Emotions intensified before Ole Miss football faced LSU with Lane Kiffin making his return. Pete Golding earned a prime chance to take down his former Rebels boss, but had his composure tested amid a late Tigers rally. But Golding and Ole Miss earned the last laugh in escaping 32-24.

LSU erased a 24-7 deficit late with Kiffin leaning into new quarterback Sam Leavitt. Kiffin's QB even turned heads before the game with his name showing up on the pregame injury report as “doubtful.” But Leavitt looked healthy in sparking 17 unanswered points, including tossing a 26-yard touchdown pass.

But LSU handed Ole Miss and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss too much time on the clock. Chambliss engineered a climactic final drive that included scaling a couple of third down scenarios. The dual-threat quarterback capped off the drive in scoring from 14 yards out with his legs.

Golding then rolled the dice and called for Ole Miss to go for two. JT Lindsey answered the call in taking the direct snap from center and punching it in, making it an eight-point game.

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The defensive guru Golding, though, needed to get the Rebels to deliver one last stop. LSU faced a fourth down inside the Ole Miss red zone. But Ole Miss tipped the Leavitt pass into the air, falling into the hands of defensive back Jaylon Braxton to seal the win.

Ole Miss and Golding entered a more loud and hostile Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with Kiffin's return. Saturday marked his first appearance since the controversial exit from Oxford, leaving the Rebels before playing in the College Football Playoffs. Golding is proving he became the right guy to lead this team, as he's now 5-1 as a head coach.