Kentucky Has a History of Giving Lane Kiffin Problems

Lane Kiffin has faced Kentucky five times as a head coach and won four of those matchups. But every one of those meetings was decided by seven points or fewer.

Two went to overtime, and the Wildcats' lone 2024 victory, a 20-17 win, came in Oxford in 2024. Kiffin is 3-0 in Lexington, with wins in 2009, 2020 and 2025.

As Kiffin enters a new era of his career, this Kentucky team, which is also entering its own new era, will be looking to turn the tables on close games and earn a win themselves when No. 10 LSU visits a sold-out Kroger Field on Saturday.

It will be Kiffin's sixth meeting with the Wildcats and his first as LSU's coach, as he looks to right LSU's recent wrongs against the Wildcats. The Tigers' last trip to Lexington, which was in 2021, ended in a 42-21 Kentucky win.

The History

Sep 6, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during the second quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kiffin's first game against Kentucky came in 2009, in his lone season as Tennessee's coach. The Volunteers trailed 21-14 at halftime before winning 30-24 in overtime.

He returned in 2020 with Ole Miss, which rallied from a 28-14 third-quarter deficit to win 42-41 in overtime. Kentucky ran for 408 yards and still lost the game.

Ole Miss won again in 2022, though that game was also decided by a touchdown or less. Kentucky broke through in 2024, when coach Mark Stoops went for it on fourth-and-7 from his own 20 while trailing 17-13 late to set his team up for the win.

"That day sucked," Kiffin said this week in his weekly press conference.

Last season, Ole Miss won 30-23 in Lexington after starting behind 10-0. That win moved Kiffin and his teams to three straight wins in Lexington.

"To come on the road in the SEC and win is hard," Kiffin said.

New Eras

Kentucky's Will Stein is the SEC's youngest coach at 36 years old and is in his first season at Kentucky. He replaced Stoops in December after serving as Oregon's offensive coordinator for three years.

Stein has done great things for the Wildcats in just a short amount of time, bringing passion and big wins back to Lexington.

This season, the Wildcats' top moments were when they beat then-No. 9 Texas A&M in Week 3, on the road at Kyle Field, and then won 35-34 in overtime at South Carolina in Week 5.

Kiffin has said he sees a little of himself in Stein, another offensive-minded coach who landed a big job young. Kiffin was 31 when the Oakland Raiders hired him in 2007.

Kiffin is in his first season at LSU, leading the Tigers to a 4-1 record with one of the country's best and most balanced rosters.

Both Stein and Kiffin have done great things in their first few weeks at their new schools, ushering in a new era - and hopefully a long era - in this conference matchup.

On the field, the matchup isn't as interesting. LSU ranks third nationally in offense and second in defense, while Kentucky's defense ranks last in the SEC and 122nd nationally against the run. The Wildcats also struggle on third down on both sides of the ball.

Despite this, Kiffin has noticed what Kentucky does well.

"They don't screw up a lot," he said.

As Kiffin looks to continue his win streak in Lexington, time will tell if this game can be decided by more than a touchdown.

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