Josh Heupel was in his first year as the head coach at Tennessee when the infamous Lane Kiffin/golf ball/mustard incident took place in Neyland Stadium in 2021. In what is widely remembered by Tennessee fans and Ole Miss fans five years later, the game between the Vols and Rebels was stopped briefly during the fourth quarter as Tennessee fans grew furious at a referee’s call late in the game.
Tennessee fans took out their frustration by throwing trash down on the field, including a mustard bottle and even a golf ball that struck Kiffin.
During SEC Media Days on Monday, Josh Heupel said that he hopes the Vols’ fanbase hasn’t forgotten about the game against Kiffin in 2021.
“Certainly hope our fanbase hasn’t cooled off,” Heupel said. “Whether it’s the grocery stores being fully stocked with mustard or our sports stores making sure they’ve got reinforcements on the golf balls, hopefully Knoxville’s ready for his arrival.”
“Whether it’s the grocery stores being fully stocked with mustard or our sports stores making sure they’ve got reinforcements on the golf balls, hopefully Knoxville’s ready for his arrival.”
Josh Heupel wants Tennessee fans ready for Lane Kiffin’s return to Neyland w/ LSU 😂 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UfBn0PJg3d
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Josh Heupel will get a raucous environment in Neyland Stadium when Kiffin and the Rebels roll into town on Nov. 21, whether he asked for it on Monday or not. The game will be in the penultimate week of the regular season and is slotted for the Flex window, meaning it will have a start time between 3:30-4:30 p.m. ET or 6-8 p.m. ET.
This has all the makings of a wild time in Neyland Stadium. With either an afternoon or night start, Vol fans will have plenty of time to get ready for the game and make an impact from the stands. The game is also the final home game of the season for UT.
This will be the 35th meeting between the teams. Tennessee currently owns a commanding 21-10-3 series lead.
This will also be the second time Kiffin has returned to coach a game in Knoxville as a head coach. Ole Miss won the game in 2021 by a score of 31-26.
