Lane Kiffin tried to pull a fast one this week, but Ole Miss coach Pete Golding wasn’t buying it for a single second. On Friday, Golding spilled the tea on “The Pat McAfee Show” about a text he got from his former boss on Wednesday, a text that tried to sell him on LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt being out for Saturday. LSU’s official injury report later listed Leavitt as “doubtful” for the game, but Golding’s immediate, unfiltered response to Kiffin’s heads-up text said it all: “Yeah buddy, I bet he is.”
Lane Kiffin’s “Out” Text Had Everyone Scrambling, Except Golding
Pete Golding wasn’t just guessing, he knows the playbook. Appearing Friday on “The Pat McAfee Show”, Golding dropped the bombshell about a text he received directly from his former boss and current LSU coach, Lane Kiffin. This wasn’t some friendly chat, either. It came on Wednesday, *before* LSU even officially released their injury report. Kiffin’s message was direct: “Hey our quarterback’s out.” He was talking about Sam Leavitt, LSU’s starting QB, who was later listed as “doubtful” to play on Saturday. But Golding’s immediate, unfiltered reaction to the text? “Yeah buddy, I bet he is.” That’s the kind of reply you get when you’ve been in the trenches with someone for three-and-a-half years. Golding even brought up a classic Kiffin move, referencing a past Wednesday where he claimed their first-ever SEC injury report had an unbelievable 42 guys on it. You can practically hear the eye-roll.
The Leavitt Report Shifts, But Golding’s Confidence Doesn’t
Let’s be real, Kiffin’s got a history here. The SEC only started mandating these injury reports for conference games in 2024, which means coaches are still figuring out the game, or how to play it. Golding might be exaggerating about the “42 guys” on Kiffin’s previous injury report, but he’s not wrong that Kiffin has a knack for listing a crowd. Even Ole Miss had 26 players on one report, with 14 of them tagged as probable! So, when LSU dropped their official report listing Leavitt as “doubtful,” the collective eye-roll from Ole Miss coaches was pretty audible. ESPN reported the very next morning that Kiffin’s former staff wasn’t buying it for a second. And Golding’s comments on McAfee just slammed that point home. Then, just like clockwork, things shifted again. Thursday night, after reportedly participating in a team walkthrough practice, Leavitt’s status got upgraded to “questionable.” Call it what you want, but to Golding and anyone paying attention, this feels like classic Kiffin mind games. Golding’s confidence about Leavitt’s status means one thing: if you’re planning on watching Saturday night, you better believe that quarterback will be out there.
So, what does all this pre-game drama mean? It means Saturday night is going to be absolutely electric. With Pete Golding calling out his old boss, and Sam Leavitt’s status doing a complete flip-flop, you can bet all eyes will be on that field. This isn’t just about X’s and O’s anymore; it’s about bragging rights and who’s truly playing chess out there. Get ready, because it’s going to be a show.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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