Ole Miss Dominates South Carolina, Gains First SEC Win of 2024 Season

The Ole Miss Rebels dominated the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday to claim their first SEC win of the season.

Oct 5, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Jordan Watkins (11) runs after the catch against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels needed a positive response after last week's loss, and they found it on Saturday in a 27-3 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, S.C.

Ole Miss' (5-1, 1-1 SEC) offense wasn't particularly explosive on the day and had some missed opportunities, but its defense had no issues shutting down the Gamecocks on Saturday. South Carolina put up 313 yards of total offense, and the Rebels registered six sacks and 10 tackles for loss while keeping Carolina out of the end zone.

The Rebels' first points of the day came after they thwarted a fake punt attempt from South Carolina in its own territory in the first quarter. That drive was capped off by a three-yard rush from running back Henry Parrish Jr., and defensive lineman JJ Pegues accounted for the next Ole Miss points on a one-yard rush later in the frame.

South Carolina would add a 40-yard field goal from Alex Herrera early in the second quarter, but a 20-yard kick from Ole Miss' Caden Davis and another rushing score from Pegues gave the Rebels a 24-3 lead at halftime. Davis would also account for the only points for either team in the third quarter with a 44-yard field goal.

Neither team pushed across any points in the fourth quarter, and the Ole Miss defense remained firm. South Carolina turned the ball over twice on the day with a fumble in the first half and an interception thrown near the end zone in the final frame, and the Rebels also forced three turnovers on downs.

Oct 5, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) rushes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Offensively, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart did not have his best day through the air while missing on multiple deep shots to his wide receivers, but he did finish the game with 285 yards passing. Parrish led the way on the ground for the Rebels with 81 yards on 21 carries, but both he and backup running back Matt Jones departed the game late in the fourth quarter with apparent injuries.

The road doesn't get any easier for Ole Miss after gaining this win on Saturday, however, as the Rebels will once again hit the road next week to take on the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge. Kickoff in that game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.