Ole Miss Rebels Move Up One Spot In AP Poll Following Win Over Vanderbilt
Moving on up. Not to the east side, but just outside the AP Top 10.
Following a 33-7 win over Vanderbilt, Ole Miss moved up one spot to No. 11 in Week 10 of the AP Poll rankings. The Rebels could find their way into the top 10 with a win over Texas A&M next Saturday at 11 a.m.
Jaxson Dart said his performance didn't meet his standard Saturday evening at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, but the stat line would disagree. Dart completed 68 percent of his passes for 240 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He rushed for a TD, too, leaving the game midway through the fourth quarter following a Quinshon Judkins 3-yard TD run.
"A big shout out to our defense for playing the way they are playing," Dart said postgame. "They fought hard tonight and got us the ball back which allowed us more opportunities to score. We definitely gotta clean stuff up."
Even with mixed results on offense, the Rebels (7-1, 4-1 SEC) corraled Vanderbilt (2-7, 0-5 SEC) quarterback Ken Seals and made the Commodores' offense one-dimensional. Seals was sacked five times and completed 50 percent of his throws for 22 yards and an interception. Walter Taylor fared worse, going 4-of-12 for 38 yards and a pick.
Trey Washington picked up both picks, including one on a batted pass from Zamari Walton, which led to a 37-yard field goal from Caden Davis.
Ole Miss players celebrate a touchdown run at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.
Carleigh Harbin-The Grove Report
“I was just in the right spot," Washington said. "I took advantage of the quarterback's throw and I caught the ball coming my way.”
Inching closer to the top 10, each victory bolsters Ole Miss' resume in hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff. A&M, which dismantled South Carolina 30-17, continues to dominate defensively.
A win over the Aggies should set up a top-10 matchup against No. 1 Georgia in Athens. The Bulldogs chomped Florida in Jacksonville, 43-20, to remain top-ranked for the 20th straight week.
Ole Miss will need No. 8 Alabama to fall short at some point to claim first place in the SEC West. The Crimson Tide were on their bye week and could be on upset alert at home this Saturday against No. 13 LSU.
The Rebels still have games scheduled against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl to close out the regular season.
