THE GAME, the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry, the teams and the competition all took place Saturday night in Oxford, Miss. at Vaught-Hemmingway stadium despite the sport's media attempt to make Kiffin's return to Ole Miss the real story. THE GAME's rivalry was on display before a packed stadium and as usual, the fans on both sides were loud and clear.
The first half ended with Ole Miss leading by 17 points 24-7. LSU tied the score 24-24 in the second half and then late in the fourth quarter Ole Miss scored the winning points. So, the rivalry continues in 2026 and Kiffin's return to Ole Miss is history. But in Sunday and Monday's New Orleans Advocate, some in the media could not let it go, so, the made for media noise will continue for some time.
In the mean time, the LSU-Ole Miss game is still THE GAME, and the rival, despite the media. It is a game about the teams, the players, the competition and the spirit of sports. Anything and everything can take place in a rival game and usually does and in this particular game, the coach with the least experience at head coaching won the game.
LSU and Ole Miss, along with their fans and supporters can be proud of THE GAME. They also recognized the Kiffin thing for what it was, a media distraction.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
