Pete Golding sends blunt Lane Kiffin message after Ole Miss victory as LSU loss adds tension to SEC rivalry

Pete Golding did not call Ole Miss’ 32-24 win over LSU a Super Bowl, but he admitted beating Lane Kiffin carried extra feeling after the game. Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Golding said he would try to beat Kiffin whether they were playing football or pickleball. The comment added a personal edge to Kiffin’s return to Oxford, even as Golding stressed that the Rebels have bigger goals this season.Pete Golding admits Lane Kiffin matchup meant something to Ole Miss“Whether I’m playing Kiffin in pickleball or football, I’m trying to whoop his a**,” Golding said on The Rich Eisen Show. “So there was that piece of it. After it, I was excited for our players and our administration, you know, and our staff who put a lot into it.”Golding had been careful after the game to keep the focus away from Kiffin. He said the victory was important, but it was not the reason Ole Miss worked through the offseason. That view has not changed. The Rebels are 3-0 and have already moved on to another ranked SEC game at Florida.Golding worked with Kiffin at Alabama before becoming Ole Miss’ head coach after Kiffin left for LSU. Their teams met in Oxford with both ranked inside the top 10.“I think beating any good team and any good football coach, and I put Kiffin in that category, you know, and it was no different than playing Kirby in the Sugar Bowl,” Golding said. “I mean, when you play good teams that are coached really well, like you got to get them prepared and you got to make good decisions, but your players got to go out there and execute at a high level.”Lane Kiffin and Pete Golding leave Ole Miss with bigger goals aheadOle Miss built a 24-7 halftime lead before LSU fought back and tied the score. Trinidad Chambliss then answered with a 14-yard touchdown run, and Jaylon Braxton ended LSU’s final threat with an interception in the end zone.Chambliss completed 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns, according to the Associated Press. He also ran for the go-ahead score as Ole Miss held on in front of more than 70,000 fans at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Associated Press described it as Kiffin’s return to Oxford after his move to LSU.Golding then pointed toward Florida.“And for that reward, we get to go play Florida in the Swamp as a top-25 team,” Golding said on The Rich Eisen Show. “So congratulations.”Ole Miss will visit No. 21 Florida on Saturday, September 26, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. CT, according to Ole Miss Athletics. Florida is also 3-0 after opening the season with wins over Florida Atlantic, Campbell and Auburn.Golding enjoyed beating his former colleague, but his message has stayed consistent. The LSU win mattered, Kiffin made it more personal, but neither the coach nor the Rebels can afford to treat one September victory as the finish line. That makes the Florida trip the next real test of whether Ole Miss can carry its early success forward.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.