Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin, on Mike Leach and Egg Bowl rivalry: "Maybe we were brought here to bring the state together."
In previous seasons, the build-up to the Egg Bowl has been described as toxic, a word fitting in some iterations of the annual rivalry game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
With the arrival of Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach to Mississippi, the tense in-state rivalry has been sterilized to some degree. The hatred of the two fan bases is still there, sure, but neither head coach is aiding and abetting in the pot-stirring of words ahead of the Thanksgiving showdown.
In fact, the second-year head coach of the Rebels was not even aware how futile, petty and “toxic” the rivalry was until two years ago.
“I don’t think I knew the toxicity,” Kiffin said on Monday. “I had heard about it, here or there. Someone said to me the other day like, ‘It doesn’t make sense to me that Leach and I get along.’ Maybe we were brought here to bring the state together.”
While the last part of that comment was said in semi-jest, there is some truth mixed in. Kiffin and Leach are friendly with one another, something that is foreign to the century-long history of the Egg Bowl.
Sure, Matt Luke and Joe Moorhead did not add lighter fluid to the rivalry like head coaches before them, but there is almost a zen-like approach being taken by Kiffin and Leach.
The friendly banter between one another during an appearance at this summer’s Neshoba County Fair was probably surreal to the long-standing diehard Rebel and Bulldog fans in attendance.
Seeing their two head coaches of their favorite football teams joking and smiling is not what the rivalry is about, in their eyes.
“You really shouldn’t hate people just because they went to a certain school,” Kiffin said. “I like (Leach). I’ve always liked him. I think he’s funny. Does a great job wherever he’s been.”
When it comes to the Xs and Os and performing on the field, Kiffin has continued to be complimentary of the job Leach has done.
When giving the pick between Mississippi State and Auburn during his appearance on College GameDay, Kiffin called Leach the best offensive coach in the country.
Leach took his air raid offense to Starkville last year and it took a little time, but the Bulldogs’ offense has become one of the nation’s best.
Bulldog quarterback Will Rogers is second in the nation in passing yards with 4,113 and has thrown for 34 touchdowns. The offense is 21st in the country, averaging 452.3 total yards per game.
“It really is amazing. It kind of goes against what you would think,” Kiffin said of Leach’s ability to continually have success without adapting. “There is a thought out there amongst a lot of people, including coaches, that the SEC had kind of figured it out and they had slowed them down there throughout parts of the year.
“Obviously that wasn’t the case because they’re right back to where they started a season ago like that LSU game, leading the country in passing offense.”
