Ole Miss sets new attendance record during Week 12 game vs. Florida
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Ole Miss is on the verge of the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. That’s even amid the will-he-or-won’t-he debate surrounding Lane Kiffin and a possible move to Florida.
Kiffin has passionately rallied Rebels fans to come to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium throughout the season. They responded in Week 12, as the program announced an attendance of 68,138 for a 34-24 win over the Gators, a program record.
This one was tight for a while. The Gators, with their eyes set on spoiling the Rebels’ Playoff hopes, held a 24-20 lead after three quarters.
But a career-best performance for Kewan Lacy, which included scoring two of his three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to go along with his 224 yards, helped Ole Miss to a 34-24 win. All that’s left is to beat Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Black Friday to sew up a CFP appearance.
Many in the crowd on Saturday chanted “We want Lane” in their attempt to dissuade Kiffin from considering taking the vacant head coaching job in Gainesville. But there’s still work for him to do in Oxford. Should the Rebels make the Playoff, they’ll likely host the first-round matchup in what could be Kiffin’s final game in front of a home crowd. Or will it?
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
