The Ole Miss Rebels went on the road on Saturday and demonstrated why they are considered one of the best teams in the country with a dominant 40-6 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said after the game that Wake Forest has decided to cancel a home-and-home deal that would have seen the team play a rematch in Oxford, Mississippi, next season.
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Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin watches before a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium on Sept. 14, 2024 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)
“We made a call and (Wake Forest University athletic director) John Curry said, 'We're not playing next year,' and he backed out of the game,” Kiffin said, via 247Sports. “So I thought it was a good message to our players that someone wouldn't even bother to pay us to play. It says a lot about where our program is right now.”
Kiffin addressed the issue again on Monday, saying Wake Forest's decision to opt out of playing next season broke an “unspoken rule.”
“That doesn't happen very often,” he said. “I've never heard of anyone doing that and it really puts us at a huge disadvantage. That's the reality. I obviously didn't appreciate them putting us in that situation.”
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Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin during the first half of a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)
“Now we have to find someone, but most people are already booked. And even if we do find someone, we still have to pay them. It's actually kind of an unspoken rule that we don't do that.”
A person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press that Wake Forest University has indeed canceled its trip to the SEC school.
Now Ole Miss must find an opponent to fill that void.
University of Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin discusses a call with a referee during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wake Forest University, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chuck Barton)
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“That was pretty amazing that he waited until game week to tell the team,” Kiffin added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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