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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Peach Bowl Champs: Lane Kiffin Reflects on Record 11th Win
12/31/2023 | Football
ATLANTA – The 2023 Ole Miss football team knew it had a chance to be special, and Lane Kiffin's squad will forever be remembered as the first in program history to win 11 games, finishing the season at 11-2 with a 38-25 win over No. 10 Penn State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
"I'm very excited about how our players showed up today," Kiffin said. "To come in here and have a chance to do something that's never been done before in the history of the school, to win 11 games against a big-time program, big-time opponent, just really proud of how they did."
Kiffin continues to raise the bar in Oxford. This 2023 squad already became just the second 10-win team in the regular season in program history and placed Kiffin alongside legendary coach John Vaught as the only coaches with multiple 10-win seasons. Now, Kiffin is the only coach in program history to lead the Rebels to 11 wins.
"Really, really happy that four years ago I got this opportunity to come here for Chancellor Boyce and Keith to give me that opportunity to put the staff and players together," Kiffin said. "It's been a really cool journey and one I'm really grateful for."
Ole Miss is riding high, set for a Top 10 ranking in the final polls, but despite all the Rebels have already accomplished, there's still an overwhelming sense that this is just the beginning in Oxford.
"Well, I said it out there. I really do believe we're just getting started. I think that we're doing something -- we're on our way to something really special," Kiffin said. "This is really neat winning a New Year's Six bowl, but we really are. We're just getting started on something really special and a run here."
Several of Ole Miss' top players from the 2023 squad have already announced their returns for 2024, including the game's offensive and defensive MVPs Caden Prieskorn and Jared Ivey. After spectacular performances from them and others, the Rebels are now looking forward to getting the band back together next year.
"I think it's really a cool time right now at Ole Miss," Kiffin said. "To win the most games in the history of the school and to have so many pieces already announcing that they're coming back, which I made sure a couple of them are still doing that after their performances today. But I think it's a really special time."
On top of the pre-bowl announcements by Prieskorn, Ivey, Tre Harris, JJ Pegues and others, Ole Miss also added a top-20 high school recruiting class and currently has the No. 1 incoming transfer portal class in the nation. With all that noise and anticipation for 2024, there was some concern for Kiffin that the focus wasn't on finishing 2023 strong—but the Rebels did so anyway on Saturday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"I just thought it was obviously extremely important to cap this thing off right because I felt like the last couple weeks so much focus was on next year," Kiffin said. "These guys announcing they're coming back, all these great players around the country kind of coming together. Some of these guys joked about it being the last dance next year, and I was concerned there was too much focus on that. Obviously they did a great job showing up today."
Ole Miss rising to the occasion in Atlanta is just another testament to the type of program Kiffin has built: one that is obsessed with success.
"I said that when I got hired, we didn't come here to be good and win some decent bowl games," Kiffin said. "We came here to be great, win New Year's Six bowls like this, be a top ten program. We're in a really good place. We're starting something really special. I think today's another message, which obviously you saw all these great players around the country the last month sign up to come join these guys. Today is another message as you look at the MVPs up here and the guys that came in here to do something special. Today's another message for a couple more pieces that may be out there. Come on, join up."
2024 Season Tickets
Don't miss one of college football's top attractions next season. Ole Miss football 2024 season tickets are on sale and available for renewal now at OleMissTix.com.
"I'm very excited about how our players showed up today," Kiffin said. "To come in here and have a chance to do something that's never been done before in the history of the school, to win 11 games against a big-time program, big-time opponent, just really proud of how they did."
Kiffin continues to raise the bar in Oxford. This 2023 squad already became just the second 10-win team in the regular season in program history and placed Kiffin alongside legendary coach John Vaught as the only coaches with multiple 10-win seasons. Now, Kiffin is the only coach in program history to lead the Rebels to 11 wins.
"Really, really happy that four years ago I got this opportunity to come here for Chancellor Boyce and Keith to give me that opportunity to put the staff and players together," Kiffin said. "It's been a really cool journey and one I'm really grateful for."
Build it, and they will come 🏆#ComeToTheSip pic.twitter.com/Q5l4uOory2
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 31, 2023
Join the movement ‼️🎙️#ComeToTheSip pic.twitter.com/0mcWx9mQus
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 31, 2023
Just getting started 😏#ComeToTheSip pic.twitter.com/hOAtmeRBIi
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 30, 2023
Ole Miss is riding high, set for a Top 10 ranking in the final polls, but despite all the Rebels have already accomplished, there's still an overwhelming sense that this is just the beginning in Oxford.
"Well, I said it out there. I really do believe we're just getting started. I think that we're doing something -- we're on our way to something really special," Kiffin said. "This is really neat winning a New Year's Six bowl, but we really are. We're just getting started on something really special and a run here."
Several of Ole Miss' top players from the 2023 squad have already announced their returns for 2024, including the game's offensive and defensive MVPs Caden Prieskorn and Jared Ivey. After spectacular performances from them and others, the Rebels are now looking forward to getting the band back together next year.
"I think it's really a cool time right now at Ole Miss," Kiffin said. "To win the most games in the history of the school and to have so many pieces already announcing that they're coming back, which I made sure a couple of them are still doing that after their performances today. But I think it's a really special time."
On top of the pre-bowl announcements by Prieskorn, Ivey, Tre Harris, JJ Pegues and others, Ole Miss also added a top-20 high school recruiting class and currently has the No. 1 incoming transfer portal class in the nation. With all that noise and anticipation for 2024, there was some concern for Kiffin that the focus wasn't on finishing 2023 strong—but the Rebels did so anyway on Saturday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"I just thought it was obviously extremely important to cap this thing off right because I felt like the last couple weeks so much focus was on next year," Kiffin said. "These guys announcing they're coming back, all these great players around the country kind of coming together. Some of these guys joked about it being the last dance next year, and I was concerned there was too much focus on that. Obviously they did a great job showing up today."
Ole Miss rising to the occasion in Atlanta is just another testament to the type of program Kiffin has built: one that is obsessed with success.
"I said that when I got hired, we didn't come here to be good and win some decent bowl games," Kiffin said. "We came here to be great, win New Year's Six bowls like this, be a top ten program. We're in a really good place. We're starting something really special. I think today's another message, which obviously you saw all these great players around the country the last month sign up to come join these guys. Today is another message as you look at the MVPs up here and the guys that came in here to do something special. Today's another message for a couple more pieces that may be out there. Come on, join up."
2024 Season Tickets
Don't miss one of college football's top attractions next season. Ole Miss football 2024 season tickets are on sale and available for renewal now at OleMissTix.com.
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