Remember when Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU, and the paranoia in Oxford got so intense that an FBI agent was brought in to sweep the football facility for bugs? Months later, Kiffin is heading back to Oxford, now as the opponent, and the tension has gotten so serious that extra security is already being discussed.
On Saturday, Ole Miss will meet LSU for the first time since the whole Lane Kiffin escapade, and Oxford security is not taking any chances. Units from Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans are arriving to give the police extra support. The officers and their horses will patrol downtown Oxford and the surrounding areas after training alongside Oxford police officers.
“They do different things (in the training), crowd techniques and things like that,” the spokesperson told FOS. “It’s beyond just crowd control. Just extra presence where they can be there and on horseback. One of the coolest things is they kind of have a good vantage point. They’re up higher. They can see things and they can look in the crowds and make sure that everyone’s okay. It’s a public safety thing for sure.”
FOX News even noted that the police departments have confirmed this additional presence for the fixture.
Why such heavy-duty protection? Well, on Monday, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding was asked to deliver a message to Ole Miss fans. The head coach urged them to make the atmosphere as competitive as possible while keeping respect in mind.
“There’s nothing wrong with being competitive and being in the moment,” Golding said. “But at the end of the day, don’t lose what we’ve created for so long, which is a really good, unique place with really, really good people that’s really hard to play.”
A statement like this will certainly hype things up both on and off the field, and considering the rivalry between Ole Miss and LSU, things might quickly get out of hand. The last time they met was back on September 27, 2025, when the Rebels defeated the Tigers 24–19 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
But what makes this matchup spicy this time, other than the fact that Lane Kiffin is now at LSU? Well, it’s the history.
Saturday’s clash is historic, marking the first top-10 meeting between Ole Miss and LSU since 1962. With the Rebels ranked No. 8 and the Tigers No. 7, the stakes are high. The last time they met as top-10 teams, No. 6 Ole Miss defeated No. 4 LSU 15–7.
“I feel like it will probably be one of the biggest crowds that any of us have ever seen, and so you take that into consideration,” said Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen.
The situation is so intense that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry jokingly said he might have to send Lane Kiffin in an F-16 with some National Guard troops.
“I’m thinking about having to send [Kiffin] in on an F-16 and maybe the team on a C-130,” Landry jokingly told ESPN on Monday. “Security is going to be really tight. You know, we might need the National Guard out there to protect our team. I think it’s going to be an interesting weekend.”
With the situation expected to be intense and Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding calling for an all-out effort against LSU, what does Lane Kiffin think? Well, he seems to be enjoying every second of the chaos.
Lane Kiffin Isn’t Feeling the Pressure Ahead of His Ole Miss Return
Given the intense rivalry between the two teams, especially after the Lane Kiffin escapade, the LSU head coach believes there will be plenty of animosity on the field.
“I told the players, you don’t have to worry about anything as far as attention on you all week,” Kiffin said. “There’s so much attention and hatred on me, you just get to go play.”
After winning their first two games by 41-point and 31-point margins, LSU will want to establish their dominance.
“Really, the pressure is on [Ole Miss]. We won seven games last year; they won 13. They return two Heisman candidates (quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy). How often does that happen in the same backfield?… so you guys just get to go play, the pressure’s not on you.”
Well, if we talk head-to-head, LSU has 64 wins under its belt, while Ole Miss has 43. However, in their past five encounters, Ole Miss has defeated LSU three times, quietly shifting the balance of this rivalry.
On Saturday, the rivalry is set to intensify even further. Who will win and who will fall short?