Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford already had the kind of edge you’d expect, and LSU assistant Kevin Smith made sure the pregame temperature climbed even higher.
Smith, LSU’s running backs coach and a former Ole Miss assistant, got into it with Rebels fans before kickoff and fired off a line that instantly lit the fuse.
“The best running backs to ever come through here is because of me,” Smith told the Rebels faithful.
Ole Miss fans didn’t let that one slide. They booed Smith all the way back to the field during pregame warmups, turning a tense moment into an early flashpoint before No.
7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss even snapped the ball.
Smith was one of the few coaches who followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge, and his history in Oxford added another layer to the scene. During his time at Ole Miss, he coached several productive backs, including Kewan Lacy, who stayed with the Rebels. Smith also worked with Quinshon Judkins, who piled up 1,567 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
If LSU hoped to carry that pregame edge onto the field, Ole Miss had other plans.
The Rebels’ crowd was loud from the start, and the team backed it up with a 24-7 halftime lead. Trinidad Chambliss was sharp in the opening half, going 21-of-27 for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Lacy added a rushing score as Ole Miss kept stacking plays and points.
LSU, meanwhile, managed just 114 yards of total offense in what stood as its worst half of the season. The Tigers were set to receive the second-half kickoff, but by then the night had already swung hard in Ole Miss’ favor. For now, the Rebels were doing the talking on the scoreboard.
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LSU Fans Were Shaken By A Frightening Scene Above Saturday's Game
Saturdays Ole Miss-LSU game had enough drama on the field, but one of the most talked-about moments came high above the stadium. An ESPN camera drone capturing aerial shots for the broadcast had a close call when a helicopter flew very near it, and the footage quickly spread across social media as fans tried to make sense of what they had just seen.
The scene understandably rattled viewers, including a helicopter pilot who weighed in after watching the clip. No collision occurred, and the game carried on without further incident, but the moment served as a reminder of just how much is moving around a big-time college football broadcast long before anyone starts talking about the final score. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Will Have Plenty To Say About This ESPN Sideline Moment
Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge were both on the sideline for ESPN during the LSU-Ole Miss matchup, with Rowe handling injury updates and Rutledge delivering live field reports as the broadcast kept moving through a high-profile SEC night. A short clip of the handoff between the two reporters quickly made the rounds on social media, giving fans another off-field moment to dissect from a game that already had plenty of attention on it.
Rowe also ended the night on a more familiar note, conducting a postgame interview after Ole Miss beat LSU. The moment came with added context because Rowe has already been part of one of the more unusual sideline storylines of the season, when a false AI-generated video involving Texas coach Steve Sarkisian triggered public apologies from Arch Manning and Sarkisian. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Suddenly Has A Kewan Lacy Problem Again
Kewan Lacys season has become defined as much by what he cannot finish as by what he can give Ole Miss when he is on the field. The running back has already had to leave games against Louisville and LSU because of health concerns, and his latest exit came after he landed hard on his right shoulder against the Tigers and needed to be evaluated for a possible AC joint injury, stinger or clavicle issue.
For a Rebels offense that has wanted Lacy in the mix, the bigger question now is how long that uncertainty lasts. Ole Miss has been forced to lean on other backs while waiting for clarity, and with Lacys availability still unsettled, the room suddenly looks a lot thinner than the Rebels probably expected at this point in the season. [Read more 🡒]