Ole Miss Football

The SEC announced it fined Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin $25,000 after he criticized the officiating in the Rebels' 35-28 loss to Auburn last Saturday.

At issue was the kickoff after Jerrion Ealy's touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Auburn running back Shaun Shivers appeared to touch the ball before it went into the end zone for a touchback. After the game, Kiffin retweeted a post about the controversy.

Looks like Lane Kiffin will be getting a fine this week from the SEC. pic.twitter.com/DZN18mN1Qy

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) October 24, 2020

The SEC concluded that the play should have been reviewed, justifying Kiffin's criticism. However, his social media actions still warranted a fine.

https://t.co/MRgbroVEej. Still got fined @OleMissFB 🤦‍♂️

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) October 26, 2020

Kiffin later floated out the idea of paying the fine in pennies:

Where can I find 25,000 pennies??

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) October 27, 2020

*2.5mill

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) October 27, 2020

Was just checking to see if @SEC would review my math to get it right this time??? After future review it’s 2.5 million pennies. Thanks for stopping to get it right 👍💰🔥 https://t.co/zvWvWw0GFk

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) October 27, 2020

While Kiffin violated the letter of the law, some questioned whether he violated the spirit of SEC Bylaw 10.5:

A system where SEC officials can be wrong and the coach wronged is penalized more than they are is, um, a bad system.

Lane Kiffin is right: There should be way more transparency.

— Josh Vitale (@JoshVitale) October 26, 2020

Lane Kiffin: Replay blew it

SEC: Replay blew it

Also SEC: Here’s a $25,000 fine, Lane, for correctly pointing out we blew it.

— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) October 26, 2020

Officials make mistakes, and that's part of the deal in sports. But the systems are in place to limit those kinds of mistakes, so when they fail you can't blame coaches for being publicly upset. @Lane_Kiffin is totally in the right here. The false decorum is ridiculous.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) October 26, 2020

Ole Miss has a strong case to argue the mistake cost the team a victory. If the right call was made, the Rebels' Tylan Knight would have had a fumble recovery in the end zone and a two-score lead with less than six minutes remaining.

Instead, Auburn was still down only one point, 28-27. The Tigers punted on the possession immediately after the kickoff, but a 58-yard touchdown pass from Bo Nix to Seth Williams on their next drive with 1:11 left won the game.

Prior to the conference's statement, Kiffin said he had spoken with SEC head of officiating John McDaid about the matter and expressed frustration about how he couldn't reveal what was said during the discussion.

"I really wish for our players, for our fans, that they could hear what I was just told," Kiffin said, per the Clarion Ledger's Nick Suss. "I think they deserve to. But I asked. They made sure to tell me there's a policy that I can't tell you, the players or the fans what their, if you want to call it, explanation for that situation and how TV copy and everybody in the country can see it hit him."

The SEC's formal admission provides Kiffin with vindication but is unlikely to leave him with any satisfaction.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin apparently wasn't too happy with the officiating during his team's 35-28 loss to Auburn on Saturday.

After the Rebels dropped to 1-4 this season, Kiffin retweeted a tweet that called SEC referees "atrocious."

Lane Kiffin doesn't seem happy about SEC officiating... pic.twitter.com/zVhHkpD4Gr

— Stadium (@Stadium) October 24, 2020

Kiffin's retweet likely stems from a kickoff late in the fourth quarter right after Jerrion Ealy capped off the Rebels' 77-yard touchdown drive to help put them up 28-27.

Auburn kick returner Shaun Shivers appeared to touch the ball with his fingertips before it rolled into the end zone and was covered by Tylan Knight for what would have been an Ole Miss touchdown. The officials didn't review the play and ruled it a touchback.

Both defenses forced three-and-outs on the next two possessions. Auburn took a 35-28 lead on Seth Williams' 58-yard touchdown and ensuing two-point conversion with 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Ole Miss got one last attempt to tie the score after getting down to Auburn's 29-yard line, but Matt Corral crossed the line of scrimmage before throwing a pass that wound up being intercepted by Jordyn Peters as time expired.

Add Ole Miss to the list of college football teams that have needed to navigate COVID-19 outbreaks in the early portion of the season.

"We're just trying to manage it the best we can," head coach Lane Kiffin said when revealing the team is dealing with an outbreak, per Matt Zenitz of AL.com.

"I hope not," he said when asked if he thinks Saturday's game against Arkansas will be postponed, per Zenitz. "If we were to play today, we could play. So hopefully it stays that way."

Brooks Kubena of The Advocate noted this now makes three programs in the SEC alone dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak during the season, as Vanderbilt and Florida have also been put in similar situations.

Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported Saturday's game between Florida and LSU was postponed because of the outbreak within the Gators program. It is tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12.

Saturday's game between Vanderbilt and Missouri was also postponed.

Alex Scarborough of ESPN noted Florida head coach Dan Mullen apologized for suggesting the school should "pack the Swamp" with fans for the game against LSU. According to Scarborough, 19 people within the Florida program have tested positive for COVID-19 the past several days.

As for Ole Miss, it is off to a 1-2 start on the field in Kiffin's first year.

It just lost to Alabama 63-48 in a surprisingly close contest on Saturday. The Crimson Tide are national championship contenders and are scheduled to face Georgia in a high-profile showdown just seven days after facing Ole Miss.

His team is 1-2. His defense is broken. And, more than likely, Saturday night will not be the last time Lane Kiffin loses a football game this season. But even in a loss that felt like a video game and ended with a basketball score, Kiffin reaffirmed his status as college football's greatest showman. 

Not the greatest coach. Let's make that clear. When your team allows 63 points in a 60-minute game, as Ole Miss did against Alabama in a 63-48 loss, that title removes itself from the discussion for the time being. When you bounce around from job to job, as Kiffin has done over the past 15 years, you do so for a reason.

Ole Miss still has lightyears to go. And it's still unclear what the ceiling of a Kiffin-led program will ultimately look like. But even in defeat, in bringing his former boss Nick Saban and mighty Alabama to the brink, Kiffin showed he belonged. He showed that Ole Miss was indeed a team to be feared, no matter the record.

In scoring 48 points, Kiffin tied the most ever given up by Alabama under Saban since he arrived in Tuscaloosa. It was the most points an unranked team has scored against Alabama in the regular season since 1936. Ole Miss finished with 647 yards of offense—a figure that will likely make Alabama's defensive film sessions wildly unpleasant in the days to follow.

More than that, however, Kiffin delivered a moment. For everyone but the defensive players and coaches, this was maniacal entertainment. This was fun, outrageous football. Just two heavyweight boxers squarely in the center of the ring, trading haymakers. And it was that way up until the last few minutes.

In his latest act as coach, Kiffin has delivered a glorious stream of content—a mix of soundbites, competitive outcomes, unbelievable numbers and a YOLO coaching mentality that is oddly refreshing.  

He didn't hesitate to go for it on fourth downs. He tried multiple onside kicks, including one early on in the second half that failed. He knew his defense wasn't stopping Alabama. He knew the talent gap at most positions was enormous. 

And so, he did what any 15-year-old with a PlayStation and a copy of Madden would do: He played aggressively—some may even say carelessly—and nearly turned the college football world upside down in the process. The sport could use more of that. 

Consider that at this point last year, it was uncertain if Kiffin would ever coach in a game of this magnitude again. Then the head coach at FAU, coming off a five-win season in his second year with the school, it was unclear what his coaching future would look like. 

I spent a day with Kiffin in the film room last year as they prepared for Ohio State. The talent gap between the two programs was enormous. The thought of his offensive line actually slowing down Chase Young—the Buckeyes defensive end who was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NFL draft—seemed impossible. He knew it. I knew it. The outcome of the game itself, a 45-21 loss, was about you'd expect.

But that stop was necessary. In fact, FAU provided Kiffin not just a place to prove that fallouts in the NFL, at Tennessee and at USC were behind him. It also gave him perspective on the profession, something that clearly made the trip from Boca Raton to Oxford.

"I want to win football games," Kiffin said. "That's important and everything, but that's not the only thing. Because if that's truly the only thing, you won't be very happy. I've lived it."

In his first three games this season, Kiffin has put a scare into Florida, beat Kentucky 42-41 in overtime and made the Alabama defense more mortal than it's ever been.

One could make the argument that no team in college football has had a more difficult first three games. And yet, despite having two losses, Kiffin's reputation as a coach has only grown during that time. 

Away from the field, Kiffin has continued to say things on a regular basis that almost no football coach would ever say. This theme began on social media years ago, although he's expanded his willingness to say whatever he feels on other platforms in recent years.

"I don't think he can cover me," Kiffin joked about Saban on the Dan Patrick Show earlier this week. "He's in his, like, 60s. I'm really worried about Coach. You know, he's elderly now." 

He wasn't done. In summarizing his relationship with Saban in an interview with  Kiffin said:

"I don't know, maybe like an ex. There's some good and some bad."

He is imperfect, which in a way makes a moment like this that much more intoxicating. His path to Ole Miss has been long and complicated. It has been difficult. And while it can be easy to obsess over every outcome and whether a team wins or loses, there is something to be said about the way he can entertain. 

That is not something often written about a sport that is almost exclusively defined by success and failure. On Saturday, however, Kiffin showcased that, even in defeat, he could deliver a night in a way no other coach could. 

After the game ended, Kiffin and Saban met. When asked about what he said to his former boss after the game, Kiffin didn't skip a beat. 

"I thought they played defense in the SEC," Kiffin told him, according to ESPN.com's Alex Scarborough. 

It is unclear what caliber of football team Kiffin has after only three games. Chances are it will continue to give up large amounts of points as the season continues. And yes, in many of those instances, Ole Miss will likely destroy the scoreboard as it did on Saturday night.

It will be imperfect. It will be different. It'll likely come packaged with soundbites during the week and after the games are played. The attempts won't always be successful, as was the case Saturday night. But the entertainment, regardless of whether Ole Miss wins or loses, will be there.

Kiffin will be sure of that.

Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss team lost to No. 2 Alabama 63-48 on Saturday night, but the coach diminished the vaunted program's shine with a performance rarely seen by a Crimson Tide opponent.

The 111 combined points and 1,370 combined total yards both set SEC records. Kiffin, a former assistant under Alabama head coach Nick Saban, could only laugh as he met his former mentor at midfield when it was all over.

"I thought they played defense in the SEC," Kiffin said he told Saban.

Ole Miss tied Auburn for the most points ever on Saban since the coach took over Alabama as the Tide gave up the most yards in school history (647 yards).

The two schools combined for three sacks and nine tackles for loss as it seemed like both were trying to break the scoreboard in Oxford, Mississippi.

It took a bit of history for Alabama to pull off the victory as tailback Najee Harris (23 carries, 206 yards, five touchdowns) became just the third player in his program's history to rush for five scores, joining the likes of Santonio Beard in 2002 and Shaun Alexander in 1998, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Labor Day Weekend was supposed to mark the opening of the 2020 college football season in earnest with a large slate of games highlighted by Alabama-USC at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

The COVID-19 pandemic changed that with the Big 12, ACC and SEC all starting their seasons later in September while the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed fall sports altogether.

According to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, even if there were games this week at least two teams in his conference would not have been able to field a full roster of healthy players.

Kiffin spoke to The Pat McAfee Show on Friday and explained how the pandemic has changed college football already:

"This isn't 100%.. We still got a ways to go. There are some teams right now in the #SEC I heard from 2 coaches today that there's no way they could play if they had a game this week"@Lane_Kiffin on testing, protocols, & obstacles in College Football #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/KC282DLxfH

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 3, 2020

"We still got a ways to go," Kiffin said. "There are some teams right now in the SEC—I heard from two coaches today that there's no way they could play if they had a game this week."

The SEC won't begin play until September 26, giving teams time to continue easing their players into a normal season schedule and ensuring each player on the field is healthy. 

Yet it's unclear how many SEC schools have positive cases of COVID-19 within their athletic department.

ESPN's Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach attempted to survey each school across the Power 5 conferences to obtain data on positive cases and safety protocols but many in the SEC declined to respond. Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt all refused to provide data related to student-athletes who test positive.

Ole Miss, Kiffin's school, declined as well. 

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told CBS Sports last week the conference is prepared to play a full season even if outbreaks arise:

“We had to make decisions about how the season would be structured based on making the best judgements around completing the season. So, the delay. The idea that once we start, we could control our ability if we have to maneuver games or if we have to adjust, but really to control the health aspects with medical guidelines, testing protocols, and isolation guidelines that would be common. Our focus has been on the support of a healthy regular season."

Already it's clear the decision to delay the season was a necessary call. It may not have been entirely possible to start the season this weekend if conferences committed to the original schedule. 

 

With the Big Ten and Pac-12 announcing the postponement of their fall sports seasons, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin lamented the inability for college football players to easily transfer to another school, calling it a "shame."

A player would need to receive a waiver from the NCAA to be immediately eligible upon transferring. Otherwise, he'd be sitting on the sideline for 2020.

Kiffin said Tuesday on SEC Now that the NCAA should make an exception for this year given how the COVID-19 pandemic has upended college sports:

.@OleMissFB head coach @Lane_Kiffin with a 💪🏼💪🏼 take on why players in conferences WITHOUT fall football should be free to transfer and play immediately elsewhere...

Just imagine...

He was on #SECNow tonight on @SECNetwork!

pic.twitter.com/9sgAkqTaEP

— Dari Nowkhah (@ESPNDari) August 19, 2020

It's worth noting that Kiffin would likely stand to gain from the NCAA's allowing players to transfer without penalty since the SEC is planning on staging a season in the fall. The conference rolled out its schedule Monday.

Here it is: the 2020 #SECFB Schedule ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/BTyrFLiaWC

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) August 17, 2020

While coaching at FAU, Kiffin targeted players who were either graduate transfers or entered the transfer portal, so it stands to reason he'd attempt to capitalize on any relaxing of transfer rules.

Individual schools can't be blamed for the spread of a global pandemic, nor should conferences be punished for canceling or postponing athletics in part due to health concerns.

A college career is short, though, and those with pro aspirations potentially have future earnings on the line. Waiting around for a year won't exactly aid in a draft prospect's development.

The NCAA has made exceptions to its transfer rules in the past. Players from Penn State and Ole Miss were allowed to leave without penalty when each of those schools received formal sanctions.

It would appear no such exception will be forthcoming because of the pandemic, and the matter may be moot if the SEC, ACC and Big 12 join the Big Ten and Pac-12 and end up scrapping a fall season.

Linebacker Sam Williams has been suspended from the University of Mississippi Football team after being charged with sexual battery.

"We have suspended Sam Williams indefinitely from all team activities," the school said in a statement, per 247Sports' David Johnson. "We take these charges very seriously and will allow the legal system to run its course before making further determinations on his status in our program."

Per Jake Thompson of the Oxford Eagle, Williams was arrested on a felony charge of sexual battery and booked into Lafayette County Detention Center on Friday morning. He was released after posting $25,000 bond.

Williams is entering his senior season. Last year was the Alabama native's first with the Rebels after transferring from Northeast Mississippi Community College.

He appeared in all 12 games for Ole Miss last season, recording 37 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.

Ole Miss announced Monday that former quarterback Eli Manning would have his No. 10 jersey retired by the school.  

He will be just the third player to receive the honor, following his father Archie Manning (18) and Chucky Mullins (38). 

"I owe so much credit to the coaches and all the wonderful teammates that I had here during my time in Oxford that put in all the hard work right alongside of me," Manning said of the honor. "It'll be special to see the number go up there next to my dad and Chucky Mullins."

"On behalf of our entire family, we're all very excited about this," his father added. "We can go way back and remember how excited we all were when Eli decided to come to Ole Miss. Those were five wonderful years for us. We're very proud of Eli's career in Oxford and very indebted to Keith and the athletic department and everyone else responsible for retiring No. 10. It's really special."

Manning, 39, played four seasons at Ole Miss (2000-03), throwing for 10,119 yards, 81 touchdowns and 35 interceptions while completing 60.8 percent of his passes. His passing yards, completions (829) and passing attempts (1,363) are all school records. 

He won the Maxwell Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as a senior, leading Ole Miss to a 10-3 record and a win in the Cotton Bowl.

He went on to be the top overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers, who traded him to the New York Giants in a deal that saw fellow 2004 draftee Philip Rivers go to the Chargers. Manning would go on to have a long and successful career in New York, winning two Super Bowl titles. 

Whether Manning will one day be an NFL Hall of Famer remains an interesting debate. But he'll live on forever in Ole Miss lore as one of just three players to have his jersey retired. 

Mississippi head football coach Lane Kiffin has offered his support to players who want a Confederate soldier statue removed from its spot on campus. 

Per ESPN's Chris Low and Andrea Adelson, Kiffin explained conversations between the athletic department and the football team made it clear players wanted the monument taken down. 

"After hearing their voices, I fully support them wanting that statue moved," Kiffin said Saturday.

Low and Adelson noted school administrators, as well as student and faculty leaders, have recommended moving the statue to a Civil War cemetery. It currently sits near the school's main primary administrative building.

Per Emily Wagster of the Associated Press (h/t U.S. News), the board that governs Mississippi's eight public universities delayed a vote on a proposal to move the Ole Miss monument in January. Trustee Tom Duff said he wanted "more information from the university about its work to provide historical context about the monument and some other structures on campus."

The Confederate statue on the University of Mississippi campus, which was dedicated in 1906, features a solider saluting. 

Kiffin was among a large group of Rebels football coaches and players who took part in a unity walk Saturday across the campus in support of the ongoing protests around the country against systemic racism in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota Police custody on May 25.