Josh Heupel addresses end of game fiasco between Tennessee and Ole Miss

The finale of the Tennessee vs. Ole Miss football game in Neyland Stadium last season went down as one of the more memorable moments of the entire year. Former Vols coach Lane Kiffin took his shiny new Ole Miss squad into Knoxville and came away victorious against Josh Heupel’s club. But the Rebels didn’t depart the field until after UT fans serenaded it with mustard bottles, golf balls, beer cans, you name it. Whatever Tennessee fans had available to launch onto the field to express their malcontent, they did.

So, at his SEC Media Days appearance Thursday, Volunteers coach Josh Heupel addressed that game, praising the atmosphere rather than condemning the behavior. He also joked that, unlike Kiffin, he wasn’t asked to sign any condiment bottles this offseason.

Here were his comments:

“I didn’t sign any mustard bottles or golf balls. Maybe wish I had had a golf ball that night, you know what I mean. But I’m only kidding. It was a great, competitive atmosphere, man. That’s college sports as good as it gets. Just the energy and electricity inside of that stadium for 59 minutes. It was special.”

A “special” atmosphere, per Heupel. Kiffin himself honored that day by signing a mustard bottle at SEC Media Days for a fan.

Kiffin says fan asked for signature on mustard bottle

SEC Media Days normally produces a few whacky stories — as do most SEC games in the fall. However, a head coach slapping his John Hancock on a mustard bottle is among the more strange storylines to come out of the event this week.

Of course, mustard bottles and other items were spewed all over Neyland Stadium after Ole Miss toppled Tennessee. Which prompted one fan to ask Kiffin for a signature on a bottle of the golden condiment at SEC Media Days this year.

Here was the Rebels coach’s report of the indcident:

“I did sign a mustard bottle. That was the first guy to come up, which I think he had an Alabama shirt on, so I was a little confused there. I have signed a lot of mustard bottles and golf balls, which normally I haven’t,” said Kiffin. “It’s been a unique off-season.”

SEC Football never fails to disappoint. Unfortunately, the two teams won’t get a rematch this coming season unless they both make it to the conference championship. And let’s be frank, that has no shot of happening.