Lane Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss to LSU has turned Saturday’s matchup into one of the most talked-about games on the calendar, but the Rebels who spoke this week kept hammering the same point: their attention is on football, not the noise around it.
That noise only got louder Wednesday morning, when it was reported that two former Rebels now at LSU, Devin Harper and Princewill Umanmielen, were served court orders from Ole Miss. Add that to Kiffin’s departure at the end of the 2025 season, and the rivalry already had plenty of fuel before a snap is even taken.
Still, Ole Miss players who met with the media made it clear they are trying not to get pulled into the spectacle. Deuce Alexander, who has opened the year with two touchdowns and more than 100 yards in the first game against ranked Louisville, said the situation changes the backdrop but not the approach.
"Yea, most definitely just because of the circumstances, but we're not going to treat it any differently, just another game, another week to go 1-0." Alexander said when asked about the circumstances of the game for him.
Alexander also addressed the ties he still has with former teammates, making it clear there’s no personal animosity even with LSU now on the other sideline.
“The guys that left, there’s no bad blood with them,” Alexander said. “I still love them, still my guys.
But at the end of the day, they’re on the other side of the ball, so business has to get taken care of. And after, we can be friends.”
The game’s tension has spread beyond the teams, too. LSU governor Jeff Landry said he is ready to roll out precautions to keep safety the top priority, while also hoping for a welcoming atmosphere in Oxford.
"But I'm hoping that we can go there and play in complete Southern hospitality and have a great, great game." Landry said
Kewan Lacy and Will Echoles also spoke about the size of the game and their connections to Kiffin and former teammates. Lacy, who drew attention at SEC Media Days this season with short answers about his former coach, said the relationship is over and his focus is elsewhere.
“Really don’t have a relationship with him. Just focused on the season.” Lacy said
Even with all the extra storylines circling the matchup, the Ole Miss players who stepped to the podium kept coming back to the same message: Saturday is still about the game in front of them.
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LSU Ole Miss Rivalry Just Turned Personal For Lane Kiffin
With the Ole Miss-LSU matchup approaching, the buildup has already spilled far beyond the usual trash talk. Landry Kiffin, the daughter of LSU head coach Lane Kiffin and a student at Ole Miss, took to social media to address signs and comments directed at her that crossed a line, adding a deeply personal layer to a rivalry game that already carries plenty of heat.
She also pushed back forcefully against sexual allegations made about her involving an Ole Miss player, saying she has never met the player and criticizing fellow students for the way they handled the moment. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, but the attention around it now includes a reminder that rivalry weekend can turn ugly well before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
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Ole Miss is getting ready for one of the marquee dates on the home schedule, and the timing could not be less forgiving. With LSU coming to Oxford and a huge crowd expected to pour in, the weekend is shaping up to bring mid-to-upper 90s heat along with the usual traffic, tailgating and long hours outdoors that come with a big SEC game.
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LSU Fans Heading To Oxford Just Got A Rivalry Warning
Saturday nights matchup between Ole Miss and LSU already had the feel of a high-stakes SEC event, and now the Rebels are adding an extra layer of crowd control before kickoff. Ole Miss Athletics announced that anyone wearing LSU gear or colors will not be allowed in the student section, a move aimed at keeping that part of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium reserved and reducing the chance of trouble in a game that always carries a little more edge than most.
The warning comes after previous tensions between the schools spilled into conflict, including an arrest during a recent baseball series. With kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC, the focus in Oxford is supposed to be on the football, but the student section policy is a reminder that the rivalry can still create issues well before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]