Ole Miss · SECOle Miss beats LSU in Lane Kiffin’s Oxford return
The Rebels moved to 3–0 with a 32–24 win over preseason No. 7 LSU, tightening the Tigers’ playoff path.
SEP 20, 2026
Ole Miss record after the win
LSU record after the loss
Ole Miss final score over LSU
01 · The NewsOle Miss Wins Kiffin’s Oxford Return
On Saturday, Sept. 19, Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford ended with Ole Miss beating his LSU team 32–24, giving the unbeaten Rebels a head-to-head SEC win over a preseason top-10 opponent and damaging LSU’s playoff margin.
Kiffin, who coached Ole Miss from 2020 through 2026, joked about the crowd at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium after the loss. “The stadium was full an hour early,” Kiffin said. “So, I guess I had to leave to get them to do that. You're welcome.” No attendance figure was provided, and the sources did not verify his claim.
LSU had opened with wins over Clemson and Louisiana Tech after a 7–6 season in 2025. Ole Miss followed a 13–2 season by winning its first three games, including Saturday’s matchup, without Kiffin.
Kiffin said he expected to handle the return in “competitive mode” but found more emotion than he anticipated. “Just thought it would probably be in like the competitive mode, you know, and just kind of embrace it,” he said. “It was a little bit. I don't know, sometimes you can't predict your emotions.”
Ole Miss plays at Florida on Sept. 26, while LSU hosts Texas A&M. For Kiffin, the return ended with a loss — and a reminder that the homecoming reached him.
“I know that sometimes I don't act like it but I got to, I'm human too you know,” Kiffin said.
02 · The StakesThe Playoff Hit
Ole Miss moved to 3–0, while preseason No. 7 LSU fell to 2–1. The Rebels strengthened their SEC and College Football Playoff case; LSU can no longer absorb many losses if it wants to reach the playoff. Josh Pate’s preseason bracket put LSU in the field, making the road loss an early direct hit on that call.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
The preseason hierarchy now looks backward: Ole Miss entered at No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 9 in the coaches poll after going 13–2, while LSU was No. 7 in both after a 7–6 season. Saturday gave the Rebels more than Kiffin’s homecoming; it supplied a head-to-head answer between programs voters had ordered the other way. Ole Miss must carry that advantage into road games at Florida on Sept. 26 and Texas on Oct. 24, while LSU reaches the Sept. 26 Texas A&M game with its margin reduced before October.
“The stadium was full an hour early”
Lane Kiffin04 · The Open QuestionsQuestions to Be Answered
Can LSU respond against Texas A&M on Sept. 26?
LSU’s first response comes against Texas A&M on Sept. 26, the only remaining September game on its listed schedule. McNeese follows Oct. 3 before a trip to Kentucky on Oct. 10, so the Texas A&M result determines the record LSU carries into October and toward its next SEC road game.
05 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can LSU stop the slide?
LSU fell to 2–1 and can no longer absorb many losses if it wants to reach the College Football Playoff.
Does Ole Miss keep rolling?
The Rebels are 3–0 after winning their first three games, including Saturday’s matchup, without Kiffin.