Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin defends the Rebels’ “statement” win over Duke in the Gator Bowl
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Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin defends the Rebels’ “statement” win over Duke in the Gator Bowl

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Lane Kiffin is a polarizing figure in the world of college football.

The Ole Miss head coach goes to extremes, with some praising him as one of the greatest figures in the game and others believing he would be better off lending his services to a local community college.

Where you stand on the matter probably depends on how Kiffin has influenced you over the years: If you’re a Rebels fan, he probably evokes feelings of warmth. If you are a Tennessee or USC fan? Not so much.

Kiffin did little to dispel his reputation as one of the gridiron’s most controversial tacticians at Thursday’s Gator Bowl. In fact, Kiffin egged on his critics and led his Rebels to a stunning 52-20 victory over ACC powerhouse Duke.

The result was largely shaped by Jaxson Dart’s exploits; The Ole Miss quarterback completed 27 of 35 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns in what was likely his final college game.

Still, Kiffin couldn’t help but get caught up in the action of the moment, especially as the game came to a close.

Here’s a look at Thursday’s contest to see whether it was Kiffin’s team that tied the score against their opponents.

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Lane Kiffin defends Ole Miss’ “statement” win in the Gator Bowl

Ole Miss’ victory over Duke caused controversy, but not because of the result – the Rebels breezed past the Blue Devils with relative ease and posted a double-digit win that secured their fourth 10-win season in five seasons.

However, the nature of the outcome — more specifically, Kiffin’s insistence on keeping his offense going even after the game was decided — raised eyebrows among college football enthusiasts.

Just as the clock struck zero and confetti streamed onto the field, Ole Miss backup quarterback Austin Simmons fired a high ball 34 yards toward Jordan Smart.

Smart missed the end zone seven yards. Still, the moment sparked outrage in parts of social media, with many accusing Kiffin and his squad of trying to increase the score against an already exhausted opponent.

Kiffin disagreed, instead arguing that the game’s final moments were a sign of his team’s frustration with the College Football Playoff committee’s decision to exclude Ole Miss from the 12-team field.

“They wanted to send a statement to a lot of people,” Kiffin said of his players. “They felt left out of something and disrespected.”

“I think they set a standard and an expectation for how we want to play. That’s 21 wins in the last two years and we’re just getting started.”

Simmons’ late pass came after a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown from Duke’s Sahmir Hagans. Ole Miss blocked the extra point and almost returned it to the opponent’s end zone, contributing to the frantic end to the game.

Social media is reacting to Ole Miss’ loss to Duke

Kiffin’s argument did not convince everyone. Many social media users took issue with the final decision and were unconvinced by Kiffin’s explanation — especially considering Duke introduced QB Henry Belin IV in his second career start after Maalik Murphy and Grayson Loftis entered the transfer portal.

Did Kiffin & Co.’s tactics work? You are the judge. One thing is for sure: Kiffin gets people talking.

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