‘Hell naw!’: Jaxson Dart’s (latest) big day and the other need-to-know notes from Ole Miss-LSU
Few will soon forget the 112th all-time football meeting between bitter rivals Ole Miss and LSU.
Rebel quarterback Jaxson Dart sure won’t.
“Hell naw!” Dart exclaimed, in his postgame presser, and after he was asked if he’d ever played in a game quite like the Rebels’ thrilling 55-49 win on Saturday.
Ole Miss improved to 4-1 (1-1 SEC) on the season. LSU fell to 3-2 (2-1).
Dart added, “That was awesome. Like, one of the funnest moments of my life.”
Dart was 26 for 39 (67 percent) for a season-high 389 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes. His last was the game-winner — a 13-yarder to wide receiver Tre Harris with 39 seconds remaining.
Harris was one of two Rebel receivers to clear 100 receiving yards in the game.
The other was Jordan Watkins (103), who’s eclipsed 100 yards three times this season. Harris is in his first and only season with Ole Miss after transferring in from Louisiana Tech. Watkins is in his second. He’s a one-time transfer from Louisville.
Harris led the Rebels in targets (14), catches (8) and yards (153). He was one of three Ole Miss receivers (the others were Watkins and Dayton Wade) to catch Dart touchdown throws.
“That’s exactly what I came here to do,” Harris said. “That was probably the funnest game I ever played in my life. I’m not even joking.
“That was the best game I ever played in my life; the most fun game I’ve ever had in my life. That’s exactly what I came here for.”
Dart’s fourth touchdown pass went to star second-year running back Quinshon Judkins.
Judkins also finished with season-high marks in rushing yards (177) and carries (33). The carries were a career-high. Judkins is now tied for fourth in program history in career 100-yard rushing games (9). He rushed for a score against the Tigers, too, to give him 23 combined (21 rushing and two receiving) for his career.
Judkins is tied for eighth all-time at Ole Miss in all-purpose touchdowns.
“I believe in my offensive line, I believe in my coaches,” Judkins said. “I know they’ll put me in the best position to win and be successful, so that was never a worry for me. When I go on the field, I know the player I am — the best player in the country.
“I just proved it today.”
SERIES NOTES
Ole Miss is 42-65-4 against LSU in the all-time series. The Tigers are two games better (11-9-1) in games played in Oxford. … LSU is the Rebels’ second-most-played opponent. The home team has won 10 of the last 12 meetings. … Saturday marked the 11th time ever the teams squared off while simultaneously ranked and first since 2016. LSU leads 7-4 in such games.
GENERAL NOTES
Judkins, Watkins and defensive end Cedric Johnson served as Ole Miss’ captains for the game. … Right guard Jeremy James made his 41st consecutive start. Other double-digit streaks include cornerback Deantre Prince (20), Dart (16), offensive linemen Micah Pettus (14) and Caleb Warren (14), Watkins (13) and Judkins (11). … The largest crowd in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (66,703) took in the win. … Ole Miss is 70-171-2 all-time against ranked opponents and 165-93-7 (.622) all-time in the month of September.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
Ole Miss scored 55 points — the most for the Rebels against an AP ranked team in history. … The 1,343 combined offensive yards are the fifth-most ever in the SEC and third-most between conference schools. They’re the second-most-combined yards in program history. … The 104 combined points are tied for seventh-most in SEC history in non-overtime games. They’re the third-most between SEC opponents and fifth-most at Ole Miss. They’re also the fourth-most for the Rebels against an SEC opponent.
Ole Miss had a season-high 706 total yards, the sixth-most ever.
The Rebels have four games with 700 or more offensive yards under fourth-year head coach Lane Kiffin. Ole Miss had produced just two such games prior to his arrival in 2020. … The Rebels rushed for a season-high 317 rushing yards and didn’t allow a sack. It was just the second time this season LSU failed to get to the quarterback. … Ole Miss is 4-0 this season when scoring first and 24-1 under Kiffin in games when the Rebels lead by two touchdowns at any point. … Ole Miss has scored on its first possession in four of five games. Three were for touchdowns. … The Rebels had a season-high 32 first downs.
Dart turned seven carries into 50 rushing yards and another touchdown.
Dart ended the night with 439 yards of total offense and five touchdowns. He’s 11th all-time at Ole Miss in career total offense (5,342). Dart has 40 career passing touchdowns, including 31 as a Rebel. He’s a one-time transfer from USC.
Harris and Watkins have now twice this season put up 100 receiving yards in the same game. The last time was Mercer, when Harris had 133 and Watkins had 111. … Harris has 20 career receiving touchdowns. Six have come at Ole Miss.
Watkins eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the third time this season and the fourth time in his career. Each has come at Ole Miss. He hauled in a 63-yard score, his eighth career receiving touchdown and fourth as a Rebel. Watkins is responsible for three of Ole Miss’ four longest plays this season.
Mixed in with Judkins’ 33 carries was a season-long 37-yard burst.
Fellow Ole Miss running back Ulysses Bentley, IV, rushed for an Ole-Miss-career-high 90 yards. Bentley, formerly of SMU, and in his second Ole Miss season, scored on a 43-yard scamper, his 21st career rushing touchdown and sixth at Ole Miss. … Wade found the end zone for the first time this season and the fourth time in his career. The one-time transfer from Western Kentucky went in on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Dart in the second quarter. He ended the night with seven catches for 64 yards.
Veteran tight end, and first-year transfer from Memphis, Caden Prieskorn, had three receptions for 41 yards. Both are Ole Miss highs. Prieskorn made his Ole Miss debut last week at Alabama. He’d been out with a knee injury. … Wide receiver Zhakari Franklin debuted in Tuscaloosa, too. He’s a transfer from UTSA, and against LSU, he had a catch for seven yards. He’s up to 48 straight games with a catch, good for third in the nation.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
Liberty transfer safety Daijahn Anthony forced his first career fumble in the first quarter on Saturday. His big hit on LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels set up an Ole Miss touchdown drive. … Ole Miss is 3-1 this season when forcing a turnover and has tallied one in four of five games. … Veteran Ole Miss safety Trey Washington scooped up Anthony’s force, the first recovery of his career. … Rebel linebacker Khari Coleman had a sack. He has 2.5 sacks on the year.
Linebacker Ashanti Cistrunk had his first two sacks of the season in the win. Both forced LSU punts. … UAB transfer corner DeShawn Gaddie broke up two passes — his firsts of the season and as a Rebel. … Johnson had two quarterback hurries. He has at least one in four of five games played.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
Texas A&M transfer kicker Caden Davis was 2 for 2 on his field goal attempts, including a long of 48. He’s 9 for 11 on his attempts this season. … Rebel punter Fraser Masin had two punts for a total of 83 yards. His long was 42. He’s averaging 42.8 yards per punt.
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