There was plenty of talk last year about the Ole Miss “score from far” offense and how great the Rebels performed through the air, with quarterback Matt Corral leading the charge.

But while that piece of the offense is developing, as quarterback Jaxson Dart has a 448-yard game in the books, one of the biggest storylines is just how dominant the rushing attack has been. It’s among the best in the nation.

The Rebels’ rushing offense ranks No. 1 in the SEC and No. 3 in the nation, behind only Air Force and Army. The team averages 5.49 yards per attempt and 252 yards per game and has 26 rushing touchdowns. It has totalled 2,016 rushing yards over 8 games.

One of the biggest pieces of that success in an incredibly talented backfield is running back Quinshon Judkins. Ole Miss was expected to have one of the best backfields in the country, and it could not have proved analysts more correct as it continues to accomplish history.

Two Saturdays ago in a 48-34 win over Auburn, Ole Miss rushed 69 times for 448 yards — its most since 1962, 5th most all time and 2nd most against an SEC opponent. The Rebels’ single-game rushing record stands at 515 yards, set in 1951 vs. Auburn. The 69 attempts were the most by an SEC team in a conference game since 2010.

At this point, all these records look completely beatable. The Rebels continue to show they can dominate on the ground against all levels of competition en route to what could be a serious run at a national title — though they really can’t afford another loss after this past week’s 40-25 defeat to LSU.

Judkins plays a huge role in what the team has accomplished. He’s not only one of the best running backs on the team, he’s one of the best in the nation.

Against Auburn, Judkins carried 25 times for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns, making him one of 3 Ole Miss rushers to cross the century mark as Zach Evans had 136 yards and 1 rushing touchdown and Dart had 115 yards on 14 carries, continuing to show how much of a true dual threat he is (which he has shown from the moment he hit the field, despite struggling with decision-making issues as a passer sometimes). To have a quarterback who is showing upside and steady development through the air and can be this much of a problem for defenses on the ground helps make this offense as dangerous and versatile as it is.

That wasn’t as much the case as Dart was pressured in the loss to LSU. But nothing stopped Judkins from being perhaps the brightest spot of the day, with 111 yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries.

Judkins has a very real chance to finish the season as the SEC’s leading rusher. He is already the No. 2 running back in the conference with 146 carries for 831 yards and 12 touchdowns. That also puts him at No. 12 in the nation, meaning the freshman is 11 spots behind Illinois running back Chase Brown, who has 1,059 yards and 4 touchdowns on 192 carries.

Another thing to watch is just where Judkins will finish among Ole Miss’ all-time rushers. The leader there is Deuce McAllister, who played for the Rebels from 1997-2000, carrying the ball 633 times for 3,181 yards with 38 touchdowns. With the way things are rolling, the title of the Rebels’ all-time leading rusher is one Judkins could acquire.

Anything can happen in the 2nd half of the season, and it will be interesting to see if Judkins can continue to rise, as he has achieved national relevance in huge way early in his career. He’ll look to stay hot as the Rebels face Texas A&M next.