Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin enjoyed a memorable Week 11. He led his team to a 49-0 win over The Citadel, boosting their playoff hopes, and helped a fan propose to his fiancée.
Kiffin has become a favorite among Ole Miss fans and the community through consistent on-field success, an engaging sense of humor, and openly calling Oxford his home, which likely earned him even more goodwill for his recent heartfelt gesture.
Lane Kiffin Crashes The Field Goal Kicking Challenge-Turned-Marriage Proposal
The moment took place during a third-quarter timeout on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. To add excitement, the hosts organized a field-goal kicking challenge. An Ole Miss fan was chosen to kick, with her partner holding the ball. As she prepared for the “prize-winning kick,” she was unaware that her special someone had a surprise planned.
Rather than kicking the ball, the man paused, dropped to one knee, and proposed to his fiancée. Immediately after his proposal, wild applause erupted from the fans. Kiffin then walked over to the couple to congratulate them and take a photo with them. The moment was posted on the SEC Network’s X account.
.@Lane_Kiffin wanted to congratulate a successful proposal during the game ❤️@OleMissFB pic.twitter.com/1QJYoWsP7O
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 8, 2025
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The man, who was identified by the SEC Network as former Rebel pole vaulter Drew O’Connor. Her fiancée, Madison Barnette, is still enrolled in Ole Miss as a nursing student. O’Connor wrapped up his senior season on the track and field team in the spring before graduating.
The Rebels coach was asked about the moment in his postgame news conference and said he was happy for the couple and it was great for him.
“I didn’t know I’d be part of that,” Kiffin said. “Things happen in the ‘Sip, you know? That was cool. I didn’t know what was going on at all. Someone on the headset said it. That was really cool and how the crowd cheered for them.”
The feel-good moment gave fans something to talk about aside from Ole Miss’ big win over The Citadel. It gave the Rebels a 9-1 record, solidifying their position in the college football playoffs with two games remaining.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was almost perfect, completing 29 of 33 passes for 333 yards, with three touchdowns, while Kewan Lacy rushed for 49 yards and also had three scores. Harrison Wallace, Winston Watkins, Caleb Odom, and Cayden Lee led the Rebels’ air raid, combining for 284 receiving yards.
Kiffin’s team will next play Florida on November 15 and take on Mississippi State on November 28 to conclude their regular season schedule.
