Lane Kiffin (SEC Photo)
Easily the biggest highlight— and really, maybe the only one — for Kentucky football in 2024 was a stunning 20-17 upset win at Ole Miss.
It was also probably the lowlight for Mississippi because it knocked coach Lane Kiffin’s team out of playoff contention.
“So many things went their way,” said Kiffin on Sunday. “It was really hard to deal with. I just didn’t think we played that well either. It just all sucked.”
Kiffin told 247Sports’ Neal McCready that the 11 a.m. local start time made it even worse.
“It was horrible on all fronts,” Kiffin told McCready.
Give Kiffin credit for admitting what this game means to him and Ole Miss.
Still, Ole Miss had a chance to force overtime but missed a 48-yard field goal try with 48 seconds left to give UK the win in a game where all the big breaks went Kentucky’s way for a change.
7 Responses
KY Defense will spend so much time on the field, they will be gassed by halftime. I really wish I am wrong.
Kentucky's secondary was exposed by Toledo. Kiffin will make Toledo's passing game look like middle school.
Our secondary has been exposed for a couple of years. Ole Miss probably won't have to suffer much longer. I do hope I am wrong though.
BTW, Stoops is finished. Barnhart and Stoops are not willing to accept the reality yet.
The longer Barnhart tries to hold on to this loser, the closer we all get to a breath of fresh air around the UK athletics.
Barnhart has reportedly been "great" with minor sports. Well, sorry Charlie, but NIL times are not terribly interested in the minor sports any longer.
Stoops is going to be fine. A loss will only serve to highlight his continued failure as an SEC coach. He already is losing over 66% of his conference games, so another one doesn't really matter.
Kentucky Football is, as always, a filler until basketball starts.
If the fan base cared, they would be boycotting the next game against a directional Michigan school.
Tom, we’ve won the MAC title for something like a dozen years in a row – least we forget.
Let's face it…Kentucky never has and never will be a powerhouse in college football since Bear Bryant left for Texas A&M. Bryant won the SEC championship in 1950 and then beat No. 1 ranked Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. We had the best coach in the country but Rupp ran him off because he didn't like sharing the limelight with him.
The 1977 10-1 team could have played for a national title but the officials decided that the handcuffs and leg irons the Kentucky kids were wearing would be bad for the image of the sport. The SEC title was awarded to Alabama instead who went on to beat Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl under coach….you guessed it…Bear Bryant.
Stoops is the winningest coach in Kentucky history, yet he has won no division titles, SEC championships, or national titles. He racked up a lot of wins against directionally named schools, but not so much in SEC play with Vanderbilt being the only SEC school that he dominated. So losing to Kentucky really does suck if you are an SEC school.