‘Are You Not Entertained?’ | Lane Kiffin Serves as Ringmaster of Highly-Enjoyable Grove Bowl Games

OXFORD, Miss. — Lane Kiffin has always been known as an innovative football coach, one who doesn’t just think outside the box — but, as he says, creates a new box. He may also have just reinvented the spring football game.

Other teams around the country stuck with traditional spring games, and they were so bland that Baskin-Robbins only has 30 flavors left as plain vanilla was taken for the day.

Meanwhile, Kiffin’s event at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium had more electricity than all the other games combined. He was the ringmaster of a highly-entertaining and enjoyable circus known now as the Grove Bowl Games.

A dunk contest, an obstacle course, a tug of war, a hot dog eating contest. All of which were more entertaining than watching a scrimmage in which the kicking game was taken out of the equation.

Are you Ready…..to eat some hot dogs! pic.twitter.com/a8kZObn6He

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) April 13, 2024

There was something Saturday for everyone.

The games continue with the obstacle course at the Vaught. 🔥Hotty Toddy!
(🎥: @donniechambliss) pic.twitter.com/EXaA2NQhFs

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) April 13, 2024

Landry and Monte Kiffin crossing the finish line in the golf-cart-push portion of the obstacle course. Hotty Toddy!

(📸: @KarisChambliss, RW) pic.twitter.com/NSoPqvUoIc

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) April 13, 2024

For the coaches, it was a chance to reward the players with some fun with a minimal chance of injury.

For the players, it was a chance to blow off some steam and also relax at the same time.

For the announcers, Dave Hart and Jordan Rodgers did not need to fill dead space between plays. The duo was allowed to let their hair down, so to speak, and improvise instead of the usual play-by-play and analysis duties. Also, the pair had more access to the games than any other announcers in the country.

Jordan Rodgers also tried his hand in the hot dog eating contest (he ate three)– the same contest in which world champion Joey Chestnut came in and demolished 20 hot dogs in a minute-and-a-half.

Eaters Have to Eat ‼️@joeyjaws pic.twitter.com/SIE9uC7ciV

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) April 13, 2024

Here’s some of the action from the hot dog eating contest. Go Rebs! pic.twitter.com/sFkYHkKZNw

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) April 13, 2024

For the students, sorority and fraternities were able to not only participate, but also get some air time on television. It was a chance for those students to interact with the players and coaches. For the fans in the stands, the students were able to bring coolers into the stadium and the ones over 21 were allowed adult beverages. It was simply the Grove in the student section.

Fans got to see the players’ personalities. Instead of heavily-clad behemoths, the Rebels were without pads and most importantly, no helmets. The fans actually got to see the players’ faces like every other sport on campus.

Big fellas on Blue bring it home 💪 pic.twitter.com/kx38ZicP9o

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) April 13, 2024

Brandon Turnage, an Oxford native who recently transferred home to Ole Miss, impressed with his win in the dunk contest.

Hometown kid threw down 😳@bturnage1k | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/FMl6GQl7n9

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) April 13, 2024

While other schools had games that were more bland than an ulcer sufferers diet, Kiffin’s idea certainly spiced things up in Oxford.

Next year, expect other schools to copy Ole Miss’ look at the end of spring drills. Kiffin should have patented this idea.

AROUND THE LEAGUE SATURDAY

It was also the conclusion of spring practice for a few other SEC teams.

At Tennessee, a familiar name to Vol fans took a few snaps. Navy Shuler — yes, his first name is Navy — is the son of former UT star Heath Shuler who was the runner up for the Heisman Trophy. The younger Shuler, who wears his father’s number 21,  transferred into Knoxville from Appalachian State. He is a redshirt senior with three years of eligibility remaining. The Vols also have their version of a switch hitter on the gridiron. Jackson Ross, a kicker from Australia, can punt with either foot.

At Georgia the most exciting thing was the unveiling of new hedges at Sanford Stadium. UGA will have new hedges for the first time since head coach Kirby Smart was a sophomore. The new foliage will be ready to go by the season opener, but Saturday on television, they were just some skinny bushes.

Arkansas didn’t exactly split its squads equally. The Red team got off to a 32-0 lead and made it look easy. The White squad finally got on the board late in the third quarter on a long run by Braylen Russell. The freshman 252-pounder showed surprising agility on the scoring scamper and could be a weapon in the fall. The crowd was sparse after a disappointing 2023 season but there were other things to do in Fayetteville. Seven Razorback athletic teams are ranked in the top 15 nationally.

LSU’s defense did not like being embarrassed on a long touchdown pass. The offense decided to celebrate the score by playing a game of duck, duck, goose and a member of the secondary didn’t like it. Safety Jordan Allen crashed the party by breaking into the festivities, grabbing the football and flinging it downfield so the party could not be completed. It was the most emotion the Bayou Bengals showed all day.

SEC Network analyst Chris Doering said the vibe around his hometown of Gainesville was “cautious optimism” for Florida this spring. A lot of the anticipation revolves around true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. But incumbent starter Graham Mertz doesn’t seem to want to give up his job. At the end of the third quarter he was doing an interview for television and when asked about his performance, Mertz said he was not done, he was going back in for the fourth period. There are not many players with that kind of enthusiasm for a spring game.

SAY WHAT????? 

I suppose I am a masochist. I listened to a podcast from above the Mason-Dixon Line last week.

The show’s “expert” said Ole Miss would be a middle-of-the-pack team in the SEC because the Rebels have no depth. Excuse me?

Ole Miss returns four offensive linemen and picked up more in the portal, including 2/5 (Nate Kalepo and Julius Buelow) of the Joe Moore Award winning offensive line from Washington, the same Washington that reached the national title game.  There are four quality tight ends, including Peach Bowl Offensive MVP Caden Prieskorn.

Jaxson Dart has backup QBs in Walker Howard, Austin Simmons, and AJ Maddox who could start for many other teams. The wide receiver room was already ridiculous with Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, Cayden Lee and Ayden Williams returning, along with Juice Wells added through the transfer portal.

Defensively, defensive coordinator Pete Golding can rotate his front seven in more than a few ways. With names like returnees JJ Pegues, Jared Ivey, Zxavian Harris, and Akelo Stone, joined by two of the top transfers in the country in Walter Nolen (A&M) and Princely Umanmielen (Florida) and freshmen Kam Franklin and Jeffrey Rush, this may be the best defensive front the Rebels have had in program history. Oh and did we mention former five-star Suntarine Perkins? Yes, he’s back for his sophomore season.

In the secondary, there are at least eight players who should see substantial playing time. Trey Washington and Chris Graves have looked fantastic in spring practices, and the Rebels also added transfer safeties Key Lawrence (Oklahoma) and Yam Banks (South Alabama) and cornerback Trey Amos from Alabama.

The Rebels even return their kicker and punter.

Saying Ole Miss does not have depth is like saying the ocean is not wet.

THANKS FOR COMING BY

Not only did national champion hot dog eater Chestnut show up for the hot dog eating contest, a few former Rebels made an appearance at their alma mater.

Elijah Moore and AJ Brown took time away from their NFL offseason workouts to come home and serve as judges in the slam dunk contest, but they were not the only pass catchers to participate in the games.

Former tight end Jonathan Hess, who will appear on The Bachelorette this fall, took on the sorority champs in a bonus tug of war. Let’s hope Hess does better on the reality show than he did against the sorority winners of tug of war as the four young ladies defeated Hess.

Hotty Toddy!