Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Football Gained 'Signature' Win vs. Georgia at Perfect Time

The Ole Miss Rebels found a signature win under Lane Kiffin's leadership at the perfect time on Saturday.

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

OXFORD -- As the clock hit zero at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday night, it's hard to know exactly what went through Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin's mind.

Kiffin and the Rebels needed a win over the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs to keep hopes alive for the College Football Playoff, and they did just that, dominating the Dawgs to the tune of a 28-10 final score.

Fans stormed the field. The goal posts tumbled down. Players celebrated. But once Kiffin had a little time to process the win, his mind went to his last four-plus seasons in Oxford.

"Really happy for our university," Kiffin said postgame. "Five years ago when we came here coming off of four non-winning seasons, a lot of really good things have happened, but there's not been a signature game like this. Been close. Just really happy."

Kiffin came to Ole Miss for the 2020 season while the Rebels were on the heels of NCAA sanctions that essentially gutted the program in an unforgiving Southeastern Conference. There had not been a winning season in Oxford since 2015, but Kiffin preached a championship mindset at a place that had mountaintop moments in the past.

He wanted to right the ship, and he had done that before Saturday night. But this win over Georgia meant something. It meant that Kiffin's championship mindset has to be taken a little more seriously moving forward because his program finally knocked off one of the best programs in the sport.

"That's a great Georgia team," Kiffin said. "Outside of Alabama, they've won 51 straight games against people since COVID. Just happy for our players to play that way in what ends up kind of being dominant. To win three scores, that's a lot of people doing a lot of things right."

One of those individuals was quarterback Jaxson Dart who is now the winningest quarterback in Ole Miss history. Dart had a record-breaking performance last week against Arkansas, and while his numbers weren't as gaudy against the Bulldogs, his grit helped power the Rebels to the much-needed win.

Ole Miss has slipped up twice in conference play with heartbreaking losses to Kentucky and LSU, two results that put them in this must-win scenario for a shot at the playoff. Dart didn't blink. He was hurt by those losses, but in his words, he and his teammates kept the faith.

"It feels great. I feel like everyone counted us out after the LSU game," Dart said. "We felt like we're two plays away from being the No. 1 team in the country. I'm just so proud of how resilient our group of guys is. Starts with our coaching staff and us never giving up or losing faith. It's all part of the plan."

What makes Dart's performance even more impressive is that he was injured on the second play of the game. On the third play of the game, he threw a pass off his back foot and was picked off by the Georgia defense, a moment that eventually led to the first (and only) Bulldog touchdown of the night.

Dart missed a single offensive possession where his understudy Austin Simmons dazzled and led an answering drive that tied the game. After that series, QB1 was back on the field and played through the pain, helping pilot Ole Miss to its historic win.

"I never thought I was going to go out," Dart said. "There's got to be something severely wrong for me to come out of the game."

A lot went into Saturday night's result. The Rebels overcame adversity before and during the game against the Bulldogs, but they got the job done.

Time will tell if Saturday will be a spark that propels Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff. But for now, Kiffin, Dart and Rebel fans should enjoy what Saturday night signified: a signature win with their backs against the wall.