Jaxson Dart's Early Heroics Help Rebels in Big Win Over Georgia

Dart's ability to play looked bleak on Saturday, but his toughness prevailed in the end.

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs the ball during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Georgia had just punched it in on 4th and Goal inside the Ole Miss five-yard line on Saturday to take an early lead on the Rebels, but most of the attention was focused on Jaxson Dart who had been taken into the locker room after suffering what looked to be a lower leg injury.

"It didn't look good to me," Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said postgame. "I didn't know if he was coming back. I thought he was done."

Dart, however, did come back after one possession, and on a bum ankle led the game in rushing, something Rebel fans are used to seeing from their third-year starting QB. Dart has always played with a certain attitude and toughness, traits that have been embraced by Ole Miss players and fans alike.

"I never thought I was going out," Dart said in the postgame media opportunity. "There has to be something severely wrong for me to come out of the game."

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Dart's 21-yard scamper in the closing stages of the third quarter shifted the momentum as the game hung in the balance, and even with an injury, Dart found a way to make plays for his team. His toughness was a huge reason the Rebels could pull off this upset and keep hope alive for postseason immortality.

Dart was 13-for-22 through the air for 199 yards and one touchdown pass to Juice Wells. That's not a crazy stat line, but it wasn't just all about the stats. The Rebels offense controlled the tempo of the game and let the Ole Miss dominant defensive front breathe. Dart also was calm and collected, taking the check downs when needed and not forcing downfield shots.

This is a program-defining win for the Rebels as they celebrate a win over third-ranked Georgia, and with two games left, it would seem that Ole Miss controls its own destiny for a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.