Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-19 · by Mark Long The Associated Press
The article discusses an upcoming college football game between LSU and Ole Miss, scheduled for Saturday night, amid significant off-field drama and heightened security expectations. Coach Lane Kiffin's controversial departure from Ole Miss to lead LSU has fueled tensions, along with various legal disputes involving player contracts andNIL deals. The matchup, which features two Heisman Trophy contenders in Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy on the Ole Miss side, is expected to draw a crowd of around 100,000 people to Oxford, where security measures have been significantly bolstered due to potential fan hostility.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 16, 2023, a highly anticipated college football game took place in Oxford, Mississippi, where No. 8 Ole Miss hosted No. 7 LSU. The match was notable for being the first time since Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss to become LSU's head coach that he returned to Vaught Hemingway Stadium with his new team. Fans of both schools and football enthusiasts nationwide were excited about this matchup due to its high stakes and emotional backdrop. With an estimated 300,000 visitors converging on campus for the game and related festivities, security was heightened significantly. The event also drew attention for controversial off-field issues, including lawsuits over NIL deals and recruitment practices. Despite these distractions, the main focus remained on a thrilling in-game performance between two top-10 teams with notable Heisman contenders like Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy from Ole Miss, and LSU's Sam Leavitt. The game was seen as an emotional climax to months of anticipation and conflict, drawing substantial media coverage and betting interest across various sportsbooks and prediction markets. ESPN’s Harry Lyles provided extensive coverage leading up to the event, highlighting the drama surrounding Coach Kiffin's return. This matchup stood out even among other high-profile games like Texas vs. UTSA in Week 3, underscoring its significance in college football. The game promised not only intense competition but also a showcase of heated rivalry and personal stakes for all involved.
Written for “LSU vs Ole Miss Rivalry Game” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 25 other(s) covering the same event.
It’s not a 1 vs. 2 matchup or even last week’s showdown featuring No. 1 Ohio State and No. 4 Texas.
asserted
It → ’ → State
It started late last year when coach Lane Kiffin left the Rebels to take the LSU job and a $91 million contract just as the team he had coached for six years was days away from its first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
asserted
he → start → Playoff
Kiffin wanted to stay, but Ole Miss moved on to coach Pete Golding and advanced to the CFP semifinals.
asserted
Miss → want → semifinals
LSU finished 7-6, capped by a loss in the Texas Bowl.
asserted
LSU → finish → Bowl
The off-field storylines haven’t stopped since.
asserted
storylines → stop → field
Kiffin’s comments about whether Black players could be recruited to Ole Miss, lawsuits alleging Ole Miss transfers owe big money for reneging on their NIL deals and LSU’s now-abandoned defiance of rules against rostering former pro players have only brightened the spotlight for this one.
uncertain
transfers → recruit → one
LSU threw another wrinkle into the mix by saying midweek that quarterback Sam Leavitt was “doubtful” to play, sparking immediate fan accusations of gamesmanship.
asserted
Leavitt → throw → gamesmanship
He’s been upgraded since and is expected to start.
asserted
He → upgrade → ?
Kiffin himself acknowledged there could be “hatred” in the stands Saturday.
uncertain
Kiffin → acknowledge → stands
Security has been dramatically increased as authorities expect 100,000 people in Oxford, a town whose school-year population of about 25,000 is virtually all students.
asserted
population → increase → 25,000
LSU leads the overall series between these border rivals 65-39-3, but Ole Miss has won three of the past five meetings, including last year in Oxford.
asserted
Miss → lead → Oxford
The Tigers opened as 2 1/2-point favorites after giving up just two offensive touchdowns through two games, but they will be challenged by a pair of Heisman Trophy contenders in Ole Miss’ backfield: quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy.
asserted
they → open → backfield
The winner improves to 3-0 — and gets savory bragging rights.
asserted
winner → improve → rights
Swinney vs. Belichick takes the stage in the ACC
If Clemson and North Carolina were playing better football, their matchup Saturday would have a lot of appeal for the Xs and Os.
asserted
matchup → take → Xs
North Carolina went 4-8 last season in Belichick’s first year and investigators this week said they examined a range of allegations tied to potential drug use, inappropriate relationships and NCAA rule violations in the football program.
asserted
they → go → program
It is a startling list considering Belichick was hired less than two years ago on a five-year deal that included $10 million guaranteed in each of the first three years.
asserted
that → consider → years
General manager Michael Lombardi resigned earlier this month, and Belichick’s son, Steve, will not return to his job as defensive coordinator.
asserted
son → resign → coordinator
With all that going on, North Carolina can improve to 3-0 with a win.
Clemson got off to a 1-1 start after going 7-6 a year ago and failing to reach the ACC championship game for only the third time in the past 11 years.
asserted
Clemson → go → years
Swinney is 8-7 since taking the Tigers to the CFP in 2024, which was six years after the second of his two national championships.
asserted
which → take → championships
He has shrugged off criticism that he could be using the transfer portal more to land talented players, and he is tied to Clemson until 2031.
uncertain
he → shrug → 2031
The 10-year, $115 million deal signed before the 2022 season means his buyout, if fired before Jan. 1, would total $57 million.
asserted
buyout → sign → million
Both are eager to keep pace with No. 5 Miami, which beat Wake Forest 33-20 on Friday night as Darian Mensah completed 30 of 34 passes, including his first 24 attempts, for 220 yards and three touchdowns,.
asserted
Mensah → keep → yards
In the Big 12, two of the favorites opened league play with a terrific game Friday night in Lubbock, where No. 13 Texas Tech held on for a 28-26 win over No. 22 Houston.
asserted
Tech → open → Houston
Cougars QB Conner Weigman came up just short of a 2-point conversion in the final minute, a play that went to the Big 12 replay review room — the broadcast audience was able to watch and listen to the analysis — before it was upheld.
asserted
it → come → analysis
Best of the rest
There also are several intriguing matchups pitting 2-0 teams that can be best viewed as measuring stick games, including Virginia Tech at Maryland, Mississippi State at South Carolina and these:
— Florida at Auburn.
asserted
that → pit → Auburn
Gators QB Aaron Philo, who will make his first road start, has completed 76% of his passes with five touchdowns.
asserted
who → make → touchdowns
The Mountaineers, 2-0 for the first time since 2018, are playing their border-state rival for the first time since 2002.
asserted
Mountaineers → play → 2002
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