Lane Kiffin calls three timeouts ahead of Tennessee field goal: 'It's supposed to ice them'

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is in Knoxville on Saturday night as a head coach for the first time since leaving the program in 2009, and he is certainly making the most of it. 

In addition to taking a 24-12 lead over Tennessee into the locker room at half time, Kiffin spent his three awarded timeouts of the first half icing Vols kicker Chase McGrath. It didn’t work, as McGrath hit the 39-yard kick to bring the Volunteers to within 12 points, but that wasn’t really the point. 

The Ole Miss coach could be seen on the sideline smirking in a playful manner after calling the timeouts as the fans of his former team unsurprisingly booed him. Kiffin spent one year at the helm for the Volunteers before departing for what he called his “dream job” at USC.

ESPN’s Cole Cubelic asked Kiffin about the move before he headed into the locker room. 

“It actually says it’s supposed to ice them,” Kiffin responded when asked what the analytics say about calling three consecutive timeouts. “Don’t let them kick it like in golf where they get a free shot.”

After the sarcastic banter, Cubelic focused his questions for the second-year head coach on the rest of the contest.

“Well, he’s playing without of players, too,” Kiffin said of his quarterback Matt Corral. “[Receiver] Braylon Sanders is out for the game, we’re already down to our third, fourth receivers and tight ends. He’s making plays and some of those are quarterback draws, too.”

Corral was 12-for-24 with 164 yards through the air, 95 yards on the ground and a touchdown in the first half. He still has yet to throw an interception this season. Running back Snoop Conner added two scores. In total, Ole Miss had 310 yards of offense in the first half, while the Vols had 141.

Kiffin’s final comment showed that while the Rebels have the lead, he is not completely content with the first 30 minutes of play.

“We screwed up there at the end of the half giving them three [points],” the offensive guru added. “But to be up 24-12 on the road, we weathered their storm, which was a great energy right away in the first quarter.”

For the first time since 2017, Neyland Stadium is sold out, and it is as loud as it has been in recent memory, as Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is searching for his first signature win in Knoxville.