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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Sunday Notebook: Dart, Rebels Dash Past Georgia Tech
9/17/2023 | Football
Ole Miss Scores 38 in Second Half to Move to 3-0
OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 17 Ole Miss football team continued its flawless start to the 2023 college football season, exploding for 38 second-half points at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to beat Georgia Tech 48-23 and move to 3-0 on the year.
Lane Kiffin's Rebels completed the three-game non-conference sweep and will open Southeastern Conference play next Saturday at Alabama. Kickoff for Ole Miss at Alabama is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS. Until then, take a look at some of the Rebels' top performances from Saturday night against the Yellow Jackets and click here for the full recap, notes and stats from the win.
DUAL-THREAT DART
Quarterback Jaxson Dart had his best game on the ground in an Ole Miss uniform, tallying a career-high 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He added 251 yards and another score through the air for 387 total yards and three total TDs.
Dart's big night on the ground was highlighted by a career-long 68-yard scamper as broke 100 yards rushing for the third time in his Rebel career. The junior out of Kaysville, Utah, now has three rushing TDs in an Ole Miss uniform.
"I thought Jaxson did some really special things today running the ball, making people miss, running physical," Kiffin said. "Then there were a couple explosive plays late in the passing game."
REBS ARE RUNNING
Ole Miss has finished first or second in the SEC in rushing in each of the last four seasons, including a punishing 256.5 yards per game on the ground in 2022, good for third in the nation. Through the first two games of 2023, the Rebels hadn't broken 150 on the ground as a team and entered the game 11th in the SEC in per-game rushing.
That changed Saturday when the Rebels went off for 299 rushing yards, even though their RB1, Quinshon Judkins, brought a doubtful tag into the game. The sophomore star suited up and notched one of Ole Miss' five rushing scores on the day. Dart led the way with his 136 and two TDs on the ground, while Ulysses Bentley IV totaled 61 yards and one TD on six carries. Finally, Matt Jones found the end zone in the waning seconds on a 36-yard dash to cap off a huge committee rushing day for the Rebels.
"I don't know what's going to happen. You can't predict exactly what's going to happen with the run/pass and yardage," Kiffin said. "We ran the ball really well in the first half. They were playing deeper and we weren't throwing the ball really well, so we called more runs. Kind of what you're supposed to do when you coach."
ALL THREE PHASES
When Caden Davis connected on his second 40-plus-yard field goal of the game to put Ole Miss up 27-17 with 7:45 to play, it looked like special teams might be the story of the game. As it turned out, after what looked like a game-icing kicked, the teams combined to score 28 more points.
While the late flurry was the story at the end of the day, the Rebels didn't arrive at that conclusion without some great special teams play. Davis hit from 45 yards in the fourth quarter and 47 in the first, making him a perfect 6-for-6 on the year inside of 50 yards.
Ole Miss led 10-0 through the first quarter, almost entirely thanks to special teams. Davis opened the scoring with his 47-yarder, then Rebel defensive tackle Zxavian Harris reached out and swatted Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr's 43-yard attempt for the team's first blocked field goal since 2015 against Arkansas. Ole Miss defensive back Daijahn Anthony pounced on the loose ball to set up a short touchdown drive and give the Rebels the early edge.
NEXT UP: OLE MISS AT ALABAMA
With a 3-0 start in the past, Ole Miss now turns its focus to the SEC. The Rebels start league play with as tough a test as any—a road trip to a top-10 foe in Alabama. The Crimson Tide stand at 2-1 on the season coming off a 34-24 loss at home to Texas, followed by a 17-3 win at South Florida.
The Rebels will look to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Tide. Ole Miss last won in Tuscaloosa in 2015, a 43-37 victory. Head coach Lane Kiffin will meet his former boss, Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Kiffin was an assistant under Saban for the Tide from 2014-16.
Watch Ole Miss at Alabama this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS from Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Lane Kiffin's Rebels completed the three-game non-conference sweep and will open Southeastern Conference play next Saturday at Alabama. Kickoff for Ole Miss at Alabama is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS. Until then, take a look at some of the Rebels' top performances from Saturday night against the Yellow Jackets and click here for the full recap, notes and stats from the win.
DUAL-THREAT DART
Quarterback Jaxson Dart had his best game on the ground in an Ole Miss uniform, tallying a career-high 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He added 251 yards and another score through the air for 387 total yards and three total TDs.
Dart's big night on the ground was highlighted by a career-long 68-yard scamper as broke 100 yards rushing for the third time in his Rebel career. The junior out of Kaysville, Utah, now has three rushing TDs in an Ole Miss uniform.
"I thought Jaxson did some really special things today running the ball, making people miss, running physical," Kiffin said. "Then there were a couple explosive plays late in the passing game."
Dual-Threat™️@JaxsonDart pic.twitter.com/7mbQEAgOMZ
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 17, 2023
About that ground game...@JaxsonDart pic.twitter.com/nqdVkqdVpi
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 17, 2023
REBS ARE RUNNING
Ole Miss has finished first or second in the SEC in rushing in each of the last four seasons, including a punishing 256.5 yards per game on the ground in 2022, good for third in the nation. Through the first two games of 2023, the Rebels hadn't broken 150 on the ground as a team and entered the game 11th in the SEC in per-game rushing.
That changed Saturday when the Rebels went off for 299 rushing yards, even though their RB1, Quinshon Judkins, brought a doubtful tag into the game. The sophomore star suited up and notched one of Ole Miss' five rushing scores on the day. Dart led the way with his 136 and two TDs on the ground, while Ulysses Bentley IV totaled 61 yards and one TD on six carries. Finally, Matt Jones found the end zone in the waning seconds on a 36-yard dash to cap off a huge committee rushing day for the Rebels.
"I don't know what's going to happen. You can't predict exactly what's going to happen with the run/pass and yardage," Kiffin said. "We ran the ball really well in the first half. They were playing deeper and we weren't throwing the ball really well, so we called more runs. Kind of what you're supposed to do when you coach."
Untouched. 👌@BentleyDoo pic.twitter.com/G8uwZbCkU8
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 17, 2023
ALL THREE PHASES
When Caden Davis connected on his second 40-plus-yard field goal of the game to put Ole Miss up 27-17 with 7:45 to play, it looked like special teams might be the story of the game. As it turned out, after what looked like a game-icing kicked, the teams combined to score 28 more points.
While the late flurry was the story at the end of the day, the Rebels didn't arrive at that conclusion without some great special teams play. Davis hit from 45 yards in the fourth quarter and 47 in the first, making him a perfect 6-for-6 on the year inside of 50 yards.
Plenty of leg on that one 😳@_cadendavis pic.twitter.com/vd6WjJqQKF
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 17, 2023
Ole Miss led 10-0 through the first quarter, almost entirely thanks to special teams. Davis opened the scoring with his 47-yarder, then Rebel defensive tackle Zxavian Harris reached out and swatted Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr's 43-yard attempt for the team's first blocked field goal since 2015 against Arkansas. Ole Miss defensive back Daijahn Anthony pounced on the loose ball to set up a short touchdown drive and give the Rebels the early edge.
Big Fella, Big Paw, Big Play
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 17, 2023
🖐 @zxavian03 pic.twitter.com/EUdOzjjvVf
NEXT UP: OLE MISS AT ALABAMA
With a 3-0 start in the past, Ole Miss now turns its focus to the SEC. The Rebels start league play with as tough a test as any—a road trip to a top-10 foe in Alabama. The Crimson Tide stand at 2-1 on the season coming off a 34-24 loss at home to Texas, followed by a 17-3 win at South Florida.
The Rebels will look to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Tide. Ole Miss last won in Tuscaloosa in 2015, a 43-37 victory. Head coach Lane Kiffin will meet his former boss, Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Kiffin was an assistant under Saban for the Tide from 2014-16.
Watch Ole Miss at Alabama this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS from Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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