clear. With two top-10 teams meeting at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and ESPNs College GameDay in town, the market for Ole Miss showdown has been pushed into another tier, with the cheapest available seats on SeatGeek sitting around $467 with fees.
For LSU fans, the sting only gets worse from there, since secondary-market listings show a median ticket price of $862. Add in Lane Kiffins return to Ole Miss as LSUs head coach and it is easy to see why this one has the feel of a marquee event, even before a snap is taken at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. [Read more 🡒]
Sam Leavitt Just Became LSUs Biggest Concern At Ole Miss
Rece Davis has already put a spotlight on LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt ahead of the Tigers trip to Ole Miss, and the concern is less about raw talent than whether he can keep the offense on schedule. The ESPN College GameDay host questioned Leavitts ability to avoid mistakes and operate cleanly as a passer, pointing back to the kind of turnover issues that can quickly change a game.
For Ole Miss, that makes the quarterback matchup one of the central story lines to watch. If Leavitt presses or gives the Rebels extra chances, it could tilt the game in a hurry, which is exactly why his decision-making is drawing so much attention before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Fans Can't Ignore What Overshadowed This 2-0 Start
Ole Miss rolled to a 41-9 win over Charlotte and stretched its home winning streak to 13 straight, with Trinidad Chambliss, Deuce Knight and Kewan Lacy helping drive a performance that left the Rebels sitting at 2-0. Pete Golding had plenty to like about how his team handled business on the field, especially with the offense and defense both setting the tone in a routine-looking victory.
Still, the scene around the stadium carried a jarring distraction before kickoff, when a physical altercation broke out between two Ole Miss fans at a pregame tailgate and campus police had to step in. It was the kind of episode that cut against the celebratory feel of an early-season home game, and it ensured the afternoon would be remembered for more than just the final score. [Read more 🡒]