Lane Kiffin credits fans for playing a big role in Ole Miss' win over Kentucky

Ole Miss‘ 22-19 victory over No. 7 Kentucky shifted the overall picture in the race for the SEC and Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin is crediting the fans for their role in the win on Saturday. In fact, he kicked off his press conference on Monday by praising the fans and asking them to bring it again next time they’re at home.

“The crowd was really to our advantage which is what the goal has been,” Kiffin said. “It impacts recruiting, you hear it from recruits, what they say after games, not just what they think when they watch on TV but when they’re here. And it impacted the game. There’s three penalties on them on offense, two false starts and really an illegal shift, that’s a fall start to me as well, that can be credited to the crowd to help us win the game.

“So that’s the way we want it to be. That’s an awesome job. Like we tell our players, alright, do it again. Next home game, same time, same network, same everything, so let’s redo that from an atmosphere standpoint, the exact same way regardless of what team or rank.”

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After a road game versus Vanderbilt this weekend, the Rebels will be back at home for an important game versus Auburn. The Tigers will be fighting as hard as ever with Bryan Harsin’s job potentially on the line each week.

Paul Finebaum discusses Kiffin’s seminal win

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum was on campus this weekend in Oxford to watch the Rebels beat Kentucky. It was the Rebel’s first conference game of the season, and definitely their biggest win so far this year as they’re off to their first 5-0 start since 2014.

There’s no question it was a big win for Lane Kiffin, but on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum proclaimed the victory as one of the biggest of his career.

“There’s been a lot of good moments for Lane, but that seemed to be the seminal moment, the one that really established him,” Finebaum said. “And I know that sounds funny considering last year was a ten-win season, but it just seemed more significant. Everything about being there and the weekend Cole, and winning a game, how many times have we said this and will say it that they probably shouldn’t have won, but that doesn’t matter, they won.”

Finebaum went on to note the key timing of the win with many influential alums back on campus for the game.

“And I think now it’s a matter of continuing this path, and it was a big weekend for a lot of reasons, it was not only homecoming where you have a lot of big donors who were there the night before in a meeting and a dinner at the stadium, but you had the recalibrating of the collective,” Finebaum said.

On3’s Kaiden Smith contributed to this report.