Notebook From Ole Miss Rebels' Blowout Loss to Georgia Bulldogs

What are some of the key takeaways from Ole Miss' loss at Georgia on Saturday night?

The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels will see their position in the polls fall this week after a 52-17 blowout loss to the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday night. 

The Rebels struck first in the game on a rushing touchdown from Quinshon Judkins, but it didn't take long for the offense to stall out. Pairing that with a defense that struggled all night, and Ole Miss was behind the eight ball at halftime, and it was out of the game by the fourth quarter.

Here are some key observations from Saturday night's game. 

Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks (24) and Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. (2) take down Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Ole Miss in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 :: © Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

1. How injured is Jaxson Dart?

Dart took a hard hit on a carry in the third quarter, and he exited the game and immediately went into the injury tent followed by a trip to the locker room. According to the ESPN broadcast, it appeared that Dart was favoring his left collarbone, but how long will he be out?

The Rebels have two games remaining this season: a home date with Louisiana-Monroe next week and a road game at Mississippi State on Thanksgiving. If Dart is out for an extended period of time, can Spencer Sanders alleviate that loss?

2. The Ole Miss defense was gashed all night long. 

Pete Golding's side of the ball had no answer for Georgia's strong offense, especially with the return of Brock Bowers to the lineup. Bowers himself did not have a massive night in the stat box, but he did draw attention from the defense. At the end of the day, however, the Rebels were just dominated from start to finish on that side of the ball.

3. Ole Miss has yet to reach the "elite" tier of college football.

Ole Miss appears to be a good team, and it has a real shot at winning 10 or more games, but it does not have the talent at this time to hang with the likes of Georgia. The Rebels are now a consistent top-15 team, but it will have to wait until the CFP expands to 12 teams next season before it can compete for a national championship.