Inside Coach Lane Kiffin's Locker Room Message to Ole Miss Following Loss to LSU

What did Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin have to say to his team after it lost an overtime heartbreaker to the LSU Tigers?

Oct 12, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin reacts after a play against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels lost their second heartbreaker in three weeks on Saturday night, falling to the LSU Tigers 29-26 in overtime in Baton Rouge.

The Rebels (5-2, 2-2 SEC) had plenty of opportunities to gain a sizable lead early in the game and put the game away during the second half, but they failed to do so. LSU, in response, was able to tie the game with less than a minute left in regulation and then go on to win in the first overtime period.

After the loss, head coach Lane Kiffin was asked what his message to the team was in the locker room, and he didn't mince his words on the pain that the players were feeling.

"This sucks. I feel for you," Kiffin said. "This is a hard one, and you've got a bye. You don't get to play again [next week]. It's easier to get beat by a couple of scores. This is like our game, and we let it slip away. These are hard. This one will be around forever."

Kiffin stated that he believes the Rebels let the game "slip away" on Saturday, and missed opportunities on offense helped doom Ole Miss when the final whistle blew.

"It never should have gotten [to overtime]," Kiffin said. "We should have finished it when we had the ball up four with a chance to go down and make it two scores. Similar to the Kentucky game, we put ourselves in a much harder situation.

"Really disappointed, obviously. We should win that game. Kind of commanded the game for the majority of it, but credit to them for making plays in the fourth quarter and overtime."

The Rebels now have essentially no margin for error, if they hope to reach the College Football Playoff. With two losses in tow, it's very possible that they will have to win out to feel like they have a chance at reaching the tournament at the end of the year, and that will be no easy feat in the SEC.

Ole Miss will take the next week off before playing host to Oklahoma on Oct. 26 in Oxford.