"You're a little quieter now than before": Lane Kiffin takes playful swipe at Oklahoma DL David Stone after Ole Miss' commanding win

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin led his No. 8 Rebels to a morale-boosting 34-26 win over the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman to recover from last weekend's loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. The win moved the Rebels to 7-1 and boosted their chances of reaching the SEC championship game and clinching a spot in the college football playoffs.

During his pitchside interview after the game, the charismatic Kiffin took a playful swipe at Sooners defensive lineman David Stone due to a comment he made during the high-stakes SEC clash.

"You're a little quieter now than before," Lane Kiffin said.

David Stone was a five-star recruit in the class of 2023 and he received an offer from Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss before committing to the Oklahoma Sooners. He finished the game against Ole Miss with three tackles.

Lane Kiffin praised for handling Florida job speculation

During a Friday interview with ESPN's sideline reporter Molly McGrath, Lane Kiffin revealed that he would address his players on the speculation linking him to the vacant Florida Gators job after Billy Napier was sacked last week.

The cast of the SEC Nation show, including former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, praised Kiffin for how he has handled the persistent rumors about leaving for Gainesville.

“He’s (Kiffin) telling the truth that he’s accurate about it,” Tebow said. “For the last four years, every job, we can mention a bunch in the SEC and around the country that have brought his name up. "He has been speculated about, talked about, and I know a lot of teams have talked to him and approached him. It’s not new for him and this Ole Miss team, but it is new for some of the players. That’s why I think it’s appropriate the way he addressed it.”

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum also weighed in on Kiffin's dignified handling of the rumors.

“I like what he did; he didn’t attack the media like two other SEC coaches recently did,” Paul Finebaum said. “Just saying it’s all fake. It’s not fake. It’s real. Kiffin’s name is out there, and I think that is the way you do it as opposed to obfuscating against everyone and act like nothing else is happening. It is happening.”

Two years ago, Lane Kiffin was heavily linked with the Auburn Tigers job, which he turned down after his daughter, Landry Kiffin, asked him to stay in Oxford with Ole Miss, where she went to school.

Edited by Cabral Opiyo