Players on Both Sides Downplay Kiffin's Oxford Return — SkimNews
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- Kewan Lacy said he has no relationship with Kiffin and won't speak with former Ole Miss coaches or teammates who followed Kiffin to LSU until after the season, telling reporters he wants to stay focused on the game plan
- Pete Golding, the defensive coordinator tapped to replace Kiffin, led Ole Miss to a pair of CFP wins and nearly a third in the Fiesta Bowl national semifinal against Miami
- Eight assistant coaches, four support staff members, and four players followed Kiffin to LSU, including two defensive starters—end Princewell Umanmielen and linebacker T.J. Dottery—who have been key contributors to LSU's 2-0 start
- LSU's Whit Weeks said Dottery and Umanmielen are 'locked in' and haven't mentioned returning to Oxford, while Umanmielen himself downplayed the trip: 'there's excitement seeing those guys. But it's another week.'
- Deuce Alexander said he is not surprised by LSU's offensive success, noting 'I can see the same plays' with tweaks—evidence the Ole Miss roster knows Kiffin's scheme intimately
- The matchup between No. 8 Ole Miss and No. 7 LSU is the SEC opener for both teams and carries potential weight in both the conference standings and College Football Playoff rankings
Why it matters: The game is the SEC opener for two top-10 teams and could directly shape College Football Playoff positioning—the same playoff Ole Miss reached for the first time under Kiffin last season. A road win for Kiffin's rebuilt LSU program would validate his poaching of 16 Ole Miss staffers and players; a win for Golding's Rebels would confirm the program didn't skip a beat when its architect left a week before last year's CFP bid.
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