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What a difference a week makes for Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. Seven days after the Rebels went on the road to Tuscaloosa and dropped an 8th straight game to Alabama, they responded in a massive way at home against LSU to the tune of a 55-49 Magnolia Bowl win.
Points certainly weren’t at a premium in this one: the teams combined for 59 of them in the 1st half as the Rebels went to the locker room with a 31-28 lead. LSU jumped back in front and held a late edge before the Rebels struck late to claim the win.
Things lighten up a bit for Ole Miss over the next few weeks, and after Saturday’s win, its New Year’s 6 hopes remain alive.
Player of the Week: QB Jaxson Dart
This was the performance the Rebels needed from Dart that they didn’t get against Alabama. He passed for 389 yards and 4 touchdowns while running for 50 yards and a fifth score on the ground.
He led a picture-perfect drive late in the game to put the Rebels ahead for good with 39 seconds remaining, using both his arm and his feet to push through the Tigers’ defense. Against the Crimson Tide, he was held to 244 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception while being a non-factor in the running game.
Biggest surprise: Rebels had such an easy time against the Tigers’ defense
LSU isn’t a defensive stalwart, but the Rebels moved the ball up and down the field with relative ease. They punted the ball just twice, and the one time they didn’t punt outside of a scoring play, they turned it over on downs.
The Tigers hadn’t given up 55 points all season, or anywhere close. It was the first time a team had gone for 50 against them since Georgia did it in last year’s SEC Championship Game. They hadn’t yielded 31 points in a first half in 25 years.
With all due respect to the Rebels, it’s tough to say many people saw a performance like this coming.
Biggest concern: Penalties
Eleven penalties for 121 yards isn’t a recipe for success. Somehow, the Rebels got away with a win regardless. It’s by far the most penalties they’ve had this season. Their highest total (8) was actually against Alabama a week ago.
It’s a bit of a feature, not a bug; the Rebels are among the 25 most penalized teams in the country.
Developing trend: Jaxson Dart-Tre Harris connection
Tre Harris, a Louisiana native who wasn’t even offered by LSU, has settled right into the Rebels’ offense after transferring from Louisiana Tech in the offseason. He had a terrific performance with 8 catches for 153 yards, including the eventual game-winning touchdown.
Chip on his shoulder due to the Tigers not making a push for him out of high school and again while in the portal? Perhaps. But this offense is better with Harris in it. After not playing against Georgia Tech and Alabama following a 4-touchdown performance against Mercer, he announced his return in a big way.
Key stat: 706
A number of stats could have been featured here, but the Rebels’ yardage output from the day stands out. LSU hasn’t given up that many since yielding 650 against Alabama in the 2020 season. Ole Miss totaled just 39 more yards than it had against Mercer to open 2023. Saturday was more than double the Rebels’ total offense against the Tide a week prior: 301 yards.
First impression about Week 6: Revenge against Arkansas?
The Rebels fell 42-27 to Arkansas a season ago, part of a 1-5 stretch that followed after a 7-0 start. One would think that the matchup favors the Rebels in this one as the Razorbacks have seen their season begin to unravel: they won their first 2 games but have lost 3 in a row to BYU, LSU, and Texas A&M.
That said, Ole Miss can ill afford to let its guard down at this stage: its next games are Arkansas, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M before visiting Georgia on Nov. 11. A loss during this 4-game stretch could see its NY6 hopes go out the window.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.