Tennessee-Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin details his experience during fourth quarter delay
Second-year Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin returned to Neyland Stadium Saturday.
Kiffin served as Tennessee’s head coach in 2009, guiding the Vols to a 7-6 record before resigning for the same position at USC.
Following Ole Miss’ 31-26 victory against the Vols, Kiffin met with media and discussed the Week 7 matchup.
“It’s awesome to win a game in that environment,” Kiffin said. “I told the guys all week that this place was going to be electric, as soon as we heard it was going to be a sellout of 102,455. I remember what it was like when we were here and at the South Carolina game and the energy. I knew we were going to have to weather a storm early of energy and emotion.”
The contest was delayed with 54 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter following Tennessee coming up one yard short on a 4th and 24 play. Debris was thrown on the field from fans.
Kiffin detailed how he handled the delay.
“I just wanted to play,” Kiffin said. “The players have helmets. It’s the coaches that are going to get hit. I’ve still got my souvenir golf ball that I got hit with. I just said, ‘put the helmets on and let’s play.’
“Really, the Tennessee people were taking care of us. I think David Elliott was over there saying, ‘we’re worried more about the players than anything else, even the Tennessee people.’ That was really cool to see that part of it.”
