COLUMN: No. 9 Ole Miss Beats Vanderbilt 52-28 Despite Slow Start

The Ole Miss Rebels were able to overcome a rocky first half to beat the Vanderbilt Commodores 52-28 thanks to a big game from quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Carleigh Holt-The Grove Report

NASHVILLE, Tenn., -- The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels secured a 52-28 victory on the road over the Vanderbilt Commodores, but they did not play like a top 10 team until the third quarter came around.

The Ole Miss offense had an uncharacteristically slow first half, as Vanderbilt led by 10 points in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 20-17 lead.

The Ole Miss run game produced four total rushing touchdowns between running backs Zach Evans, Quinshon Judkins, and Matt Jones on Saturday, but the Commodore defense held the top rushing attack in the Southeastern Conference to less than 100 rushing yards in the first half. 

With the running backs struggling to move the ball on Vanderbilt's defense, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart would have to be the hero on the road for the Rebs.

In his first SEC road game, Dart threw for a season-high 448 yards and three touchdowns leading Ole Miss' second-half surge. The sophomore quarterback threw two interceptions on Saturday, but he also showed off his arm, tossing three touchdown passes that were more than 60 yards. 

Ole Miss receiver Jonathan Mingo put his name in the Rebel history books on Saturday setting the single-game receiving yardage record with 247 yards on nine receptions. He also hauled in a 71-yard touchdown pass and took a screen pass 72-yards for a score. 

The Rebels improve to 6-0 overall and 2-0 against conference opponents following the victory over the Commodores. Ole Miss is also officially bowl-eligible for the 2022-23 postseason.

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