KNOXVILLE (Tenn.) -- Lane Kiffin was up for anything Saturday night as he returned to Neyland Stadium as head coach.
However, he didn't plan on avoiding a sea of plastic and glass bottles in an end-of-game scenario that saw Ole Miss defeat Tennessee 31 to 26.
Kiffin stated that "it's an emotionally charged game, and fans are emotional. But you don't expect anything like that, to watch all that stuff fly out of the stands." "I was hit with a golfball, but at least the person who threw it was smart enough not to throw a dirty-range ball," Kiffin said.
The game was delayed by around 20 minutes because officials determined that Tennessee tight end Jacob Warren, a fourth-and-24 play from a questionable spot, was stopped with 54 seconds left.
Replay officials upheld the call on the field. Irate fans from both the lower and higher decks started to litter the field and the sideline with bottles and debris, many of which were filled with water or other substances. Several Ole Miss cheerleaders were hit.
Security personnel evacuated the Ole Miss sideline, pushing the players and coaches to the middle of field. Game officials huddled at the midfield until some order was restored.
Tennessee fans were already booing throughout the game. Ole Miss' defensive players would be hurt after the Vols started moving the ball on offense.
After a Tennessee driver was stopped late Saturday night, fans threw things onto the field. Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Kiffin was the Tennessee head coach in 2009, before he took the USC job. He joked that he would keep the yellow range ball as souvenir, and claimed that he had been nearly tied with other items.
Kiffin stated that there were many bottles with brown stuff inside them. "I don't know what it was." It wasn't moonshine. They wouldn't throw moonshine at me.
Ole Miss was forced to punt after Ole Miss went three and out when the game resumed. After Velus Jones Jr. had returned the punt 40 yard, Tennessee was able get the ball back at the Ole Miss 47 with three seconds remaining.
Tennessee quarterback Hendon hooker was hurt on the first play of his drive. Joe Milton III, his backup, was forced out of bounds on the final play at the Ole Miss 8,-yard line.
Both the University of Tennessee and the SEC issued strong-worded statements denouncing the bottle-throwing scene at game's end. Donde Plowman (UT's chancellor) tweeted that she was shocked and sickened at the behavior of Vol fans at tonight's end.
She said that she would call Glenn Boyce, Ole Miss chancellor, on Sunday to offer her personal apology to the University of Tennessee.
Plowman stated that Neyland Stadium was always a place for families and will continue to be so.
Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, stated in a statement that the "acts of fans at Saturday's game were unacceptable under any circumstance." Although we are used to intense competition every week it is not acceptable to endanger contest participants or disrupt a game.
Sankey stated that the league would examine existing conference policies and the commissioner’s authority to impose sanctions and "communicate avec the leadership at the University of Tennessee (and all of the SEC member universities) to ensure this situation does not repeat."
ESPN reported that Kiffin never tried to stop the game because bottles were being hurled from stands.
Kiffin stated, "I just wanted our coaches and everyone on our sideline who weren't wearing helmets to be safe." "All the players are wearing helmets. "The helmets are for the players."
Kiffin expressed appreciation for several Tennessee officials, including Bill Whitesell who came to the Ole Miss sideline in order to keep everyone safe. During part of the delay, Danny White, Tennessee athletic director, sat on the Ole Miss sideline alongside Keith Carter, Ole Miss athletic director. He watched from the stands as law enforcement officials attempted to calm the situation down.
White tweeted that Tennessee fans had much to be proud about during the 59 minutes of Saturday's football. He called it one the best sporting atmospheres he has ever seen, but said the events of the last minute were unacceptable. White offered his condolences to the Ole Miss football team on behalf of the University of Tennessee.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel stated that he was disappointed by the game's stoppage. "This football game will be the story from a small number of our fans because so many of them represented intensity in an amazing way tonight."
The father of Kiffin, Monte Kiffin (82 years old), had to be taken from the field with his sister Heidi, before the game ended. As the game ended, Kiffin was given more items by his father, Monte Kiffin, 82 years old, as he was taken from the field with Kiffin's sister Heidi.
"I bought a few No. They were also the No. Kiffin laughed. "I guess that's the story of my entire life. There is no normal.
Matt Corral, Ole Miss quarterback, said that the players had known all week how crucial this contest was for Kiffin.
Corral said that Coach was cool about the game but that he wanted to know that we had his best interests at heart. He passed for 231 yards, and ran for another 195. It's just as sweet to see their fans so mad at Corral for coming back in here and winning.
