When Tennessee hosts Ole Miss Saturday at Neyland Stadium, it will mark Lane Kiffin’s return to Rocky Top as a head coach.
Kiffin, who is in his second season with the Rebels, served as Tennessee’s head coach in 2009.
He guided the Volunteers to a 7-6 record, including a 4-4 mark in the Southeastern Conference.
Kiffin’s last game with the Vols was a 37-14 loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31, 2009.
On Jan. 12, 2010, Kiffin left Tennessee to become USC’s head coach.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, Vols Wire will look at each of Kiffin’s victories as Tennessee’s head coach.
This installment will revisit the Vols’ 63-7 victory over Western Kentucky on Sept. 5, 2009.
Tennessee entered the 2009 campaign after finishing 5-7 in 2008, leading to the dismissal of longtime head coach and VFL Phillip Fulmer.
Kiffin was tapped to take over the program and the Vols posted a dominant performance against the Hilltoppers, who would go 0-12 in 2009.
Quarterback Jonathan Crompton threw five touchdown passes against Western Kentucky.
Crompton went 21-for-28 and amassed 233 yards and had two interceptions in addition to his five scoring strikes.
Luke Stocker totaled two touchdown receptions. Brandon Warren, a transfer from Florida State and an Alcoa High School graduate, recorded a 4-yard touchdown reception.
Marsalis Teague and Quintin Hancock also caught touchdown passes for the Vols.
Teague, who would eventually move to defensive back at UT, had six receptions for 86 yards.
Montario Hardesty, now an assistant coach at South Carolina, was UT’s leading rusher in the game with 160 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
David Oku recorded a pair of late rushing touchdowns and Bryce Brown opened the scoring with a 2-yard run in the second quarter.
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