Abby Miller didn’t just catch a huge Ole Miss moment last Saturday. She caught the image that turned Jaylon Braxton’s interception into the defining snapshot of Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford.
The Rebels’ 32-24 win over LSU came down to Braxton picking off Sam Leavitt’s two-point conversion try, a play that would have forced overtime. In the chaos that followed, Braxton pointed toward Kiffin on the LSU sideline, and Miller, a 20-year-old Ole Miss junior and sports photography intern in the athletics department, was there to freeze it.
Miller, who also ran track and cross country, said she got into photography in high school. Before her junior year, she applied for a media running camp, which led to opportunities at Montgomery Bell Academy.
By senior year, she was shooting most major sports on campus. When she started the process of applying to Ole Miss, she reached out to former athletics department photography head Josh McCoy.
She has worked as an intern for Ole Miss since the winter of 2025.
“I cold emailed him [McCoy] and I was like, 'Hey, I really want to work for Ole Miss when I get here. I really want to take photos. I would love to meet with you when I'm here on my tour.'"
On game day, Miller said she left her apartment at 12:30 to arrive between 1:30 and 1:45. From there, she shot in The Grove, then moved to warmups from above on the side facing the student section before heading down to the field for the national anthem and the tunnel runout.
Oxford was packed long before kickoff. Miller described The Grove as “just insane,” with heat, crowds and barely any room to move. It took her 10 to 15 minutes to get through the Walk of Champions because of everything happening around her.
She also said the weekend had its share of tension, but not only that.
“There was a lot of kindness going on too. From Ole Miss people, even from some LSU fans.
Giving me water, giving me ice to put down my back with the heat. But there was definitely a lot of tension, especially in the stadium.”
When the decisive play unfolded, Miller was positioned at the top of the student section.
“I saw it coming when I saw [Sam] Leavitt throw the ball, and the way it went, I was at the very top of the student section, which is pretty big. It was crazy, it was rowdy, but that was my assignment from my boss.”
What she didn’t realize in the moment was just how big the shot would become.
“The funny part is, with the photo I actually got that went viral, I didn't even realize that I took it until the next day, because I didn't even realize that moment quite literally happened, because I was so focused on getting them celebrating. I didn't even realize the whole picture that was going on.”
She said she snapped a photo on her phone and texted her boss: “No way!”
Miller said the lesson she’s taken from shooting at Ole Miss is simple: stay ready.
“I've learned at Ole Miss is be prepared for anything at any time. When you're taking sports photos, you can't just kind of half do it.
Like you have to be fully locked [in] when you're taking it. You need to be able to predict almost what is going to happen.
Like what play is coming? What might they do?
I mean, I think that's one reason I've had success is that I really understand football and the sport itself.”
“It’s just a lot of understanding the athletes and how they work that goes into it. And also just being at the right place at the right time.
That's a lot of the magic as well. A lot of it is just luck that you're in a certain position and you're able to get that.”
The reaction to the photo has reached well beyond Ole Miss.
“Not just Ole Miss fans, but I've seen Georgia fans, I've seen LSU fans, I've seen people from England and Ireland who have just commented saying how much they love this photo and how great it is.”
For Miller, that response is the point.
“Just the fact that I'm able to use my platform and that I was able to capture a photo that everyone has loved so much is genuinely why I take photos. I started taking photos because I love that I'm able to capture these moments for these people that they can remember and look back on and that [it] just means something to them. That's why I love photography, especially sports photography.”
Her advice to younger photographers is straightforward.
“Work hard, ask for constructive constructive criticism and be willing to take it. There are photographers who are young who can get really caught up in all of it.
The best thing you can do is be humble and ask for feedback. Because if you don't ask for that and ask for constructive criticism, you're never going to get better.”
As for where she wants to shoot next, Miller has one place in mind: “I would love to go to Eugene, Oregon, and take photos at Hayward Field.”
In Other News...
LSU Fans Have A New Reason To Be Furious About Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin left Oxford with more than a loss on his hands, and his postgame complaint gave the weekends rivalry another layer of heat. The LSU coach accused Ole Miss of crossing a line by playing music through the snap during their meeting, saying the sound kept going even as the center had his hand on the ball. Under SEC rules, music is supposed to stop before the snap, making the issue bigger than a typical road-game gripe.
For Ole Miss, the victory kept an undefeated season intact and preserved the kind of home-field edge that can rattle an opponent. For LSU, it added frustration to a first loss that already carried enough sting on the field. Whether the league takes a closer look at the complaint is now part of the backdrop, and for a rivalry that rarely needs extra fuel, this one arrived at exactly the right time. [Read more 🡒]
Vernell Brown III Is Driving A Florida Shift Fans Can Feel
Vernell Brown III has become one of the clearest signs that Floridas offseason under new strength coach Rusty Whitt is taking hold. The Gators wide receiver handled Whitts demanding Gauntlet conditioning test without a loss, and the work has carried over into a stronger start on the field, where Brown has scored four times early in the season.
Browns rise has also made him more than just a productive receiver. Coaches and Brown have pointed to his work ethic and leadership as part of a broader shift in the room, the kind of daily buy-in that can change a teams tone long before the biggest games arrive. For Florida, that kind of internal momentum is starting to feel just as important as anything happening on Saturdays. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Faces An Early Test It Hasnt Solved Yet
Ole Miss heads into its matchup with Florida carrying a perfect record, but the first real stress test of the season arrives with plenty of questions still hanging around the Rebels. Jaxson Dart has given the offense a clear centerpiece, and the schedule now asks Ole Miss to prove it can keep that momentum going against another 3-0 team with the kind of speed and physicality that can expose weaknesses quickly.
The biggest concern remains on the ground, where Ole Miss has not yet settled the run defense well enough to feel comfortable against Floridas Jadan Baugh. Kewan Lacys shoulder injury only adds to the uncertainty, and the Rebels will also have a little extra familiarity in the matchup with defensive players Michai Boireau and Sharif Denson, both former Florida players, expected to factor in. It is the kind of early-season game that can reveal a lot, even if it does not answer everything at once. [Read more 🡒]