Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart Starts Heisman Campaign With a Bang

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart set a high bar for himself in a dominating Week 1 victory over Furman at home.

Aug 31, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels tight end Caden Prieskorn (86) celebrates with quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) after a touchdown against the Furman Paladins during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels crushed expectations in a dominant Week 1 victory over Furman at home behind a wired quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Dart became the first SEC quarterback to throw for over 350 yards in one half since LSU's Joe Burrow in 2019, and he exited the game after halftime, finalizing his stat line of 418 passing yards, 26 rushing yards and six total touchdowns with a completion percentage of 81.

The Rebels offense easily marched down the field on the first possession of the game and opened the scoring behind a 15-yard rushing touchdown from Dart. This was just the beginning of an offensive onslaught as the Rebs proceeded to score seven more touchdowns and a field goal, giving them a 52-0 lead at halftime.

While most of the starters exited the game after the first half, Ole Miss still amounted 25 second half points to finish of Furman with a final of 76-0, setting the record for most points scored under head coach Lane Kiffin.

Even with such a strong performance on Saturday, Dart was not surprised by the outcome. He puts in the work, and he expects his team to succeed.

"Quite honestly, it's kind of what we expected going into it," Dart said postgame. "That's just kind of the standard that we want to play at and excel at. Big thing for us is trying to control what we can control, and regardless of the score and situation, go into each and every play with the same mindset."

Ole Miss has never had a Heisman Trophy winner, but after this performance, with the new and old expectations, everyone should be on watch for Jaxson Dart as the season progresses. He looks to continue his campaign next week as the Rebels try to advance to 2-0 when they take on Middle Tennessee at home.