Lane Kiffin couldn’t resist taking a shot at Ole Miss when the topic shifted to Austin Simmons.
With LSU preparing for Week 7 and a home date against No. 16 Mississippi State after last week’s loss at Kentucky, Kiffin was also fielding questions about another familiar SEC storyline: his former quarterback in Oxford.
That’s Simmons, who played at Ole Miss from 2023-25 before moving on to Mizzou. Now the 13th-ranked Tigers are headed to Oxford to face No.
9 Ole Miss on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network, giving Simmons a return trip to the place where he spent three seasons and Kiffin a chance to watch one of his former players meet his old school again.
Kiffin, of course, knows the feeling. He made his own return to Oxford earlier this season when LSU played-and lost-to the Rebels there.
So when reporters asked him Monday about Simmons, Kiffin answered in classic Kiffin fashion, mixing the jab with the praise.
“Is that tampering if I talk about another player in college? I don’t know anymore,” said Lane Kiffin, in a little, not-so-playful nudge toward Ole Miss.
“Is there really tampering anyway? Speaking of one of those two schools.
… Does it matter if you tamper? Is there actually a penalty?
So, I guess I’ll comment on it. I love Austin.
I think Austin’s a first-round draft pick. I’ve said that the whole time through.”
Now Simmons gets his turn in Oxford, with Mizzou trying to pull off the road upset against the Rebels in a ranked SEC matchup.
In Other News...
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Dylan Stewarts return to the South Carolina football team came with more weight than a normal reinstatement. After an indefinite suspension from Shane Beamer for prior on-field conduct, Stewart had to work his way back by apologizing, cleaning up his behavior and showing growth away from the field as well, including strong work in the classroom. For a program that has leaned on Beamers emphasis on accountability, the process mattered almost as much as the result.
Stewarts response in the game against Florida gave the comeback immediate substance. He was active throughout the contest, finishing with five tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles, the kind of impact that reminds everyone why his return mattered to the Gamecocks in the first place. The bigger story now is whether this becomes more than a one-game redemption and a sign of steady progress from a player South Carolina still clearly needs. [Read more 🡒]
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South Carolina Suddenly Has A Cornerback Decision Before Tennessee
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Shane Beamer came away praising Leachs performance and pointed to the need for a third cornerback to step into a bigger role, especially with Tennessee next on the schedule. Clayton White responded by adjusting coverage to give the corners more help, and that kind of mid-game flexibility could matter again if South Carolina is going to get through the next stretch without further trouble on the back end. [Read more 🡒]