‘Disgusting,’ ‘Do It With Class’ — CFB Fans Empathize With Lane Kiffin’s Daughter, Landry, Over Bullying Ahead of LSU HC’s Ole Miss Return
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Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford was always going to be heated. But the rivalry has taken an uncomfortable turn after some Ole Miss fans targeted his daughter, Landry, ahead of LSU’s visit to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU after six seasons with the Rebels, setting the stage for a hostile reception when he returns Saturday.
Landry, however, had nothing to do with her father’s decision.
College Football Fans Rally Behind Landry Kiffin
Several off-campus fraternity and student houses around Oxford reportedly displayed vulgar and sexually explicit banners targeting Landry.
The banners also falsely linked her to former Ole Miss running back Ulysses Bentley IV. Landry, who has publicly dated LSU linebacker Whit Weeks, said she has never even met Bentley.
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She eventually addressed the situation on TikTok.
“I usually don’t respond to any hateful posts around game days, but this one actually hurts,” Landry said. “I opened my phone to pictures of banners on houses around Oxford, posted on different accounts, saying really inappropriate things about me and with somebody that I genuinely have never met in my life… I think that turning a girl into the punchline of a sexual joke because you’re upset at somebody she’s related to shouldn’t be okay.”
Her comments quickly sparked support from fans and members of the college football community.
WV Sports Now managing editor Mike J. Asti called the situation “disgusting,” writing, “Not really sure how anyone can defend this girl having to deal with all of this because of the actions of her dad. She did nothing wrong. She still even tried to stay loyal to Ole Miss.”
One fan similarly pushed back against the treatment of Landry, saying, “High key, I do think it’s (explicit) up we’re throwing shade at Landry. Lane is his own demon, but this is no way to strike a nerve. True or not, I’m not sure. Genuinely. I just think it’s a bit messed up we’re going at her for her father’s sins.”
Another fan had a simple message: “Let’s leave the kids out of it.”
However, one person defended the hostility surrounding Kiffin’s return, arguing that Landry should have expected some backlash because of her father.
“Yeah, well, it’s Ole Miss.. Honestly, what did you expect? For them to play nice? They only liked your daddy because he was their coach and won for them. Now they hate him because he took a better job. If you’re surprised, then that’s a very naive outlook imo,” the user wrote.
Still, others drew a distinction between giving Kiffin a hostile reception and targeting his family. Clint Hartman summed up that sentiment: “We can play the game and Do it with class!”
Kiffin spent six seasons building Ole Miss into a consistent SEC contender before leaving for LSU.
That decision alone was enough to make his return one of the most anticipated games on the Rebels’ schedule.
Now, the controversy involving Landry has added another layer to the matchup.
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Ole Miss fans will have their chance to make their feelings toward Kiffin known when LSU visits Oxford on Saturday. But as the college football world has pointed out, the rivalry doesn’t have to extend to his daughter.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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