Lane Kiffin fires back at reporter over Ole Miss fan attendance

Ole Miss doesn’t have a problem getting fans through the gates and into the stadium, but keeping them in the stadium is a whole other situation. Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin wasn’t pleased with the fan turnout in the second half, and addressed It with the media following Ole Miss’ 35-27 victory over Tulsa Saturday.

“Were you at the game? I must’ve been at a different one,” Kiffin said in Saturday’s postgame press conference. “It is what it is. Looking around it wasn’t very full and obviously at half the students left, too. When you don’t score in the second half of a game, you’re not going to criticize the fans. I’ve got to do a better job of motivating the players.”

Photos circulated throughout social media during the game with various photos of those in attendance. The fact that the No. 16 Rebels didn’t score in the second half and only came away with an eight-point victory against the Golden Hurricanes.

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Attendance for Saturday’s game was 60,641, according to the Ole Miss football game notes against Tulsa. Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford 64,038, and while that’s a fantastic turnout for a non-conference game, nearly all of the students left by the time the fourth quarter rolled around and empty seats are dotted throughout the rest of the stadium despite the Golden Hurricanes forcing the Rebels on their heels for the entire second half.

Ole Miss has No. 8 Kentucky coming to town next week, and Vaught Hemingway should be filled to capacity – although the game is slated for a noon kickoff. The timing of the game might affect the attendance numbers slightly, but it will serve as one of the Rebels’ most important home games of the season.