STARKVILLE — Ole Miss football closed out its 2023 regular season with a win, and a reminder that these Rebels are a bit different than what became typical in the first three years of coach Lane Kiffin’s tenure.
Ugly games, like the one Mississippi State dragged Ole Miss into on Thursday at Davis Wade Stadium, no longer spell doom. With its offense sputtering for most of the game, Ole Miss’ defense spearheaded a 17-7 victory, and earned Rebels fans the right to scoreboard watch this weekend as they hope for a trip to a New Year’s Six bowl game.
Ole Miss rides huge defense performance to win
Ole Miss (10-2, 6-2 SEC) is paying defensive coordinator Pete Golding $1.9 million this year for performances like the one his group delivered against the Bulldogs (5-7, 1-7).
With its offense totally out of sorts until late in the third quarter, Ole Miss had something to fall back on. Its defense kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard for the game’s first 36 minutes.
And, though the Rebels certainly dictated the line of scrimmage, they did so in a different way than usual. Sacking MSU quarterback Will Rogers just once despite their top-15 pass rush, the Rebels showcased an impressive ability to rally to the football as the Bulldogs tried time after time to get the ball to their playmakers in the short game. Ole Miss effectively defended against the rush, too, limiting MSU to 3.4 yards per carry.
Thursday marked the fifth time this season that the Rebels have limited an SEC foe to under 25 points. They had done so eight times in 25 SEC games prior to this season.
Jaxson Dart leaves game, returns as Ole Miss offense sparks
The first touchdown drive of the game for Ole Miss was also its most complicated.
As quarterback Jaxson Dart dove headfirst for the first down marker in the third quarter, Mississippi State’s DeShawn Page committed a targeting penalty that left Dart receiving attention from the training staff.
Backup Spencer Sanders entered the game for one snap and Dart returned to lead the Rebels to their first touchdown of the game, putting them ahead 10-7. That drive was capped off by a two-yard touchdown scamper from Quinshon Judkins, who rampaged his way to a 119-yard performance.
Dart gave the Rebels some insurance early in the fourth quarter, when just about the entire Mississippi State defense bit on his play-action fake, leaving Caden Prieskorn wide-open for a 26-yard TD.
FULL UPDATES: Ole Miss-Mississippi State live score updates from Egg Bowl at Davis Wade Stadium
How Ole Miss can make a New Year’s Six bowl game
The victory saw Ole Miss take a step toward playing in its second New Year’s Six bowl game under Kiffin. The Rebels will need help.
They entered this week at No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings. With six top-tier bowl games available, Ole Miss appears to be in a strong spot at first glance. But one of the bids goes to the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion, currently Tulane at No. 23. Additionally, the Orange Bowl needs an ACC team to fulfill its tie-in. If No. 5 Florida State qualifies for the College Football Playoff, that locks No. 10 Louisville into that game even if the Rebels pass the Cardinals in the rankings.
So, Ole Miss fans have a weekend of scoreboard watching ahead of them. No. 9 Mizzou travels to Arkansas on Friday, when No. 11 Penn State travels to Michigan State. Louisville hosts Kentucky on Saturday,.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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