Sara Smith, an alumna of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), found herself in the spotlight after a camera operator for ESPN focused on her during a pivotal moment in the team's recent victory over Louisville. The image of Smith, captured with a worried expression and gripping her phone, quickly circulated on social media. Despite initial speculation that the camera operator had deliberately zoomed in on her, this was later confirmed to be untrue.
Following the game, Smith's Instagram account was made private. However, she later shared a TikTok video showcasing some of the direct messages she had received in the 24 hours after going viral. In the video, she captioned the post, "Yes that was me," and introduced the compilation by saying, "Let's go through my favorite DMs over the last 24 hours."
Among the messages Smith shared, one user sent a baby emoji and wrote, "Let's make." Another message inquired about her favorite designer brand, stating, "Hey Sara I wanna buy you a bag from Paris, what's your favorite brand?"
One particularly unsettling message expressed surprise that Smith was not an AI-generated image, with the sender writing, "...had to check the comments to realize that you weren't AI generated and an actual living, breathing, human being." The same message described her as "an absolute goddess."
Other messages included speculative comments about her potential modeling career, with one user asking, "How aren't you a model for Louis Vuitton, Gucci etc?" and adding, "You should literally be their main model as you're soo beautiful and pretty. I really hope you get to be a really famous model one day."
Additional direct messages reportedly included an invitation to a trip to Miami and one from a man detailing his personal and financial status, stating, "God fearing. 6'1, 260. Business owner. $500k take home annual."
Smith had been a focal point during the third quarter of the game, which saw Ole Miss leading Louisville by only two points. The Rebels ultimately secured a 41-38 victory over No. 24 Louisville with a 48-yard field goal as time expired. The game, held in Nashville, was Ole Miss's first of the season without former head coach Lane Kiffin. Lincoln Kienholz, starting for Louisville, had tied the game with two late touchdowns before Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss led the drive for the winning field goal. Chambliss finished the game with 351 passing yards and three touchdowns, in addition to a rushing touchdown. The SEC concluded its opening week with all its teams achieving wins.