Tennessee chancellor 'sickened' by behavior of fans

Debris is seen on the field after fans threw objects during the second half of a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Mississippi Rebels. Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee chancellor 'astonished and sickened' by behavior of fans

By Adam Stites | Last updated 10/17/21

A close game between Ole Miss and Tennessee devolved into an ugly, chaotic scene Saturday night at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Tennessee fans rained down an assortment of bottles, cans and other items on to the field in the final minute of the game, causing a delay of about 20 minutes. After the game, University of Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman condemned the actions of the school's fans in a pair of tweets and said she planned to call University of Mississippi chancellor Glenn Boyce to apologize.

I am astonished and sickened by the behavior of some Vol fans at the end of tonight’s game. Good sportsmanship must be part of who we are as Volunteers. Behavior that puts student-athletes, visitors and other fans at risk is not something we will tolerate. 1/2
— Donde Plowman (@DondePlowman) October 17, 2021

I will be calling Chancellor Boyce in the morning to offer my personal apology on behalf of the University of Tennessee and discuss what we can do to make this right. Neyland Stadium has always been a place for families, and we will keep it that way. 2/2
— Donde Plowman (@DondePlowman) October 17, 2021

No. 13-ranked Ole Miss led 31-26 when officials ruled Tennessee tight end Jacob Warren just short of the line to gain on a 4th-and-24 play with 54 seconds left. A chorus of boos turned to an avalanche of projectiles when a video replay upheld the call on the field.

"It's an emotional game and fans are emotional, but you never expect something like that, to see all that stuff come flying out of the stands," Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin told ESPN. "I got hit with a golf ball, but at least whoever threw it was smart enough to throw a dirty-range ball."

Following the delay, the Tennessee defense forced a three-and-out and gave the Volunteers offense another chance to win the game. While Tennessee managed to drive to the Ole Miss 21-yard line, an incomplete pass followed by a 12-yard run secured the win for the Rebels.

Kiffin previously served as Tennessee's head coach in 2009 before resigning after only one season to accept a head-coaching role at USC. Students on the Knoxville campus rioted after news of Kiffin's departure broke in 2010.

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