Just under a year ago, Ole Miss was seemingly eliminated from the College Football Playoff after being romped by Georgia 52-17 in Athens. Now, the Rebels have strong playoff viability after avenging the bludgeoning that induced soul-searching and hard work in the transfer portal.
The field goal posts were torn down in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as No. 16 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) simplified its path to competing for a national championship with a 28-10 trouncing of No. 3 Georgia (7-2, 5-2 SEC) on Saturday.
“That’s a great Georgia team. Outside of (a few losses against) Alabama, they’ve won 51 straight games since COVID-19,” Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said. “This game started a year ago when these guys beat us like that. We made a decision to go to the portal and we got some guys to come back and not go to the draft and they did a lot for this game. The guys said that this week. They came here for this game.”
A record-breaking crowd witnessed history as the Rebels earned the program’s first top-five win since 2015. Aside from the action on the gridiron, the ballgame featured a Grove squirrel that made its way onto the field and an eager fanbase that jumped the gun in rushing the field to celebrate.
Nonetheless, all of that followed a shaky start to the contest that had fans of the home team on pins and needles.
On the opening drive, veteran Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered an apparent leg injury on second down but remained on the field. On third down, Dart lobbed a weak pass up the middle that was picked off by Georgia defensive back Dan Jackson. Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs capitalized on the miscue and took an early lead. More importantly, the Rebels’ field general departed the stadium gingerly, favoring his left leg.
But the dawn was darkest before the day. Kiffin turned to freshman Austin Simmons to command the offense. The left-hander completed five of six passes for 64 yards on the next drive, which was capped by a score from Rebel running back Ulysses Bentley IV.
Dart returned to the sideline following the Ole Miss scoring drive. According to Kiffin, the starting quarterback made assurances that he was ready to return to the field, comparing his injury to one he had in last season’s Peach Bowl win over Penn State.
After Dart returned to action, Ole Miss went on to outscore Georgia 21-3 the rest of the way. With the offense lacking in the rushing game, largely due to the absence of starting running back Henry Parrish, Jr., Kiffin’s squad needed a little help from other playmakers.
Aid came in the form of three-point plays courtesy of Rebel placekicker Caden Davis, who emerged as a hero in the matchup, going a perfect five-for-five. His longest kick of the night was a 53-yarder in the second quarter.
With team-leading wide receiver Tre Harris notably out, Cayden Lee and Jordan Watkins stepped up as viable options for Dart in the passing game, earning a collective 149 yards on eight total receptions.
Pete Golding’s defense shined once again. Ole Miss held Georgia to 245 total yards — the fewest number of yards the Bulldogs had been held to since 2017. Ole Miss, on the other hand, mounted 397 yards offensively.
The cherry on top for the defense came as a result of turnovers. Ole Miss forced four fumbles and three total turnovers with nine tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, and one interception.
Punter Fraser Masin was also effective in the game. The Australian booted the ball twice for 108 yards. His average of 54 yards per punt helped keep Georgia on the Bulldogs’ side of the 50-yard line.
“We came into this week with all of the confidence in the world. We were going to get this done,” Dart said after the signature win. “Our backs have been up against the wall. A lot of people around the country and in the media lost confidence in us and kind of counted us out. But the guys in the room and the people in this program never lost faith.”
YOU HAD TO BE THERE #ComeToTheSip pic.twitter.com/fnlD0WTxEy
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 10, 2024
Saturday’s big win puts Ole Miss right back in contention for the College Football Playoff and somewhat erases the sting of two early losses to Kentucky and LSU. However, for the Rebels to keep hopes of possibly hoisting a title trophy this year alive, the team must continue to handle its business in the final two games of the regular season.
Scoring summary
Georgia took advantage of an Ole Miss offensive blunder and favorable field position early. Running back Nate Frazier scored a two-yard touchdown 4th and short in the red zone to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.
After being handed the keys to the offense, Simmons marched Ole Miss down the field. Ulysses Bentley IV capped the drive with a nine-yard touchdown. The Rebels’ defense forced a three-and-out on Georgia’s next possession. Ole Miss capitalized with a 23-yard field goal from Caden Davis to take a 10-7 lead with 3:01 left in the first quarter.
The Rebels’ defense stood tall again and again. Though the offense could not work its way into the end zone, field goals were more than acceptable. Davis connected on two more, one from 43 yards out and another from 53 yards out to give Ole Miss a 16-7 lead that it would carry to halftime.
After amassing just 69 yards in the first half, Georgia found a little offensive momentum and moved the ball into the red zone. After stalling on three plays within 10 yards of the goal line, Bulldog placekicker Peyton Woodring split the uprights from 23 yards out to make it a one-score game.
Ole Miss followed up the Bulldog with a touchdown on its next drive. A couple of chunk yardage plays to Lee helped move the Rebels deep into Georgia territory. Dart found Antwane “Juice” Wells in the end zone for a one-on-one ball to extend the Rebels’ lead. Ole Miss led 22-10 with 6:10 left in the third quarter after a failed two-point conversion attempt.
Then the Georgia turnovers began. After driving pretty smoothly down the field, a Bulldog error occurred with Frazier having the ball knocked out by Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. The fumble was recovered by Rebel defensive lineman Walter Nolen.
Following a stalled Ole Miss offensive possession, Georgia had another opportunity to get back within arm’s reach of coming back. Two consequential Ole Miss penalties later, Georgia found itself in a fourth and 10 situation with just over seven minutes left in the game. Bulldog Carson Beck missed his target and had his pass picked off by Rebel defensive back John Saunders, Jr.
A 19-yard completion to Watkins and a 28-yard carry by Dart helped set Davis up for a 24-yard field goal to put the Rebels up 25-10. On the ensuing Georgia drive, Rebel edge rusher Princely Umanmielen strip-sacked Beck to put Ole Miss in favorable territory.
Dart and company ate up a chunk of the clock and with 1:12 remaining in the contest, Davis split the uprights from 32 yards out, sealing a victory for the red and blue.
Stat leaders
- Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart: 13-22, 199 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, one touchdown, and one interception
- Ole Miss wide receiver Cayden Lee: Four receptions for 81 yards
- Ole Miss defensive end Jared Ivey: Seven tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and one forced fumble
- Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen: Five tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry, and one forced fumble
Coach’s comments
Last year, Ole Miss was bludgeoned by Georgia. After the game in Athens, Kiffin made it his mission to bulk up his roster to create a sense of parity, allowing Ole Miss to have a squad talented enough to compete with the heavyweights of college football. Despite the Rebels missing their top target in the air, the offense continued to click.
Kiffin attributed the successful outing to guys stepping up.
“I don’t know if I would have pictured that without Tre Harris — the best receiver in the country — but guys stepped up,” Kiffin said. “Jaxson made really good throws. Cayden Lee was winning in man-to-man coverage against great covering people. I can’t say I expected a three-score win, but this is why I put it all together.”
The Rebels appear to be peaking at the right time. Per Kiffin, it’s because of the defense’s ability to stifle its opponents and the offense’s successful and dynamic passing attack, even without Harris.
“I definitely think our identity is being shown as a dominant defense at times that shuts people down and a really good passing team, leading the country in passing coming into the game,” Kiffin added. “Again, that’s the last two and a half, three and a half teams without Tre [Harris].”
Next up
Ole Miss will look to get a relatively banged-up roster healthy with an upcoming bye week. On Saturday, November 23, the Rebels will travel to Florida to play the Gators in Gainesville. That game will kick off at 11 a.m. CT. and will be televised on ABC or ESPN and broadcast on participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.