The biggest win in Oxford arrived hours before LSU and Ole Miss ever took the field.
An Ole Miss student stepped into Pat McAfee's kicking challenge on ESPN's College GameDay and made the field goal worth $1 million. The kick sailed through the uprights in The Grove, setting off an immediate celebration as the student disappeared into a crowd of classmates and fans.
ESPN published video of the successful attempt shortly after it happened. The student took the kick barefoot while Kirk Herbstreit held the ball and McAfee watched from just behind the attempt.
A seven figure moment in The Grove
The prize graphic on the broadcast showed $1,000,000 before the attempt. Once the ball cleared the uprights, the scene turned into one of the loudest and most memorable moments the recurring GameDay contest has produced.
The timing made it even bigger. College GameDay was in Oxford ahead of Saturday night's matchup between No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss, one of the most anticipated games of the weekend.
McAfee's kicking challenge has become a regular part of College GameDay. Students are selected from the crowd and given a chance to make a field goal for a cash prize. The value can grow depending on the stop, the guests and the moment.
On Saturday, the contestant needed one clean swing to turn a morning at The Grove into a life changing payday.
The football games had not started yet. Oxford already had its first winner.