Mockery emanates from Ole Miss' Grove on the day of Lane Kiffin's return to campus with LSU

Ole Miss' Grove is teeming with football fans — many in a mocking mood — as LSU coach Lane Kiffin returns to Mississippi for the first time since leaving last fall for their border-state rival

OXFORD, Miss. -- Only one year ago, Mississippi fans hailed Lane Kiffin as the coach that helped them beat border-state rival LSU .

On Saturday, as the No. 8 Rebels prepared to host No. 7 LSU, Ole Miss fans were eager to mock and heckle Kiffin in myriad ways — and did so amid abundant security measures designed to ensure any expressions of betrayal, resentment or anger didn’t get out of hand as the lightning-rod coach returned to campus with the Tigers.

LSU fans are regularly referred to as “corndogs” (because of the deep-fried aroma at their stadium) by those at rival Southeastern Conference schools, and art around campus last year portrayed Kiffin riding one like a rodeo cowboy.

Predictably, Kiffin is now an object of sometimes creative derision in Oxford.

The famous, tree-lined, tailgating spot known as The Grove — where the Rebels walk on their way into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — was teeming with people early in the morning. And when Kiffin's image appeared live on a big screen for an interview on ESPN, the first-year LSU coach was booed heartily.

Makeshift signs held aloft by members of the crowd behind the set referred to Kiffin as a traitor, portrayed him sticking corndogs up his nose and in his mouth. One stated, “This sign was listed as ‘doubtful,’” poking fun at Kiffin's apparent act of gamesmanship when he listed LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt as “doubtful” on Wednesday night before ultimately taking his name off the injury report by Friday night.

Social media video late this week showed that Kiffin invited LSU fraternities and sororities to LSU's football facility to heckle the Tigers — an effort to provide a taste of what they would face on Saturday.

“We just try to do everything to simulate the game, simulate the day,” Kiffin said when asked about it during his morning TV appearance as boos and chants laced with vulgarities emanated from the crowd in The Grove.