Lane Kiffin reflective in defeat, as LSU falls to Ole Miss - ESPN

OXFORD, Miss. — Not long after LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt's fourth-down pass bounced off the helmet of Ole Miss defender Kam Franklin and into the hands of defensive back Jaylon Braxton in the end zone, Tigers coach Lane Kiffin fell to his knees.

Before the No. 8 Rebels put the finishing touches on their 32-24 victory over the No. 7 Tigers on Saturday night, Ole Miss gave Kiffin one more parting gift as «Callin' Baton Rouge» blared through the speakers of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium while tens of thousands of fans exorcised 10 months of frustration in the final moments of their former coach's highly anticipated return.

Surrounded by a handful of Louisiana State Troopers, Kiffin embraced Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, his former defensive coordinator, at midfield.

Fans serenaded Kiffin with boos as he jogged off the field where he had helped transform Ole Miss into one of the best teams in the SEC before leaving for LSU on Nov. 30, just weeks before the Rebels' first College Football Playoff appearance.

Afterward, Kiffin was asked if he was happy the game was over and whether the outcome might bring some closure to the brewing animosity.

«I'm sure I'll be criticized for saying that, but, yeah, I am,» Kiffin said. «I was thinking that all week, especially today, and I would have said that in a win or a loss. You know, that was really emotional driving in on the buses for a lot of reasons. And I'm not saying this because I would have said this anyway since you asked. It was just really a lot of emotions of gratefulness for this place and for the six years. It went well beyond football.»

When Kiffin was asked to expound on his feelings about coming back to a place where he has been public enemy number one since he left for