Ole Miss Rebels Fall Short in Athens vs. Georgia Bulldogs

The Ole Miss Rebels had a chance to throw a wrench in the College Football Playoff rankings vs. the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. Instead, they were run off the field by the best team in the country.

Heading into their date with the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, the Ole Miss Rebels had a chance at perhaps the biggest win in program history. 

Win, and they are in the thick of the college football playoff race, and likely move into the top-5. 

Lose, even closely, and the Rebels are still in line for a great bowl standing. 

Unfortunately for the Rebels, neither was to be, with the Bulldogs running away with the game in a 52-17 win in front of a sold-out Sanford Stadium Crowd.

From the outset of the game, things looked to be heading in the Rebels' favor, with Quinshon Judkins trotting into the endzone on a 15-yard touchdown run on the opening drive to give Ole Miss a 7-0 lead. 

And after giving up two straight scores, the Rebels evened it up with a second Judkins touchdown to start things off in the second quarter. 

From there, however, the wheels fell off for Ole Miss, with the Bulldogs going on a 38-3 run and running away with the game. 

Ole Miss wideout Dayton Wade vs. Georgia / USA Today Sports

To make things worse for the Rebels,  starting QB Jaxson Dart got knocked out of the game with what appeared to be a serious upper-body injury, and did not return. 

Even with Dart in the game though, the Rebels were struggling offensively, with Dart throwing for just 112 yards and an interception before the injury. 

Judkins, in fact, was the lone offensive bright spot for the Rebels, rushing for 75 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns. 

Following the embarrassing loss, the Rebels will go back to the drawing board, as they return home to face the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks a Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford. 

After that, they head to Starkville to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs for their final regular season outing of the season.