By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
OXFORD, Mississippi – When former LSU coach Nick Saban coached against LSU for the first time in 2007 as Alabama’s coach, a wide receiver he recruited and signed – Early Doucet – caught the winning touchdown from a quarterback he recruited and signed – Matt Flynn – in a 41-34 win for LSU and new coach Les Miles over Saban’s Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
When former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin coached against Ole Miss for the first time Saturday night here, a quarterback he recruited – Trinidad Chambliss – destroyed his team with the help of a wide receiver he recruited and signed – Deuce Alexander – in a 32-24 Ole Miss win over his LSU team in Oxford.
And it happened in front of a fan base Kiffin energized through winning consistently at Ole Miss from 2021-25 like no coach before him with the Rebels since Johnny Vaught in the 1950s and ’60s. A fan base that broke the attendance record at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on this night with 70,033.
Saban, a mentor of Kiffin, did much the same thing at LSU from 2000-05. In the 2003 season, he won the program’s first national championship since 1958 before leaving to coach the Miami Dolphins – then returned to college football in 2007 at Alabama – LSU’s daddy. And that was LSU’s worst nightmare. At last, it found its Bear Bryant, and he ended up at Alabama to be the next Bear Bryant and continue Alabama’s domination of you.
“I think you walk into a storm,” Kiffin said of the tremendous atmosphere, noise and hate for him emanating from Vaught-Hemingway, where he coached Saturday for the first time since beating Florida last November on his way to an 11-1 (7-1 SEC) season. That put the Rebels in the College Football Playoff for the first time and within range of its first undisputed national title. But he left to coach Ole Miss’ daddy – LSU. And that was Ole Miss’ worst nightmare. At last, it found another Vaught, and he went to the hated border rival that has dominated you – historically, not recently.
“That’s what happens,” Kiffin said. “You walk in. It’s a build-up. The stadium’s full an hour early.”
And that doesn’t happen at Ole Miss – even when Kiffin was reeling off four 10-win-or-more seasons in his six years.
“So, I guess I had to leave to get them to do that,” Kiffin laughed. “So, you’re welcome.”
And they should thank him. But they won’t for years. Same thing happened to Saban with LSU fans. They hated him for years until they realized he put them in a place where they were to be able to win national championships under Les Miles and Ed Orgeron.
“Emotion bonds people together and creates that atmosphere,” Kiffin said of the Vaught-Hemingway crowd he created from 2020-25 and on Sept. 19, 2026, whether they admit it or not.
“They did a good job,” Kiffin said.
They should also thank Kiffin for much of Ole Miss’ talented roster, particularly Chambliss, who was clearly the difference in this game, completing 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns and rushing nine times for 36 yards. And the killer TD – a 14-yard scamper around left end for the 30-24 lead before a two-point conversion.
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt played well, too, but he missed too many open receivers at critical times. Chambliss hardly ever has done that.
“You scheme him up, and then he just makes plays,” said Kiffin, who found Chambliss at Division II Ferris State in Michigan before the 2025 season. “It’s why he is what he is. He’s the most dynamic player in college football. And he finished that way last year. Credit those guys coaching him, too. Really good job by Joe Judge (quarterbacks coach) and JDB (offensive coordinator) John David Baker. You may hold him at times (as LSU did), but it won’t be that long.”
And credit Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding, whom Kiffin hired from the Alabama defensive coordinator post after the 2023 season to be his DC. They are Kiffin’s coaches – whether Ole Miss fans and media admit it or not. Just like the coaches who remained at LSU under Miles after Saban left were Saban’s coaches – offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, offensive line coach Stacy Searles and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar.
And Kiffin – strange as it may sound – was happy for them. For he was a part of them at Ole Miss – the main part, the driving force.
“Six years here, and a lot of things and a lot of life-changing experiences,” Kiffin said. “A lot of really good people who helped me through some really hard times.”
And no one can take that away no matter how much Ole Miss hates Kiffin.
“I know that sometimes I don’t act like it, but I’m human, too,” Kiffin said. “But I’ll just close up saying congrats to those guys. They played really well. They deserved to win. I know it sounds weird. As much as I dislike the losing, there is a part in there of you know, a lot of those coaches and players – I wouldn’t say excited – but I’m glad for them.”
And no matter how the rest of the Ole Miss-LSU rivalry and the Golding-Kiffin rivalry plays out, Kiffin started Ole Miss and Golding on whatever path they may go on.
And if Ole Miss and Golding continue to build off what Kiffin built and Kiffin makes LSU a national power like he made Ole Miss, Ole Miss and LSU can thank Kiffin for bringing back the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry. It has become what the LSU-Alabama rivalry was, but is no longer.
This is going to be a fun ride just like Alabama and Saban had with LSU and Miles, Orgeron and Brian Kelly was for so long.
You’re welcome, Ole Miss.
And if Golding goes on to lead Ole Miss to the national championship this season with Chambliss, the way Miles went on to lead LSU to the national championship in 2007, Ole Miss should thank Kiffin just like LSU should’ve thanked Saban.
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