Lane Kiffin and his Rebels stole the show yesterday with their fifth victory against South Carolina. The Ole Miss offense and Lane Kiffin’s game plan helped them bounce back after they narrowly lost in week 5. Jaxson Dart, Tre Harris, and defensive lineman J.J. Pegues played some phenomenal games; their strong connection was visible on the field.

“I thought that this was a hard week of that loss. I felt like that was probably the worst feeling after a loss in the most amount of days since we’ve been here,” 247 reported Kifins’s statement after their first loss this year. Following the Rebels’ first loss of the season to Kentucky, Kiffin faced criticism and disappointment. But this week’s story is different for the head coach. After their dominating victory yesterday, 27-3, Kiffin got an opportunity to honor his late father, Monte Kiffin, whose legacy continues to inspire him.

The emotional acknowledgement came after a significant win; he commented on his team’s defende game last night and tweeted, “Landry Kiffin’s subtle brag posing with pops Lane KiffinDad miss you. Felt you loving the defense in this game!!! ⁦ @OleMissFB” This victory was very special for Kiffin, as it marks the 100th career win for him, including 39 during his time at Ole Miss.

Lane Kiffin always looks to honor his father and make him proud. Life gave him the golden opportunity to work with his dad during the latter stages of Monte’s coaching career. After a successful period with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monte transitioned back to college football, serving as the defensive coordinator under Lane at the University of Tennessee in 2009. In 2010, he decided to follow his son to the University of Southern California, where he held the position of assistant head coach from 2010 to 2012.

In 2013, Monte joined the Dallas Cowboys as the defensive coordinator. The next year he took on the role of assistant head coach for defense. After 2014, he took a short break and then continued as a defensive assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. From 2017 to 2019, Monte returned to college football at Florida Atlantic and coached under his son. When Lane became the head coach at the Rebels, his father joined him again as a defensive analyst, continuing their family’s football legacy.

Ole Miss Rebels Shine in SEC road victory

The Ole Miss Rebels successfully passed its first SEC road challenge last night; in the first quarter, Rebels’ offense displayed a strong performance, and later their defense took over the game and successfully stopped South Carolina from scoring.

Their defense recorded two turnovers, six sacks, and ten tackles for loss. They limited South Carolina to just 313 total yards and stopped their offense twice in the red zone. The Rebels’s offense missed some scoring opportunities, which included a fumble through the end zone, they still amassed 425 total yards and established a 24-3 lead by halftime.

The rising talent of Ole Miss, Jaxson Dart, completed 14 out of 27 passes for a total of 329 yards. His performance against one of the top pass-defenses in the country says a lot about his determination and passion for the sport. Henry Parrish Jr. led the running attack with 81 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. On the other hand, Antwane Wells Jr. helped the team with 97 receiving yards, while Jordan Watkins caught five passes for 72 yards. Harris stepped in when the team needed him the most and added three catches for 81 yards, but unfortunately, he had to leave the game early due to an injury.

On the defensive side of things, TJ Dotter led the team with 13 tackles. Suntarine Perkins followed Dotter with 12 tackles, matching his sack, and also recorded two tackles for loss. Defensive backer Trey Amos made an interception and topped all defensive backs with eight tackles. Their defensive tackle, Walter Nolen, also had an outstanding performance; he recovered from a fumble and helped the team to lead with three tackles for loss.

Next up, the Rebels have another away game against the LSU Tigers on October 12. Let’s see if Lane Kiffin’s boys can carry the momentum from this win against Brian Kelly’s team.