Tag: rebels

Nov 2, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin in the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mississippi won 63-31. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

No. 14 Ole Miss has something to prove in Gator Bowl vs. Duke

Posted on | by Field Level Media

There’s no shortage of motivation for No. 14 Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl.

The incentive for Duke might be a bit different, but the Blue Devils will be out to prove something as well Thursday night in Jacksonville, Fla.

Both teams hold 9-3 records but arrived at this point in different ways.

Ole Miss was a contender for a spot in the College Football Playoff, while Duke was under the radar for most of the season. It will be the first meeting between the teams.

“We have a chance to get 10 wins,” Ole Miss tight end Caden Prieskorn said. “… A lot of us know this is our last time really getting to throw an Ole Miss jersey on.”

Ole Miss appears to be fired up for this matchup. Quarterback Jaxson Dart, considered an NFL prospect, has thrown for 3,875 yards and 25 touchdowns. He will play in the game before focusing on draft preparation. Tre Harris had a team-high 1,030 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, though he could be limited by injuries.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has made comments disparaging other conferences in connection to the CFP committee’s selections for the 12-team tournament. So he’s bound to be determined to make a point on behalf of the Southeastern Conference against an Atlantic Coast Conference team.

The Rebels are on board.

“Everybody on this team is just so bought-in on what the coaches and Kiffin has been able to do these last couple years,” receiver Jordan Watkins said.

Duke is looking to cap another strong season with one more statement result despite some potential roster holes.

“You play to win the game and play to try to maximize all your players’ strengths,” first-year Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz said. “You have to do what is necessary to try to move the ball against a highly, highly disruptive defense.”

Duke has been decimated by defections, particularly on offense. Quarterback Maalik Murphy entered the transfer portal early in the process, while running back Star Thomas, who compiled a team-high 871 rushing yards, announced following Christmas that he was leaving. Murphy set the school’s single-season record with 26 touchdown passes.

The QB position for the bowl was further dinged because Grayson Loftis, who started several games late in the 2023 season, entered the portal as well. That leaves starting quarterback duties in the hands of Henry Belin IV.

“Henry is a guy who has won a game as a starter here a year ago,” Diaz said. “It’s a great lesson for everybody in the program that perseverance pays off, and he has a chance now to perform on an outstanding stage against a terrific opponent.”

Diaz said it will be important “to get our timing down for the passing offense.”

Belin will have receiver Eli Pancol, who is wrapping up his college career. Pancol has a team-high nine touchdown receptions.

Duke’s defense will have to rely on cornerback Chandler Rivers, who has been tabbed for several postseason honors. He had three interceptions and caused two fumbles during the regular season. He also notched 7 1/2 tackles for loss.

Duke, which will make its first appearance in the Gator Bowl, ranks second in the country with 14 fumble recoveries and 9.2 tackles for loss per game.

Ole Miss’ opt-out list includes linebacker Chris Paul and safety Jadon Canady.

The Rebels defeated five bowl-eligible teams this year, while Duke topped four.

Duke and Ole Miss have a common opponent in Wake Forest, which was drubbed by Ole Miss in September. It was later revealed the Demon Deacons had pulled out of next season’s game at Ole Miss. That rankled Kiffin and might further fuel his motivation against an ACC foe. Duke rallied to win at Wake Forest in the regular-season finale on a TD pass as time expired.

Duke is 8-8 all-time in bowls, though the Blue Devils have a five-game bowl winning streak. The last four of those victories have come against opponents outside of power conferences.

–Field Level Media

Dec 6, 2024; Boise, ID, USA; UNLV Rebels quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams (6) throws down field against the Boise State Broncos at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

No. 24 UNLV, Cal aim to focus on LA Bowl amid upheaval

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The LA Bowl on Wednesday in Inglewood, Calif., will feature two teams in flux, as No. 24 UNLV aims to secure an 11-win season against Cal after losing its head coach — and hiring a new one in the same week.

Purdue announced Dec. 8 that UNLV’s Barry Odom would become the Boilermakers’ 38th head coach. The news broke less than 48 hours after the Rebels’ College Football Playoff dreams died in a 21-7 loss to Boise State in the Mountain West championship game.

UNLV (10-3) responded Thursday by announcing the head-coaching hire of Dan Mullen, the former Florida and Mississippi State coach who spent 13 years leading teams in the SEC.

Del Alexander, a former Southern California receiver and Los Angeles native, will be the Rebels’ interim coach in the bowl game after spending the last two seasons as UNLV’s wide receivers coach.

“I’ve been around some great coaches,” Alexander said. “I think I have a winning record in being a part of teams that have won bowl games. The influence from those experiences is what I’m using. You know, short and sweet. Make sure the guys have fun. Make sure they’re locked in on the details for the situations, and then bring it all together in the end.”

Things have gone awry in Bear Territory as well, as Cal star quarterback Fernando Mendoza elected to enter the transfer portal. Leading receiver Nyziah Hunter also chose to enter the portal after hauling in 578 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season.

Cal (6-6) also chose to part ways with offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch, hiring former Auburn and Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin to take Bloesch’s place.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox confirmed this week that quarterbacks CJ Harris and EJ Caminong were splitting reps in practice in the lead-up to the bowl game with Chandler Rogers working to make his way back from injury.

Wilcox explained how the coaching staff will delegate play-calling on Wednesday after overhauling the offensive staff, saying it will be “a collaborative effort.”

“We got a couple guys on our staff who work and practice run and pass games, so we got some great support there,” Wilcox said. “Right now (Harris) and (Caminong) are taking the majority of the reps, Chandler’s day-to-day, so we’ll see how he’s doing.”

UNLV lost its coach but has only one notable opt-out as running back Greg Burrell entered the transfer portal. Cornerback Tony Grimes also entered the portal but will play in Wednesday’s game regardless.

Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams will make his final start after a six-year career at Campbell and UNLV. He threw for 17 touchdowns and 1,845 yards this season while rushing for a career-high 824 yards in 10 starts.

UNLV stalwart and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Jackson Woodard will play in Wednesday’s game, closing a career that saw him end as a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on.

It was a full-circle moment for Woodard, who grew up in Arkansas and started his career at Brandon Burlsworth’s SEC alma mater.

Rebels star receiver Ricky White is also expected to cap off his collegiate career in Wednesday’s game before graduating in the spring and heading to the NFL draft.

White enters the LA Bowl 352 yards short of UNLV’s all-time receiving record despite spending only three of his four seasons at the school. He tallied a career-high 11 touchdowns this season after racking up career highs in receptions (88) and receiving yards (1,483) in 2023, the latter of which was a program record.

–Field Level Media

Mississippi's quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) throws the ball during the Egg Bowl game against Mississippi State at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.

Jaxson Dart, No. 14 Ole Miss fends off Miss. State in Egg Bowl

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Jaxson Dart broke Eli Manning’s school passing record, Ulysses Bentley IV had the SEC’s longest run this season and No. 14 Ole Miss beat visiting Mississippi State 26-14 in Friday’s 121st annual Egg Bowl in Oxford, Miss.

In eclipsing Manning’s mark of 10,119 yards set from 2000-03, Dart was 14 of 24 for 143 yards and a touchdown as the three-TD favorite Rebels (9-3, 5-3) struggled through the air.

Dart now has 10,213 yards and moved into 10th all-time in SEC passing yards. He also rushed for 77 yards on 13 attempts.

Bentley, who was healthy but did not play in last Saturday’s 24-17 loss at Florida, had a game-high 136 yards on 20 carries and a TD.

Ole Miss leads the all-time series at 66-46-6.

The Bulldogs’ Michael Van Buren rushed for a TD and was 17-of-32 passing for 280 yards and a touchdown pass to Kevin Coleman Jr. (six catches, 118 yards). Van Buren also threw two interceptions.

Mississippi State (2-10, 0-8) went winless in conference play for the first time since 2002 and lost its 12th straight SEC game.

On the first series, the Rebels’ Chris Paul Jr. stepped in and picked off Van Buren for his first career interception. Caden Davis soon drilled a 39-yard field for a 3-0 lead.

After converting a fake punt, the Bulldogs went for it again on fourth-and-7 at the Ole Miss 34. Van Buren hit Coleman on a shallow cross for a 7-3 Bulldogs lead at 7:54.

In the offensive backfield on third-and-1, defensive tackle JJ Pegues rumbled five yards for his seventh touchdown of the season at 2:16 to cap a 13-play, 75-yard drive. Then on the quarter’s last play, Van Buren scampered in on a keeper from six yards.

Bentley ripped off the Rebels’ longest play of the season when he burst through the middle and sprinted 89 yards for a score and a 17-14 halftime lead.

After missing a 54-yard kick to end the half, Davis drilled one from 43 yards in the third following a muffed punt return by Coleman that was recovered by Suntarine Perkins.

In the fourth quarter, Caden Prieskorn made a juggling 19-yard TD catch at 9:56 to end an 87-yard drive. The TD put Ole Miss up two scores before its goal-line stand with 5:46 left.

–Field Level Media

Nov 22, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; UNLV Rebels quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams (6) breaks a big gainer against the San Jose State Spartans during the third quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

No. 22 UNLV controls its destiny when rival Nevada visits

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No. 22 UNLV can clinch its first 10-win season since 1984 when it faces Nevada in the Battle of the Fremont Cannon on Saturday in Las Vegas.

A win will also put the Rebels back in the Mountain West title game for the second straight season, giving them the opportunity for a rematch with Boise State.

UNLV (9-2, 5-1) enters with its highest AP and CFP poll ranking in program history following a 27-16 victory at San Jose State last week. They regained control of their own destiny with Fresno State’s 28-22 win over Colorado State on Saturday.

Colorado State had been unbeaten in conference play to that point and was in position to join Boise State in the Mountain West title game before last week’s loss.

“None of it matters if we don’t take care of business this week,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “That’s where our focus is and (we know) how important it is to win this rivalry game.

“It means a lot to me. It means a lot to our players. It means a lot to our organization, our fans, our donors, you know, the alumni and everything that goes into it. We know what this game means and we’re certainly excited to have the game at home.”

UNLV has lost to Syracuse and Boise State this season by a combined eight points. They’ve strung together an impressive resume, starting 4-0 with wins over Big 12 foes Houston and Kansas. The Rebels had to make a change at quarterback after the Kansas game owing to a highly publicized NIL dispute with then-starter Matthew Sluka.

Hajj-Malik Williams has emerged as one of the nation’s premier quarterbacks in the wake of Sluka’s departure. Williams has thrown for 1,567 yards and 15 touchdowns and is second on the team in rushing with 664 yards in eight starts this season.

Nevada coach Jeff Choate is one of many who believe UNLV improved at the position with Sluka’s departure.

“They present a lot of problems and it starts with (Williams),” Choate said. “I mean, it might have been addition by subtraction when the quarterback situation happened earlier in the year down there. (Williams) is a dynamic player. Really good off-schedule, runs the offense efficiently. The RPO style of offense was a really good fit for him.”

Ricky White will likely eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season on Saturday, needing 35 more yards to get there. White has 70 receptions and 10 touchdowns on the season. Jai’Den Thomas leads UNLV with 697 yards rushing after a 135-yard performance last week.

Nevada (3-9, 0-6) is seeking its first conference win, entering on a five-game losing streak. The Wolf Pack have come within three points in losses to Fresno State and Air Force, in addition to playing an impressive game against Boise in which they lost by seven as 24-point underdogs.

Their best win was a 42-37 upset of Oregon State on Oct. 12.

Choate is in his first season at the helm in Reno after a successful stint as Montana State’s head coach 2016-20. His first season at Nevada hasn’t been as positive but they’ve improved upon last season’s 2-10 finish.

It looks unbalanced on paper, but even newcomer Choate knows anything can happen in this rivalry series.

“Sometimes one team has an advantage for a while, but usually that pendulum shifts back and forth pretty consistently in this rivalry,” Choate said. “It’s a perfect rivalry from the standpoint of how different economically, geographically, all those things Northern and Southern Nevada are.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2024; Logan, Utah, USA; UNLV Rebels wide receiver Ricky White III (11) runs with the ball against the Utah State Aggies at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

No. 24 UNLV aims to stay in conference title picture vs. San Jose State

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No. 24 UNLV doesn’t control its destiny in terms of a Mountain West Conference championship game berth, but a win at San Jose State on Friday night would ensure the Rebels still have a chance.

UNLV (8-2, 4-1 Mountain West) rejoined the College Football Playoff poll on Tuesday and is closing in on its first 10-win season since quarterback Randall Cunningham led the program to its since-vacated 11-2 finish in 1984.

The Rebels need Colorado State to lose one of its final two games against Fresno State or Utah State in order to reach their second straight conference title game and, more importantly, set up a rematch with No. 12 Boise State. UNLV fell to the Broncos 44-20 in last year’s championship.

San Jose State, however, is in a good position to play spoiler themselves. The Spartans (6-4, 3-3) entered last season’s game against UNLV as a slight underdog and ended up winning 37-31.

San Jose State is coming off last Saturday’s home game against Boise State in which it was driving to take a 21-0 lead before the Broncos forced a turnover on downs at the goal line. That kept it a two-possession game, and Boise State quickly woke up from there and ran away with a 42-21 win.

“We were in that game,” Spartans coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “I’m encouraged because we’re doing a lot of good things. I feel like we stopped ourselves a lot on offense. We looked at a lot of things to improve on.”

San Jose State quarterback Walker Eget has led the nation in passing yards in consecutive weeks, eclipsing his career high in both games. His 446 yards through the air against Boise State was the most in a game for a Mountain West quarterback this season. Eget replaced Emmett Brown as the starter in October.

The Spartans have the nation’s top receiver this season, as redshirt senior Nick Nash leads the country in both receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,282). San Jose State also has the Mountain West’s second-leading receiver behind Nash in Justin Lockhart, who has 925 yards on 48 receptions.

“They’ve got an elite group of receivers,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “Their quarterback’s playing really well. Schematically, they caused some issues on their alignments with space. We’ve got to do a great job. We talk all the time in our defensive meetings about eliminating explosive plays. They are going to get some, we’ve got to minimize those.”

UNLV is certainly not lacking in the wide receiver department either, as All-American Ricky White III ranks third in the Mountain West with 867 receiving yards and second with 63 receptions. His performance improved mightily following UNLV’s first three games of the season, coinciding with their quarterback switch to Hajj-Malik Williams.

Williams has impressed in his seven games as the starter as well. He leads the team with 646 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground to go along with 1,436 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions through the air.

Mountain West preseason Defensive Player of the Year Jackson Woodard has perhaps been the Rebels’ MVP this season. The linebacker’s 99 total tackles, four interceptions and 3.5 sacks have him on the watchlist for the Nagurski, Bednarik and Butkus awards.

Woodard is also among the national finalists for the Burlsworth award, given to the top player in college football who began their career as a walk-on. Woodard initially played under Odom at Arkansas, Brandon Burlsworth’s alma mater.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) looks on against the LSU Tigers during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

No. 18 Ole Miss looks to bounce back from close losses vs. Oklahoma

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Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin isn’t too worried about Oklahoma’s offensive changes coming into the 18th-ranked Rebels’ meeting with the Sooners on Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Miss.

“We’ve got a lot of stuff to work on ourselves, that we worked on during the bye,” Kiffin said.

The Rebels have dropped two of their last three heading into the game, rushing for just 137.3 yards per contest.

“I feel like we have been out of rhythm for a little bit here,” Kiffin said of his offense.

But while Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) has dipped on offense in three-point losses Kentucky and LSU, the Sooners have been struggling on that side of the ball all season.

After last week’s 35-9 home loss to South Carolina, a team Ole Miss beat by 24 on the road in early October, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley will take over playcalling duties and offensive analyst Kevin Johns will be co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

“It was an incredibly hard decision on many levels,” Venables said Tuesday. “With a 10,000-foot lens, it was not so difficult. We were not playing winning football on that side of the ball and thought a change would be appropriate — a change in leadership, a new voice, a new perspective a new lens, strategy, game-planning, sequencing, all of those things that go along with that position.”

The Sooners enter this week ranked 128th nationally in total offense (out of 134 programs), 116th in passing offense and 114th in rushing offense.

“We’ve been an abomination on offense this year,” Venables said.

Oklahoma (4-3, 1-3) also will turn to a new quarterback.

Quarterback Jackson Arnold will start against the Rebels, Venables announced earlier in the week, after taking over for Michael Hawkins Jr. early in last week’s loss. He completed 18 of 36 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown.

Arnold started the first four games of the season before being benched in favor of Hawkins.

“Jackson stepped in and played pretty well,” Venables said of Arnold’s performance against the Gamecocks. “Made a lot of really good decisions in the game, took command right from the get-go, and again, several drops that would have made the day even better for him individually.”

It certainly won’t be easy for the Sooners to show improvement offensively. Ole Miss leads the country in fewest rushing yards allowed per game (66.6) and ranks second in points allowed (10.6).

Finley spent the 2020 season on Kiffin’s staff as the tight ends coach and passing game coordinator before joining then-head coach Lincoln Riley’s staff at Oklahoma.

“He didn’t call plays here, and he’s got a different situation there,” Kiffin said. “I don’t think that him having worked here before would help us at all in figuring out what he’s going to do.

“With only a week to call plays, usually people just kind of add a play here or there but stay with the same system. You can’t reinvent the system in six days.”

The Rebels and Sooners have met just once before in the 1999 Independence Bowl, a game Ole Miss won 27-25.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Barry Odom looks on during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Children's Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

No. 25 UNLV begins tough stretch by hosting Syracuse

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Every team faces challenges over the course of a long season, but No. 25 UNLV absorbed a major dose of adversity last week.

The Rebels passed their first test following the departure of starting quarterback Matthew Sluka and will look to ace another challenge Friday when Syracuse visits Las Vegas for an intriguing nonconference matchup.

UNLV (4-0) is ranked for the first time in program history, but it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the Rebels.

They won their first three games behind Sluka, who racked up six passing touchdowns while running for a team-high 253 yards. However, Sluka left the team last Tuesday after a disagreement over unfulfilled NIL promises.

The sudden departure left UNLV coach Barry Odom scrambling to get Hajj-Malik Williams ready to start against Fresno State, although that contest turned into a one-sided affair with the Rebels prevailing 59-14. Williams, a transfer from Campbell, threw three touchdowns and ran for a score. He finished 13-of-16 for 182 yards and added 12 carries for 119 yards.

“It’s tough any time you’re playing against someone like Hajj who can run and throw,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “It’s a nightmare for the defensive coordinator and the head coach. You think about it all week.”

Odom, meanwhile, does not want his team to be satisfied with sitting at the end of the rankings. After Friday’s contest, the Rebels play three of their next four games on the road with the only home date being a matchup against No. 21 Boise State.

So UNLV has little margin for error with the tough stretch looming.

“I think it is exactly where UNLV football should be,” Odom said, referring generally to the national rankings. “That’s our goal — one of our goals — is to be in the top 25 and continue to climb and have a position where every single week, on the national stage, we have a place (in the rankings).”

Ricky White has been up and down through UNLV’s first four contests. In Weeks 1 and 3 against Houston and Kansas, respectively, he totaled five catches for 15 yards without a score. In the other two games vs. Utah Tech and Fresno State, he racked up 15 catches for 238 yards and five touchdowns.

White certainly will be part of the focus as Syracuse (3-1) develops its game plan defensively. The Orange limited Holy Cross to 203 total yards and 2-of-14 third-down conversions in last week’s 42-14 romp.

Still, Brown — like his UNLV counterpart — isn’t close to satisfied.

“I don’t think we’re nowhere near where we can be,” Brown said postgame. “We’ve just got to keep growing.”

Kyle McCord has been picked off twice in each of the last two games, but he has generally been impressive in his first season with Syracuse. The Ohio State transfer had 1,459 passing yards and 14 touchdowns through four contests, throwing for at least 339 yards in every game.

Trebor Pena leads the team in catches (26), receiving yards (316) and touchdown grabs (five), although various Syracuse receivers have taken turns shining offensively over the last month.

Jackson Meeks was in the spotlight against Holy Cross, registering 10 grabs for 161 yards and a score.

“My mentality is always the same — attack, attack, attack,” Meeks said.

This is the first ever meeting between the teams.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) passes the ball for a touchdown as Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Zxavian Harris (51) pursues during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Kentucky knocks off No. 6 Ole Miss

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Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff completed a 63-yard pass on fourth down, Josh Kattus scored the game-winner on a fumble recovery, and the Wildcats shocked No. 6 Ole Miss 20-17 in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Miss.

With Kentucky trailing 17-13 with 3:51 left and backed up at its own 20, Vandagriff heaved a 63-yarder to Barion Brown.

Gavin Wimsatt then fumbled on a keeper and tight end Kattus caught the ball and fell two yards for the winning TD with 2:25 left.

Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis hooked a 48-yard field goal with 48 seconds left that would have forced overtime.

In their first road game this season, the 17-point underdog Wildcats (3-2, 1-2 SEC) won for the first time in Oxford since 1978 but had to rally.

Vandagriff was 18 of 28 for a career-high 243 yards with a touchdown. Dane Key caught eight passes for 105 yards and a score.

The FBS’ top-scoring squad at 55 points per game, Ole Miss (4-1, 0-1) saw Jaxson Dart go 18 of 27 for 261 yards and a TD, with receiver Tre Harris notching 176 yards and a score on 11 receptions.

Mississippi’s high-powered offense struck right away on an 83-yard drive that Dart set up with a 39-yard catch-and-run to Harris to the 1. Parrish then tallied his eighth rushing TD just 2:09 in.

Kentucky answered impressively, traveling 66 yards in 15 plays as Alex Raynor connected with 5:13 left on a 27-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

The visitors took a 10-7 lead on Vandagriff’s 5-yard scoring pass to Key with 27 seconds left to end a penalty-aided drive.

Like it did against then-No. 1 Georgia two weeks ago at home, the Wildcats’ defense frustrated Dart and the offensive unit and held a 21:39-8:21 time of possession edge in the half.

The 10-7 deficit marked only the second time fifth-year coach Lane Kiffin trailed at halftime at Ole Miss, the other occurring in his Rebels’ debut against Florida in 2020.

After Davis’ 31-yard field tied it at 10 early in the second half, Raynor stretched his consecutive field goal streak to 14 by nailing one from 48 yards with 6:31 left in the third quarter.

With seconds remaining in the quarter, Kiffin gambled on fourth-and-7 at midfield and hit Harris on a slant. The received then dashed 48 yards for a 17-13 lead.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons linebacker Aiden Hall (39) upends Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Jaxson Dart, elite defense lead No. 5 Ole Miss vs. Georgia Southern

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Ole Miss Heisman Trophy candidate Jaxson Dart and his 11 total touchdowns created many of the headlines during a 3-0 start, but the team’s defensive showing has produced the Southeastern Conference school’s best stat.

Off to an outstanding start in a less-than-challenging nonconference schedule, the No. 5-ranked Rebels will host the Georgia Southern Eagles in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday night in their final game before eight straight SEC matchups.

And when the opposition has had the ball against Ole Miss in 2024, it has been lights out play by the Rebels’ defense.

In three victories and 180 minutes of football, defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s unit has not allowed one opponent to cross the goal line as the squad has dominated the other side on the scoreboard by a 168-9 margin.

No TDs surrendered. No garbage score late in one of the three blowouts, no freak play like a tipped ball or player slipping, no broken coverage or backups wearing unfamiliar numbers showing why they are where they are down the depth chart.

It’s the first time since 1961 that an Ole Miss squad has done that.

The Landshark defense is tied with Ohio State in scoring defense (3.0 points per game), leads in rushing defense (33.3 yards) and is tied for third in tackles for loss (10.0).

Linebacker TJ Dottery said the success stems from stopping the run.

“Our D line. Our backers and even our safeties have been coming down, hitting and being physical,” said Dottery, a sophomore who played for Clemson in 2022. “We say it a lot, ‘On our road games, we pack our defense and our run game.’ It’s really hard to win without running the ball.”

Coach Lane Kiffin said the current defensive front is a major upgrade.

“(This group) is completely different than any time we’ve been here. Since the Georgia game, that was a priority,” the coach said, citing the Bulldogs’ 52-17 home rout of the then-8-1 Rebels last Nov. 11.

Transfer linebacker Chris Paul Jr., who played for Arkansas last year, tops the team with 19 tackles and shares the lead for tackles for loss (4) with defensive tackle JJ Pegues. Safety Trey Washington has a unit-best three pass breakups.

After this Saturday, the Rebels’ attention will turn to the conference opener at home against Kentucky.

First, the Sun Belt Conference’s Eagles (2-1) have next in the Grove.

After losing a home-opening 56-45 shootout with Boise State, coach Clay Helton’s group has rallied with wins over Nevada (20-17) and South Carolina State (42-14).

Against the latter, running back OJ Arnold ran for a score and caught a TD pass while fellow backfield mate Jalen White rushed for a pair.

A fifth-year senior from Daleville, Ala., White is a reliable workhorse for Helton, who is in his third season as head coach in Statesboro, Ga.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound running back has carried the ball 31 times for a team-high 97 yards and five touchdowns.

Helton considers White his most reliable option in short-yardage situations.

“Just a warrior, and he’s not 100 percent,” the former Southern Cal coach said. “We need him, and you see what he brings to the table – not only in tough running but in goal-line runs where you’re always one short.

“I’ll bet my whole life on 25 (White) when it’s one-on-one.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin watches during a time-out during the second half against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Jaxson Dart helps No. 5 Ole Miss trounce Wake Forest

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Jaxson Dart had two scoring passes and a touchdown run and Henry Parrish Jr. ran for two touchdowns as No.5 Mississippi rode a strong start to a 40-6 road victory against Wake Forest on Saturday night in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Rebels (3-0) scored 20 first-quarter points and that set the tone for another comfortable victory.

Dart completed 26 of 34 passes for 377 yards with an interception. Parrish gained 148 yards on the ground on 23 carries.

Quarterback Hank Bachmeier of Wake Forest was 22-of-39 passing for 239 yards, but couldn’t direct the Demon Deacons to the end zone.

Wake Forest (1-2) only scored on a pair of Matthew Dennis field goals. The Demon Deacons, who suffered a one-point home loss to Virginia a week earlier, finished with 46 yards on the ground.

It was the only power-conference nonconference opponent for Ole Miss and the only road game out of the Southeastern Conference, but the Rebels were certainly up to the task.

The Rebels stretched their lead to 30-6 with Dart plowing into the end zone on a 13-yard run late in the third quarter.

Earlier, Ole Miss needed less than three minutes to go 75 yards for the first touchdown, coming on Parrish’s 25-yard run.

The Rebels took their next possession inside the Wake Forest 20-yard line before Dart’s fumble. The Demon Deacons got on the board on Dennis’ 42-yard field goal later in the opening quarter.

Dart threw 75 yards to Jordan Watkins for one score and Parrish ran 22 yards for a touchdown as the Rebels built a 20-3 lead before the first quarter ended.

Ole Miss collected 282 yards of total offense in the opening quarter compared to Wake Forest’s 57.

It was 23-6 at halftime after Caden Davis’ 33-yard field goal for Ole Miss and Dennis’ 37-yarder accounted for the only points of the second quarter.

Ole Miss won for the first time in three all-time meetings with the Demon Deacons.

–Field Level Media