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Ole Miss legend Eli Manning helped fire up Rebel fans before last Saturday night’s 32-24 win against rival LSU by narrating the team’s official hype video. In an interview with Front Office Sports Tonight’s Bridget Condon, the two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback credited the fans for their role in the big win over the Tigers and former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin.
“It was obviously a lot of emotions,” Manning told Condon. “And I thought Oxford and the Ole Miss family showed up on Saturday. The stadium was rocking. Got off to a great start, built a big lead … Trinidad [Chambliss] did a great job making some plays … so just a great college football game, a great environment, and happy for my Ole Miss family.”
Personally, Manning was less emotional about the game and Kiffin’s controversial exit from Ole Miss last season. The fan base, however, was largely a different story, which he thought was understandable.
“When you get fans, and you get in the Southeastern Conference, these fans, this is their life—football is their life,” Manning said. “They are passionate about it. They pay a lot of money to go to games and support every week. And so when they feel betrayal, they’re going to show their emotions as well.”
The biggest question in Manning’s mind is what could’ve been had Kiffin decided to stay and lead Ole Miss into last season’s College Football Playoff rather than departing for LSU. The Rebels ended up one play short of a national championship appearance, losing to Miami 31-27 on the final play of the semifinal game.
“The best opportunity Ole Miss has ever had,” Manning said. “And you went to one of our rivals. It was another team in the conference, in the division, a five-hour drive away; a team that we beat handily that year.
“You go [to] them, to what? To try to win a national championship. It was right here. It was right in front of you to win one right here, right now.” Kiffin’s exit and public plea to try to continue coaching Ole Miss through the playoff, was a sticking point last year. In that regard, Manning understands the vitriol from Ole Miss fans. But the Rebels won the game and are firmly positioned in the national landscape. Ole Miss is ranked No. 4 in the latest Associated Press top 25.
There may come a time later on to appreciate Kiffin’s six-year tenure at Ole Miss, but in the present, Manning is looking forward to moving on.
“I never tried to get real emotional about it,” Manning said. “And in some ways, hey, I’m thankful for Lane for what he did for Ole Miss and to get us to where we are right now and to build this program up. And when he came to Old Miss, it was not where it needed to be.
“And to the fact, we’re in the playoffs last year, and we’re a game away from being in the national championship. All those things were unbelievable. Hey, he didn’t want to be here. He wanted to go somewhere else. Fine. You know, go somewhere else and move on.”
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