OXFORD, Miss. — Maybe it was the moment and Lane Kiffin was caught up in it.
Or maybe he was dead serious, but it didn’t sound like he was trying to confuse anyone.
Kiffin said he remains committed to Ole Miss on Saturday night after a 34-24 win over Florida, even as questions continue about his future and the interest coming from the Gators’ head-coaching search.
Kiffin addressed the speculation directly after the Rebels improved to 10-1.
The scene at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium included fans chanting his name and television shots of Florida fans wearing shirts asking him to come to Gainesville. The noise did not change his message.
“I love what we’re doing here,” Kiffin said. “Today was awesome. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today. We’ve got a lot of things going here. Doing really well, and I love it here.”
Florida is searching for a new coach after failing to reach a 10-win season under Billy Napier. The Gators have reached that mark only twice in the past 10 years, both under Dan Mullen.
Kiffin has four 10-win seasons in his last five years at Ole Miss, matching the number the program had across the previous 50 seasons combined.
Kiffin said his team was not affected by the outside talk. “538 yards today for an offense seems pretty focused,” he said after the win.
The victory came after Ole Miss trailed at halftime. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway ran for a touchdown and threw for another, helping the Gators take a 24-20 lead at the break.
Ole Miss had two turnovers on downs inside the 5-yard line and settled for two short field goals inside the 10.
Rebels close strong in second half
Ole Miss shut out Florida in the second half while leaning on two players who delivered career nights.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw for 301 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Running back Kewan Lacy ran for a career-high 224 yards and three touchdowns.
The Rebels’ defense allowed no points in the final two quarters after giving up three first-half touchdowns.
Florida could not finish drives once Ole Miss made adjustments, and the Rebels controlled the ball late behind Lacy’s runs.
Kiffin said he respected how his team responded after the slow start and red-zone issues. Ole Miss stayed patient and turned the game around with long drives that wore down the Gators.
The win gave Ole Miss 10 victories for the third season in a row, extending the most successful stretch in program history. Kiffin said he reminded his players to appreciate moments like these.
“I said, ‘Hey guys, I think we’re in the good old days right now,’” Kiffin said. “I think for our fans, for our players, it’s this utopia of what’s going on, so enjoy it. Because these runs don’t happen very often anywhere.”
Kiffin addresses future amid Florida interest
Kiffin’s comments about enjoying the moment did little to slow the talk around him. Florida fans made their interest known throughout the night, and the national conversation continues to link him to the Gators’ vacancy.
The win put Ole Miss in position for another strong postseason showing, raising questions about whether Kiffin would consider leaving a program he has elevated over the past half-decade.
His message after the game focused only on Ole Miss.
He did not give a direct answer about the job opening but repeated that he remains focused on the Rebels’ season.
He also stressed that speaking about his future on a night when his players delivered another double-digit win would take attention away from them.
Kiffin’s response followed several days of speculation about possible coaching changes across the country. He has been linked to major jobs before, but he said his team has learned to block out background noise.
After the win, he again credited his players for staying locked in.
“We’ve got a lot of things going here,” he said. “Doing really well, and I love it here.”
The Rebels will finish their regular season next week before heading into postseason play. Florida’s search is expected to continue, but Kiffin did not offer any timeline for when he might comment further.
For now, his focus remains on a team that is closing another strong season and a fan base that continues to show support both inside and outside the stadium.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Lane Kiffin reaffirmed his commitment to Ole Miss while addressing Florida coaching rumors.
- Ole Miss beat Florida 34-24 behind Kewan Lacy’s 224 rushing yards and a strong second-half defense.
- The Rebels reached 10 wins for the third straight season under Kiffin.
