Signature Win, Secured: Turns out Ole Miss under Kiffin is actually the Catalina Wine Mixer

If, after Alabama, and as I wrote last week, Ole Miss football under Lane Kiffin was the Sporting Goods Scene from Step Brothers, well, Saturday, and after a thrilling, 55-49 win over rival LSU, they were the freaking Catalina Wine Mixer.

There has only been one true knock on Lane Kiffin over the course of his now-three-plus years as Rebel head coach: He’s been a whole lot of talk (and I mean, a WHOLE lot) for what hasn’t amounted to all that much action.

That was the entire premise of last week’s column, of which I am willingly and with an open heart eating the biggest serving of crow. Give me all of it. But my choice of beverage, please.

Kiffin had been 1-19 against Power 5 teams with nine wins or more as a college head coach, in a career that has also spanned stops at Tennessee, USC and FAU. He’d lost five of his last six SEC games at Ole Miss and six of his last 10 overall. He was 7-11 against West opponents and 1-5 in his last six against them. Ole Miss was 15-14 in the SEC under Kiffin despite being in the Top 10 in FBS in facilities, salary and NIL expenditures.

As I (probably unfairly) called it, David Cutcliffe (who helped do the pregame ‘Hotty Toddy!’) results for Ryan Day prices.

The Rebels, in the uninspiring loss in Tuscaloosa, failed to score 20 points for the first time in 40 games under Kiffin.

His entire on-field reputation has all but been built on his offensive wizardry.

Quinshon Judkins set a single-season school record for rushing yards as a true freshman last season. He entered Saturday not riding a sleeper Heisman campaign, like some of us (read: me) thought he might in the preseason, but in the SEC cellar in yards-per-carry average.

All anybody wanted here was for the Rebels to finally get them a Big One under Kiffin. LSU was yet another opportunity for that Signature Win — which would be his first at Ole Miss, and one of the very best of his career to date, full stop.

And by golly he got it done. Kiffin did it his way, too boot.

The Step Brothers finally (and hilariously) realize their potential at the end of the movie and win over even the most cynical among them, Brennan’s brother, Derek, played by Adam Scott. They roll out Prestige Worldwide and finally show the world what they’re uniquely made of; why all the trouble was worth it to begin with, and how they’re now to be taken seriously. Or at least not dismissed off-hand and their aspirations mocked because, come on, what have they REALLY done.

Sound familiar? 

Judkins finally looked like himself again, breaking the 100-yard barrier (177) for the first time this season on a determined 33 carries. He scored once, while Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart quite literally put his body on the line and did everything he possibly could to will his Rebels to a win.

And he was brilliant.

Dart has taken the Matt-Corral-like Year 2 step under Kiffin he absolutely had to in order for Ole Miss to be a realistic SEC West contender.

Ole Miss has never been to Atlanta. Sure, the Rebels honored the 2003 team on Saturday, but legendary as they are, and while they absolutely should be honored forever, most remember 2003 for WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN. What a loss to LSU did to the dream season.

Saturday could have all gone so wrong. Ole Miss could have held the ball in an effort to (understandably!) drain the clock and keep the ball from Jayden Daniels again. They could have held for a game-winning field goal try. The stories, had a miss occurred, would have brutally written themselves. We all remember what happened to the Lou Groza Award winner against these Tigers 20 years ago. It’s all most of us remember.

Those stories, fortunately, can stay in drafts. Kiffin can feel free to continue to troll media idiots like me all he wants. He did the Thing Everybody Said He Couldn’t. Hell yeah. Now, go do it again.

Ole Miss had its worst game defensively under first-year coordinator Pete Golding.

The Rebels had no answer for Daniels. Daniels, after torching them for five combined touchdowns last season, was back to his old tricks again. He was 27 for 36 for 414 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He rushed for 99 yards (on 15 carries) and an additional score.

Much of the frustration last week stemmed from Golding’s overhauled and still-developing unit doing plenty enough to win in a 24-10 loss to the Tide. The Rebels led 7-6 at halftime. Their only sins, really, were two back-breaking second-half bust plays. But even removing them, Ole Miss, offensively — and startlingly and disconcertingly — had shown listless.

But now we can chalk that up, perhaps, to nothing more than being short-handed. Wide receiver Tre Harris was obviously limited last week as he tried to play through his knee injury. Same for tight end Caden Prieskorn and wide receiver Zakhari Franklin. 

All contributed in meaningful ways against LSU.

Prieskorn is even more important now with Michael Trigg gone.

Trigg was dismissed this week after a troubled year-plus stay in Oxford.

Even at his best, though, Trigg was always a liability in the running game. He couldn’t block. Prieskorn is an engaged blocker, and it’s no shock the Rebels looked more cohesive on the ground against LSU, especially with Prieskorn providing above-league-average in-line blocking that, previously, just had not been there.

A Lane Kiffin offense simply can’t function properly without it. 

Harris is the true No. 1 receiver Ole Miss hasn’t had since Elijah Moore. He led the Rebels in targets (14), catches (8), yards (153) and tied for the team lead in touchdowns (1). Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins caught touchdowns, too.

Saturday was the a kind of game we expected to see at least once or twice this season as Ole Miss, defensively, reestablishes itself. The offense was supposed to be there no matter what, and it most glaringly was not at Alabama. I’m not sure it ever truly was in any of the season’s first four games. 

So, there were legitimate questions to be raised after Ole Miss lost to Alabama for the eighth straight time. It was more than fair to wonder if Ole Miss, under Kiffin, would ever pull off the Big One. If Kiffin would just continue to (inarguably) entertain us, but also perpetually come up short.

Against LSU, they came through.

And they’re now right back on track in a wide-open SEC. Georgia struggled in a win over Hugh Freeze’s Auburn. Arkansas lost, while Mississippi State has struggled. Not since Nick Saban’s debut season has Alabama seemed more vulnerable to potentially suffer two or more losses. Texas A&M might be a little better, but, still, Ole Miss has as much claim to Best in the West as anyone else. 

A claim now backed by actual, tangible results. Not hypothetical ones.

It takes ACTUALLY WINNING one of these. Saturday, Kiffin and the Rebels did. Everything is again in front of them because Kiffin’s Rebels tackled the obstacle that was seemingly blocking their way to REAL progress. 

So, shovel some coal in the furnace, ‘cause the Lane Train is back on the tracks and charging full-steam ahead. The seals have been popped on the Kool-aid reserves, too.

And, friends, the pours will be heavy. Just like the freaking Catalina Wine Mixer.