WATCH: First iteration of ‘Grove Bowl Games’ a hit for Ole Miss football
Ole Miss wrapped the 2024 version of spring football practices on Saturday with the first iteration of the ‘Grove Bowl Games.’
Fifth-year Rebel head coach Lane Kiffin divided the roster into two teams: Red and Navy. Players faced off in hot-dog-eating and dunk contests, 7-on-7, tug-of-war and Grove Bowl Gauntlet. Red came out with a narrow, 71-70 win.
“I thought that was really neat,” Kiffin said afterwards. “A lot went into that. May not seem like it, but I guess kind of now I have appreciation for shows or concerts and different things that have to happen. It’s been a lot of time in different walk-throughs of events and orders and changing ideas up. So, thought it went really good. The No. 1 thing was no injuries.
“But it was pretty neat to see guys compete and a lot of people doing different events. I hope our fans enjoyed it. I know our players did.”
The deep ball from @Walker_Howard4 to tie it! 😳
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) April 13, 2024
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Tennessee transfer safety Brandon Turnage got the festivities started with a win for Red in the dunk contest.
Red also took three of four rounds of tug-of-war.
Joey Chestnut — the 16-time winner of the Nathan’s Hot-Dog-Eating Contest — subbed in for Navy and took down 20 hot dogs in 90 seconds. Navy dominated the Grove Bowl Gauntlet.
No. 2 quarterback Walker Howard had a pair of touchdown throws in 7-on-7. True freshman AJ Maddox had a touchdown, too, to second-year wide receiver Cayden Lee. It was the first of two scores for Lee. Austin Simmons delivered the other.
Jaxson Dart connected with Tre Harris for a touchdown, while Simmons later found Ayden Williams. Caden Davis made a 50-yard field goal. Navy led, 70-64, with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Howard, however, found Mac Owen for six to tie the score at 70.
But Davis missed a 65-yard field goal, resulting in the Red win.
“We actually have one more light practice probably Monday to officially end spring with the 15th day,” Kiffin said. “But I thought it was a really good spring with what we wanted to accomplish.”
