The Grove Report

Notebook: Ole Miss Red Team Edges Blue Team 53-52 In Grove Bowl Thriller

Some statistics and observations from the Ole Miss Grove Bowl on Saturday.

Ben King

OXFORD, Miss. -- The 2023 Ole Miss Grove Bowl has come and gone Red Team Taking Down the Blue Team in a 53-52 thriller in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The Ole Miss offense stole the show on Saturday afternoon with all three Rebel quarterbacks lighting up Hollingsworth Field, proving that each guy belongs in the tight competition.

While the defense did not make too many highlights, a handful of newcomers made their presence felt and played hard. 

Here are the important offensive and defensive notes from the Grove Bowl:

1. Lane Kiffin has Three Good Quarterbacks to Choose From

The quarterbacks stole the show on Saturday as each guy found the endzone at least once. 

Jaxson Dart led the group in passing yards with 302 and added on a passing touchdown and 19 rushing yards. Overall, Dart looked a lot more composed in his second Ole Miss spring game compared to a year ago when he was trying to win the game on every throw.

Spencer Sanders was the starting quarterback for the blue team and was explosive at every level of the offense. Sanders ended his day with 265 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, one interception, 72 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and one 50-yard reception on a trick play.

Walker Howard received reps under center for both squads and threw for 185 yards, three touchdowns, and no turnovers. Howard also rushed for 29 yards and one touchdown on five carries. Howard made some impressive throws outside the pocket including a beautiful 19-yard toss to running back Ulysses Bentley for his first score of the day.

2. Newcomers Show Out on Defense

The 2023 Grove Bowl was not a proper indicator of how the Ole Miss defense will look in the fall, but it gave some newcomers a chance to make some noise.

Former Miami (OH) Redhawks cornerback John Saunders Jr. transferred to Ole Miss in December and has since made the move to safety. Despite being somewhat new to the position, Saunders was the only defender on both teams to record at least 10 tackles on Saturday. Saunders finished his day with 13.5 tackles, one TFL, and recorded the lone interception of the game.

Linebackers Monty Montgomery and Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste also made their presence felt in their Ole Miss debut with the two former transfers recording 4 and 4.5 tackles, respectively.

3. The Rebels Have Weapons

The offenses were let loose on Saturday with both teams putting up roughly 400 receiving yards a piece. 

Receiver Jordan Watkins was the No. 1 option for the red team as he hauled in 149 receiving yards and one touchdown on eight receptions. Watkins flashed the burners on a 63-yard swing pass and made a handful of tight grabs.

Tight end Michael Trigg led all blue team receivers in receptions (nine) and receiving yards (138) and brought in a touchdown as well. Trigg showed great chemistry with Sanders as the 6-foot-3, 240-pound tight end was easily his favorite target on Saturday.

After injuries hampered his 2022 campaign, receiver Jalen Knox looks ready to return to action. Knox finished the 2023 Grove Bowl with three receptions, 57 receiving yards, and one impressive touchdown catch.

Former Texas A&M Aggies receiver Chris Marshall also made an impact for the red team recording 89 yards on four receptions. 

Marshall showed off his incredible ability to highpoint the ball on a few grabs where he was covered by multiple defenders.

You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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Ben King
BEN KING

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