Whatever level the temperature rises to inside of Ole Miss’ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Saturday’s top 10 matchup, LSU linebacker Whit Weeks believes his coach Lane Kiffin is equipped to handle the anticipated blistering reception he’ll receive.
“I know he’s going to get it,” Weeks grinned during Tuesday’s interview session with local reporters. “I know they don’t like him over there. He’s prepared for that. It is what it is. He’s done it before in his career. He’s more prepared than anybody.”
Kiffin guided Ole Miss to a 55-19 record in six seasons but stepped away from his potential crowning achievement with the Rebels before the start of the College Football Playoffs.
He accepted an offer to become the head coach at LSU, the bitter rival of Ole Miss, and the Rebels proceeded to reach the semifinal round of the CFP under interim head coach Pete Golding, the team’s defensive coordinator Kiffin brought to Oxford four years ago.
For the first time in 64 years when No. 8 Ole Miss (2-0) hosts No. 7 LSU (2-0) at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, both teams will both be ranked in the top 10 at the time of their Southeastern Conference game.
A sold-out, full-throated Vaught-Hemingway Stadium awaits where ESPN’s GameDay will be on hand. The game will be nationally televised by ABC.
“It’s another game,” said LSU defensive end Princewill Umanmielen, one of four former Ole Miss players making their return to their former school. “It’s something to look forward to. It’s a blessing to be able to play the game I love. It’s another week.”
The importance of playing as a team
Umanmielen discounted the decibel level that will rock Vaught-Hemingway posing any possible effect on the visiting Tigers.
“It ain’t about them, it’s about us,” he said. “We’re just going to play our ball, do our 1/11 and things should go our way for sure.”
When Kiffin addressed reporters during his customary news conference on Monday, he felt that if any pressure existed surrounding the game, it was squarely on the shoulders of Ole Miss because it was a 13-game winner, compared to LSU’s 7-win season, and returned such marquee players as quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy.
“Whatever Kiff says goes,” Umanmielen said of the coach he’s played for the past two seasons. “If that’s what he said we should go with that. We’re taking it one game a time. Not worried about game day. (We) Worry about practice and treat it like game day. Practicing hard. Game day reps.”
Weeks said he hasn’t experienced anything to suggest defensive players like Umanmielen, and linebacker TJ Dottery are approaching the third game of the season any differently than they did in earlier wins over Clemson and Louisiana Tech.
“I think both of them are locked in and they know this is just our next opponent,” Weeks said. “Neither of them have said anything about going back to Oxford or anything like that, playing former teammates. They know the task at hand. Neither of them are getting too high or too low. They’re staying steady. They know they have to come and have a good week of work.”
Former Rebels playing key defensive roles
Dottery, who signed with Clemson out of high school, spent two seasons playing for Kiffin at Ole Miss which enjoyed a school record best 13-2 season and trip to the CFP’s semifinal.
Dottery led the SEC in tackles with 98 in 2025 and is LSU’s leader with 14. He’s compiled 191 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 3 ½ sacks in 34 career games with 19 starts.
“I love playing with him so much,” Weeks said. “He’s one of my best friends on the team. We spent a lot of time together this offseason. Getting to build that relationship has been a lot of fun for me, and all of these other transfer guys.
“It’s a lot of fun getting to hang out with these guys, getting to pick their minds because they’ve been at a lot of different places and they know a lot of football because they’ve been in so many different schemes,” Weeks said. “On the field, we both have similar mindsets. Both (are) high-energy guys. It’s a lot of fun to be out there together and lot of fun to celebrate.”
Umanmielen spent the first two years of his career at Nebraska before transferring to Ole Miss for the ’25 season. He registered 44 tackles, 13 TFLs and nine sacks last season, increasing his career sack total to 15 with a team-best five for the Tigers this season.
A year together with Chambliss, a candidate for this season’s Heisman Trophy, didn’t provide Umanmielen with a blueprint to share with his teammates.
“I wouldn’t say it gives me an edge,” he said. “I’m still attacking the same way, looking at film, seeing stuff that I hadn’t seen before and take it like a regular game.
“They’ve got good players over there for sure,” he said. “(They’re) Mobile, move around and facilitate on defense. We’ve really got to keep them in the pocket and be grinders and gritty. Go hard and play each play and if something goes wrong, it’s a next play mentality.”
Chambliss, who won a Division II national championship at Ferris State, impacted his team’s 24-19 victory last season against LSU – which was also played in Oxford.
The Rebels led 17-7 at halftime on Lacy’s 15-yard touchdown run when the Tigers responded in the third quarter on consecutive field goals from Damien Ramos, getting as close as 17-13 at the 5:58 mark.
Logan Diggs’ 6-yard scoring run with 11:08 left in the game proved to be the clinching score before Harlem Berry added a six-yard TD with 5:04 to play.
Chambliss completed 23 of 39 passes for 314 yards with an interception and a touchdown. He also had 71 yards on 14 carries.
Wide receiver Winston Watkins, who transferred to LSU, had three catches for 38 yards.
“It’s like any player, he’s evolved a lot,” Weeks said of Chambliss said. “I think he’s gotten even better than when we saw him last year. He’s definitely going to be a challenge. It’s a good challenge and I’m looking forward to it.”
Umanmielen, who said he and Dottery have shared with teammates their past knowledge of Chambliss and Lacy, downplayed the sight of seeing some of his former Ole Miss teammates.
“Of course it’s exciting seeing those guys,” he said. “It’s another week. They’re on the opposing side.”
