{
  "id": 15400504,
  "title": "Lane Kiffin’s sideline ‘praying’ moment in shutout 31-0 win over Mississippi State draws attention",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/lane-kiffins-sideline-praying-moment-in-shutout-31-0-win-over",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-18T11:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lane-kiffin-sideline-praying-moment-113000030.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin was captured praying on the sideline following a touchdown during the team's 31-0 shutout victory against Mississippi State. The Tigers entered this game with a series of questions weighing heavily on them, particularly following a loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in overtime that resulted in their second conference defeat in four weeks. This contest presented an opportunity for LSU to reaffirm their place among the elite teams in college football, and they accomplished this by shutting down the higher-ranked Mississippi State squad.\n\nKiffin's act of faith, kneeling on the sideline and forming the sign of the cross in celebration of one of LSU's four touchdowns, quickly went viral on social media. Fans responded with a mix of reactions ranging from support and humor to criticism. Some fans joked about Kiffin praying to the injury gods, while others applauded his redemption arc, given his personal journey with Christianity. Others, however, deemed his gesture performative and labeled him as a phony at every level.\n\nIn an era where Kiffin has been candid about his Christian faith, he hopes his team can achieve an improbable comeback this season, potentially ending the year without another loss. LSU currently holds a 2-2 record in the SEC, and if they aspire to secure a playoff berth, they must avoid any additional defeats until the end of the season, as three-loss teams seldom receive an invitation to the College Football Playoff. As LSU faces a challenging matchup against Auburn in their next game, they must proceed with caution and take each contest as it comes.",
  "summary": "LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin was spotted praying on the sideline after a touchdown in their 31-0 shutout win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Tigers entered Saturday with more questions than certainties about their team, especially after losing to the Kentucky Wildcats 35-34 in OT last week for their second Conference loss in four weeks.",
  "key_points": [
    "LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin prayed on sideline during 31-0 win.",
    "Kiffin formed cross sign celebrating one of Tigers' four touchdowns.",
    "Gesture sparked mixed reactions from fans, ranging from support to criticism."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}