Notebook: The Ole Miss Rebels Win, Finding Their Swagger In The Second Half

The Ole Miss Rebels advance to 8-1, but their defense continues to struggle.

OXFORD, Miss. – After losing in Death Valley last weekend, the Rebels were able to bounce back with a much needed 31-28 win against the Texas A&M Aggies on Kyle Field.

Ole Miss started out the game with only run plays and a lot of missed tackles. It seemed like they were on their way to repeating the same performance they had last weekend against the LSU Tigers. But in the second half, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin came out with a more balanced offensive attack. As the playbook opened up, the Rebels' offense found their swagger, putting the Aggies on their heels.

Here are a few Rebels that stood out in today’s game.

Quinshon Judkins is a certified workhorse

Freshman running back Quinshon Judkins carried the ball for a career high 34 times. He turned these touches into a career high 205 rushing yards and one touchdown. Judkins has 13 rushing touchdowns on the year and is now one rushing touchdown away from tying Kayo Dottley’s school record.

Zach Evans makes the most of his opportunities

Junior running back Zach Evans may not shoulder the load that Judkins does, but he is an excellent change of pace back when Judkins needs a breather, and he finishes every run with authority. Evans only carried the ball eight times, but he turned these opportunities into 75 yards. He averaged an impressive 9.4 yards per carry.

Jaxson Dart finishes with zero interceptions

Sophomore quarterback Jaxson Dart had a quiet game passing the ball. He only threw the ball twenty times, and he connected on thirteen of them for 140 yards. What really jumps of the stat sheet for the young quarterback is that he finished the game with zero turnovers. Momentum is an away team’s best friend, and Dart was able to control the momentum in this game with his precise decision making.

JJ Pegues carries multiple Aggies on his back

Junior transfer defensive lineman JJ Pegues is no stranger to carrying the ball as he played tight end as a member of the Auburn Tigers. The Rebels surprised everyone with a fake punt inside their own twenty. It should have gone nowhere because an Aggie defender met Pegues as soon as he caught the snap, but the 315lb beast managed to drag multiple defenders for four yards. This crucial 4th down conversion ended with a 46-yard field goal by senior kicker Jonathan Cruz. Pegues also had two tackles and one sack.

Ashanti Cistrunk leads the team in tackles

The Rebels’ defense came together when it mattered, keeping the Aggies off the score board in the final minute of the game. Despite their efforts, this unit struggled all night. Junior Texas A&M running back Devon Achane ran the ball 25 times for 138 yards. While the Rebels’ defense continued to miss tackles, senior linebacker Ashanti Cistrunk was a bright spot leading the team with nine tackles. 

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