GameDay Primer: No. 17 Ole Miss looking to spoil Georgia Tech’s first-ever trip to Oxford

Georgia Tech on Saturday will make its first-ever trip to Ole Miss.

The Rebels are hoping to make the Yellowjackets’ stay as brief and unpleasant as possible.

Kickoff for the sixth all-time meeting between the teams is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network. Ole Miss has won each of the last three in the series, including a 42-0 drubbing in Atlanta last season — the Rebels’ largest win against a non-SEC Power 5 school since 1950.

But these Yellowjackets are much-improved under Brent Key. Key, a former Georgia Tech offensive lineman, was promoted from interim to full-time head coach following a 4-4 finish to last season, including a pair of road wins over ranked opponents.

Key took over for Geoff Collins, who was fired.

The Yellowjackets are off to a 1-1 start. They came up short in a tight contest with Louisville in Week 1, but easily dispatched of South Carolina State last weekend.

“A similar result to 50 to nothing or whatever it was, I mean, I have high expectations, but that’s a little unrealistic,” Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said earlier this week.

The Rebels are 11-2 in non-conference games under Kiffin. He’s in his fourth Ole Miss season. The Rebels have only lost one home non-conference game since 2012.

Ole Miss scored the most points in a single game (73) in the Kiffin era against Mercer. The Rebels, at Tulane, rallied from a double-digit deficit to win against a Top 25 opponent on the road for the first time in seven years.

“We’ve got to go win the game,” Kiffin said. “These guys are playing good (and) we have a lot of stuff to work on.

“A lot of challenges.”

GEORGIA TECH HEAD COACH BRENT KEY

Georgia Tech last season finished 5-7 overall and 4-4 in ACC play after a 1-3 (0-1 ACC) start.

The turnaround came when Key replaced Collins after the Ole Miss embarrassment. He was named interim September 26 after previously serving as Georgia Tech assistant head coach/offensive line coach/run game coordinator for over three seasons.

Key returned to Georgia Tech in 2019 after three seasons as offensive line coach at Alabama (2016-18). He helped lead the Crimson Tide to two SEC championships, three College Football Playoff championship games and the 2017 national title.

Key also had a successful 11-year stint at UCF, leading the Knights to four conference championships and eight bowl appearances. He was an assistant coach at Western Carolina for a season and a graduate assistant for two at Georgia Tech.

Key was a four-year starter at guard for the Yellowjackets from 1997-2000. He was a team captain and all-ACC performer as a senior.

SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH

Georgia Tech (1-1) is coming off a 48-13 home win over South Carolina State. The Yellowjackets rank No. 9 in the country in total offense (533 yards per game). Texas A&M transfer quarterback Haynes King leads the ACC with 301.5 passing yards per game and seven passing touchdowns. Five different Yellowjacket receivers have hauled in at least one receiving touchdown — among them Eric Singleton, Jr., and Brett Seither, who each have two receiving touchdowns.

Running backs Jamal Haynes and Trey Cooley have shared the workload on the ground, combining for 310 rushing yards and four scores of their own. Defensively, Georgia Tech is giving up 382.5 yards per game, including 211.5 yards per game on the ground. Defensive end Kyle Kennard leads the Yellowjackets with 13 total tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.

(Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

OLE MISS IN THE POLLS

Ole Miss is ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press poll and No. 19 in the Coaches poll for Week 3. The Rebels have been ranked in the Top 25 in 32 of the last 34 poll releases dating back to 2021. Over that stretch is a streak of 29 across 2021 and 2022 — the longest streak since Ole Miss was ranked for 41 straight weeks from 2014-16.

The SEC has five teams in the Top 25. Three are inside the Top 10.

BIG BOOT

Ole Miss senior transfer kicker Caden Davis only hit one career field goal in three seasons at Texas A&M.

However, in two games with the Rebels, not only does Davis already have four in four tries, but he was true on the fourth-longest boot in school history.

Davis went 3 for 3 on field goals in Ole Miss’ comeback victory over No. 22 Tulane. None were bigger than his fourth-quarter, 56-yard make for a 10-point Ole Miss lead.

The Rebels were down by as much as 10 in the first half.

“The furthest one I hit in pregame was 67,” Davis said Monday. Davis earlier in the day was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week by the SEC office. “I think it had a little bit of room on it. I told coach, if we get to the 50-yard-line going that way (and) with the wind, I’d be good.”

Davis’ previous long was 40 yards — in his only made field goal of his Texas A&M career in four total attempts. Davis’ bomb leads the SEC and is now tied for second-longest in the FBS this season. It ranks No. 4 in Ole Miss history and is the best since Bryan Owen (57 yards) against Tulane in 1988.

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CAUSING MAYHEM

Ole Miss has at least 4.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss in each of its first two games.

The Rebels have done so with a wide range of defenders getting in on the action.

Eight Rebels have contributed to a quarterback sack. Thirteen have chipped in on at least one tackle for loss. Ole Miss has already forced two fumbles and returned them for a touchdown. Rebel linebacker Khari Coleman sealed the win at Tulane with his forced fumble scooped-and-scored by Ole Miss defensive end Jared Ivey.

“Call it a thick-six, man,” Ivey said this week. “It was a great feeling. I haven’t walked across that solid white line in a long time. Very blessed.”

Ole Miss through two games played has two interceptions, nine QB hurries, 11 pass breakups and 27 points off turnovers. Ole Miss has recorded multiple sacks in 26 games under Kiffin, as well as at least 5.0 tackles for loss in 25 games. The Rebel have at least 4.0 sacks in 15.

Ole Miss is 17-8 in games with at least 5.0 tackles for loss, and in games with at least 4.0 sacks, the Rebels are 8-2.

Ole Miss this season ranks third in the SEC in both sacks and TFL. The Rebels are ninth and 14th, respectively, in all of FBS.

PRINCE OF THE PICK

Ole Miss senior cornerback Deantre Prince corralled his sixth career interception at a pivotal point in New Orleans. Prince only added to his total as the Rebels’ active career leader in interceptions.

He’s been the top cover corner for Ole Miss so far this season (79.7 grade from PFF). Opposing quarterbacks have attempted passes his way just 11 times in 60 coverage snaps. Prince is only yielding 23 yards receiving on his island.

“Prince played really well,” Kiffin said. “Had some injuries just a week and a half, two weeks ago, leading into the first game, so he wasn’t really at full strength.

“He made some good plays. Really good to see.”

Prince was a preseason All-SEC selection and Senior Bowl watch list member. He only allowed 22 receptions in 434 coverage snaps last season. Prince had 12 games with 50 receiving yards or fewer allowed.

WE WANNA GO FAST!

Ole Miss closed out the 2022 regular season tied ied for the FBS lead in seconds per play (20.7).

The Rebels have shown no signs of slowing down in the opening stages of 2023.

They’re currently running a play every 21.9 seconds. Ole Miss is averaging 49.5 seconds per opening drive. The Rebels against Mercer opened with a 51-second drive that ended with the first of three touchdown passes from quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Tre Harris.

Harris is questionable for Georgia Tech due to a knee injury suffered against Tulane. He had a touchdown in the first quarter there, too. Ole Miss scored in 48 seconds, capped by Dart’s 31-yard strike to Harris.

“(Tulane) got challenging,” Kiffin said. “You think about it, you’re playing without a tight end (Caden Prieskorn) that had come in through training camp as arguably one of your most important players on your entire team. Everything he did was impactful, especially in the run game. He was huge in the run game.

“And then Tre, who had five touchdowns through a game and one drive, goes out. So, you know, guys are gonna have to step up.”

Harris spent most of the first half one the sideline with a brace on his left knee but no crutches. He didn’t come back out after halftime and was limited all week in practice.

The Mercer march was the fastest to open a season for Ole Miss since 2018. The Rebels’ 28 first-quarter points are the most in available records since at least 1967. The 48-second debut against the Green Wave, meanwhile, was the fastest on any opening drive for the Rebels since finding the end zone in just 34 seconds against Liberty in November of 2021.

Ole Miss is 21-5 when scoring first under Kiffin.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, September 17, 2022. (©Bruce Newman)

THROWIN’ DARTS

Dart has been one of the top quarterbacks in the country, statistically, through two weeks.

He currently leads the SEC in yards per attempt (12.0, No. 2 FBS), passing efficiency (206.6, No. 3 FBS) and yards per completion (17.2, No. 5 FBS). He’s ranked in the Top 5 in the SEC in passing touchdowns (six, FBS No. 9), passing yards per game (300.5, FBS No. 13) and total offense (339.0 ypg, FBS No. 11).

Dart has been especially effective in the first quarter. He’s 18 for 19 for 246 yards and four touchdowns in the opening frame, including a blistering 11 for 11 stretch to open the season against Mercer. He became just the seventh Ole Miss quarterback to ever throw 11 consecutive completions.Matt Corral set the school record (19) against Vanderbilt in 2020.

Dart recently moved into 14th all-time at Ole Miss in passing yards (3,575) and 12th in total offense (4,266).

Dart — in a career spanning stops at USC and then Ole Miss — has produced career totals of 4,928 and 5,662 yards in both categories, respectively.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Ole Miss has returned its two interceptions this season for 63 yards. The Rebels are currently No. 3 in the SEC and No. 12 in the FBS. Five different Rebels have lent a hand in Ole Miss’ three forced fumbles, either on the force or the recovery. Six Rebels have batted down a pass. Seven have recorded at least one QB hurry.Safety Trey Washington, Coleman and fellow linebacker Ashanti Cirstrunk all lead Ole Miss with 10 total tackles on the year. Tulane marked the 50th career game at Ole Miss for Cistrunk. It was also his 50th consecutive game played.Also hitting 50 career games played at Tulane were transfer defensive backs Zamari Walton (formerly of Georgia Tech) and Teja Young (FAU).Ole Miss defensive end and Chucky Mullins Award recipient Cedric Johnson recorded career sack No. 14.5 against Mercer. Johnson is Ole Miss’ active career sacks leader.Transfer safety Daijahn Anthony (Liberty) has three passes defended so far, including an interception against Mercer.Transfer defensive end Isaac Ukwu had his first tackles as a Rebel against Tulane. Ukwu ended with six tackles (four solo), 2.0 TFL, one sack and two QB hurries. He now has 17.5 sacks in his college career.

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