It’s year two of the Lane Kiffin era in Oxford, Mississippi, and the buzz around the Grove Bowl this Saturday seems to have grown after Coach Kiffin himself hinted at something special he had planned for the game itself. Some have tried to guess as to what Coach Kiffin might have up his sleeve for the fans on Saturday, but knowing him, it’s something nobody can even fathom. With that being said, the surprise Coach Kiffin may or may not have for Saturday’s Grove Bowl is no comparison as to what this season will bring to the Ole Miss faithful.

Head Coach Lane Kiffin had this to say about his excitement for the annual Grove Bowl this Saturday.

” Hopefully, there will be a lot of people there,” Kiffin said. “It’ll be the first time we’ve been in the stadium without COVID restrictions, so we’re expecting a lot of people to be there and for players and fans to enjoy something that a lot of them haven’t been able to do in a while.”

In his first season as Head Coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, Lane Kiffin went 5-5, including a massive win in the Outback Bowl over Indiana to push the offseason hype of the Lane Train to an all-time high. In his first season as Head Coach, Lane Kiffin brought a new sense of excitement to Oxford, with an explosive offense leading the charge.

So what can fans expect from the Grove Bowl on Saturday? It’s hard to say because it’s a Spring Game, and a lot can change from now to kickoff in the fall, but that doesn’t mean fans can’t expect a little bit from the Grove Bowl.

A few things, in particular, could jump off the page for the Rebel faithful.

The first being, how has the defense evolved in the offseason? Last season, the defensive unit was the downfall of last year’s team. The Problem was, Ole Miss would score enough on offense to win more games, but on the defensive, they would give up twice as much. In the Outback Bowl, Ole Miss held Indiana to 20 points which was impressive given the fact that the Indiana offensive units was one of the best in the Big 10.

On Saturday, fans can expect to see the old-fashioned Landshark defense make a return.

Defensive Back Jalen Jordan had this to say about his unit and how ready they are to get back on the field in front of the Ole Miss faithful.

“I’m excited for all of us to come together as one and have a good defensive game.”

Lastly, and most importantly, Ole Miss fans like in baseball can expect to see a near-capacity crowd at Vaught Hemingway Stadium for the first time since 2019. For once, it feels like old times as 60,000 Ole Miss fans make their way into the Vaught to celebrate the return of Ole Miss football.