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Lane Kiffin pulls off zany and wacky Grove Bowl Games at Ole Miss

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss shook things up a bit for the annual spring game. In fact, what went down in Oxford today cannot truly be described as a spring game.

Even before Saturday arrived, Kiffin had dubbed the event the “Grove Bowl Games.” The afternoon included multiple sessions of 7-on-7 football, a dunk contest, an obstacle course and even a hot dog eating contest with an appearance from Joey Chestnut.

If that sounds wild, the highlights of the day are even crazier. Brandon Turnage provided one of the highlights from the slam dunk competition as the Red team raced out to a 27-0 lead over the Blue team. However, the Blue team answered back with a win in the tug-of-war competition.

There was some football played, even if it wasn’t 11-on-11 with pads. Jaxson Dart and Tre Harris connected on one pass in the early 7-on-7 portion with Dart showcasing a throw back across his body while on the run.

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In the other non-football events, Joey Chestnut helped Blue team cut into the deficit with a big performance during the hot dog eating contest. Blue team followed that up with a strong showing in the obstacle course for its first lead of the games.

Ultimately, the Red team would rally with a big deep ball from Walker Howard and eventually captured the win with a 71-70 victory over the Blue team.

Insanity or brilliance?

Across the country, many teams hit the field Saturday in full pads and opted to orchestrate some form of a spring game resembling real football. Kiffin and Ole Miss opted for the complete opposite, turning Saturday in a full-blown spectacle in all its glory.

Was it the right move for a big-time college football program? That’s up to you to decide, but the event was nothing if not entertaining.

It was tailor-made for the era of social media, and a number of fans couldn’t get enough. Check out the reaction to Saturday’s… “game:”

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.

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