WATCH: Lane Kiffin shoves player toward sideline after costly false start on fourth down

Taking on No. 7 Kentucky at home, No. 14 Ole Miss was aggressive to start, with coach Lane Kiffin ratcheting up the tempo on the team’s opening drive and attempting to go for a fourth-and-1 from just inside Kentucky territory. But a false start blew up the attempt, and Kiffin wasn’t happy, shoving one of the responsible players toward the sideline following the miscue.

Kiffin was seen on camera yelling quite a bit before his tight end, Michael Trigg, walked over to the sideline and Kiffin sped him along.

“If you line up without substituting they have to keep the same defensive personnel on the field, then they tried to get the right call in and I think it was Michael Trigg, the tight end, who jumped,” the ESPN broadcast crew said. “That’s who Lane Kiffin was giving an earful to at the end of that play because now, at fourth-and-6, they want to kick the football.”

Lane Kiffin was not happy with Ole Miss tight end Michael Trigg after his false start prevented the Rebels from going for it on 4th and 1.

Kiffin gave Trigg a little shove on his way back to the sidelines. pic.twitter.com/tiR8dQt6XG

— Steve Samra (@SamraSource) October 1, 2022

No harm done after Lane Kiffin shoves player

The Rebels got the ball back quickly after pinning the Wildcats deep, though, so the penalty ultimately didn’t hurt too badly. And Kiffin’s shove itself was relatively benign.

Ole Miss punter Fraser Masin dropped a punt down to the Kentucky 5-yard line after the Rebels were backed up to fourth-and-6. After briefly allowing one first down, the Rebels defense forced a punt. Quarterback Jaxson Dart quickly led a scoring drive that was capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by running back Zach Evans, giving Ole Miss an early 7-0 lead.

Kentucky attempted to answer on its ensuing drive but field goal kicker Matt Ruffolo missed a 39-yard field goal attempt wide left, leaving it 7-0 Ole Miss with 2:44 remaining in the first quarter at the time of this publication.

Ole Miss looking for big win against replenished Kentucky team

With Ole Miss looking to crack into the top-10, the Rebels will have to do so against a Wildcats team working with a more full complement of offensive firepower for the first time this year.

Star running back Chris Rodriguez returned from a suspension on Saturday after missing the team’s first four games of the season.

“They have their running back coming back, as you know. Who’s going to be fresh. Fresh, right in time for our game. Very timely suspension,” Kiffin said Friday on the Paul Finebaum Show. “So we’ll get them at their best.”

On the Kentucky drive prior to Ruffolo’s missed field goal attempt, Rodriguez carried the ball four times for 28 yards, having some early success on the ground against Ole Miss.