Copyright Jackson Clarion-Ledger
OXFORD — Ever since Lane Kiffin called out Ole Miss football fans for a lackluster showing in an uninspiring home win against Washington State on Oct. 11, other fanbases have expressed an interest in hiring Kiffin. Some at LSU want him to lead the Tigers in 2026 after coach Brian Kelly was fired. Others want him to coach at Florida after Billy Napier was fired. Despite his best efforts, the often-online Kiffin can't be completely insulated from pitches from other schools with bigger stadiums. Ole Miss fans finally got a chance to reply on Nov. 1, in a home game against South Carolina. The response caught Kiffin's eye. Ole Miss beat South Carolina 30-14. It was the first home night game for the Rebels (8-1, 5-1) since Aug. 30. A sellout crowd of 67,491 was on hand, many well before the game kicked off at 6 p.m. It was what Kiffin had been asking for. "It starts in warmups with the other team," Kiffin said. "I thought when we came back out it was really intense. It was loaded, so great to see. I think teams feed off of that, especially defensively." The defense was exceptional, sacking South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers six times and intercepting him twice. The crowd's impact showed on a play with 3:39 remaining in the third quarter. A decibel meter graphic on the video screen climbed up to 109 before a play when the Gamecocks (3-6, 1-6) faced a third-and-8 in Ole Miss territory. Sellers flushed right and threw incomplete, setting up a punt when the Rebels led 20-14. "I feel like (fans) did a good job today," edge defender Suntarine Perkins said. "Really thank them so much for coming out. It just means a lot to us, coming out and being loud. Especially giving the (South Carolina) offense a hard time." What Lane Kiffin said about Ole Miss football fans Kiffin said having a great crowd is a component of fielding an elite team. The scene in Oxford will probably make it into athletic director Keith Carter's pitch when attempting to extend Kiffin and spurn advances from other colleges. "I thought (the crowd) was great," Kiffin said. "The challenge kind of is, we have all these things you have to have if you are going to have an elite team, an elite environment. You've got to get there early." The game was the day after Halloween, so some fans wearing costumes trickled into the stadium. One fan with a notable resemblance to actor Will Ferrell was in the student section dressed as Ferrell's character from the movie "Elf." Sing-along songs to Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" were belted out by a crowd that, for the most part, stayed the entire game. When the Rebels sealed the game, Kiffin ignored a possible flag and launched a football into the student section where Ole Miss women's basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has been cheering in the front. "I like our students, man," Kiffin said. "They come, they have great energy ... I just really like that relationship that we have with our players and our students and how they show up." The Rebels have two more home games Nov. 8 vs The Citadel and Nov. 15 vs Florida before closing the regular season at Mississippi State on Black Friday.
