Ole Miss Rebels Week 1 Notebook: Observations From Victory Over Mercer Bears
OXFORD, Miss. -- The No. 22 Ole Miss Rebels got their 2023 campaign off to an electric start on Saturday afternoon when they destroyed the Mercer Bears 73-7 in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
After both teams scored on their opening drives, it quickly became a one-sided affair in favor of the Rebels. Because of the lopsided game, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was able to give playing time to a lot of second and third-string players.
Below are my extensive observations and notes from Ole Miss' 2023 opener versus Mercer.
Jaxson Dart Goes Nuclear
Jaxson Dart was named Ole Miss' starting quarterback on Saturday morning and it did not take long for him to assert himself as the No. 1 guy in Kiffin's offense. Dart was perfect in the first quarter, completing all 11 of his passes for 254 total yards and three passing touchdowns.
Dart's day was over once the second half rolled around, but there were no longer questions about who should be starting under center for the Rebels. The Kaysville, Utah, native finished the game 18 for 23 with 334 passing yards, four touchdown passes, and 36 rushing yards on four carries.
Dart showed great poise and pocket navigation and made some impressive throws when he was put under pressure or forced to throw off balanced. Yes, Spencer Sanders had an impressive outing, throwing for 134 yards and two touchdowns in limited reps, but Dart made a statement on Saturday.
Offensive Line Does Some Shuffling Around
Ole Miss' offensive line has been dealing with injuries throughout fall camp so Kiffin has been rotating players in different spots to get a better idea of who fits best where.
The shuffling along the offensive line continued on Saturday, as former transfers Victor Curne and Quincy McGee both started the game at left tackle and left guard in place of Jayden Williams and Eli Acker, respectively. Williams later saw snaps at left tackle, and Cedric Melton replaced right tackle Micah Pettus at the halfway point. Caleb Warren started the game at center for the Rebels but was replaced by senior Reece McIntyre at halftime.
The movement along the offensive line did not slow down Ole Miss on Saturday, however.
Ole Miss Shows Off Depth at Tight End
Former transfer tight end Caden Prieskorn was out for Week 1 and Michael Trigg did not see the field until the second half, enter Kyirin Heath and Hudson Wolfe.
In his first career start, Heath finished third on the team in receiving after hauling in three catches for 48 yards. Wolfe only caught one pass for 18 yards and was shaken up on the play, but it was still encouraging to see the 6-foot-7, 230-pound tight end get playing time as injuries have kept him off the field since he arrived on campus in 2021.
Trigg got snaps in the second half and was a favorite target for Sanders, recording three receptions for 44 yards.
Tre Harris Shines in SEC Debut
Have yourself a day Tre Harris.
The former Louisiana Tech Bulldog got his Ole Miss career started with a bang on Saturday serving as Dart's No. 1 target. Harris hauled in six receptions for 133 yards and four touchdowns, setting the Ole Miss single-game record for receiving touchdowns in the process. Harris caught his first three touchdowns barely three minutes into the first quarter.
The Rebels were without transfer receiver Zakhari Franklin versus Mercer and it did not matter in the slightest, as Ole Miss' wideouts exploded for 524 total yards on Saturday.
Ole Miss Rebels WR Tre Harris has a record-setting game versus the Mercer Bears in Week 1.
Carleigh Harbin-The Grove Report
Jordan Watkins Scores Ole Miss' First Punt Return TD Since 2013
Harris had a phenomenal SEC debut versus Mercer, but do not let his record-setting day overshadow Jordan Watkins. The senior not only finished second on the team in receiving with six catches for 111 yards, but he also scored Ole Miss' first punt return touchdown since Jeff Scott did it in 2013. Watkins looks poised for a breakout campaign in 2023.
Freshman Wideouts Make Immediate Impact
They did not have record-setting games by any means, but true freshmen receivers Ayden Williams and Cayden Lee both flashed potential in their collegiate debuts.
Williams showed why he was the No. 1 receiver in the state of Mississippi coming out of high school when he hauled in a 43-yard bomb from Sanders for his first career catch. Williams finished Week 1 with two catches for 47 yards. Lee only caught one pass, but it was a wide-open 34-yard touchdown reception.
Suntarine Perkins Has Arrived
Welcome to the Suntarine Perkins show Ole Miss fans.
In his first collegiate game, the former five-star recruit led Ole Miss with nine tackles and recorded his first career sack. Perkins was flying all over the field for the Rebels on Saturday, whether he was wreaking havoc in Mercer's backfield or patrolling sideline to sideline. The Mississippi native is everything he was advertised to be and more. Ole Miss has a deep linebacker room, but Perkins should be starting every game going forward.
Daijahn Anthony Snags First Interception of 2023
Daijahn Anthony transferred to Ole Miss in May and he is already making an immediate impact on defense. Anthony recorded Ole Miss' first interception of the 2023 campaign and the Rebels capitalized on the turnover, as Harris caught his fourth touchdown pass just a few plays later. Anthony finished his day with three total tackles and an interception.
Defense Recovers After Shaky Start
The Ole Miss offense got the party started in the first quarter, but its new-look defense needed a drive to get warmed up, as Mercer's first play of the game was a 75-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Carter Peevy. Fortunately for Ole Miss, its defense woke up. By the time halftime rolled around, the Bears had 73 rushing yards and they did not find the end zone for the rest of the game.
Ole Miss' defense was not perfect on Saturday, but it showed promise and a vast improvement from a season ago. Give new defensive coordinator Pete Golding some time, and this unit could be scary.
Duel of the Kickers
That's right, even special teams is going to get some love.
Ole Miss used two kickers when attempting PATs on Saturday, Caden Davis and Caden Costa. Davis arrived on campus ahead of spring practices after transferring from the Texas A&M Aggies while Costa is finally back in action after being suspended the entire 2022 season for the use of PEDs.
It appears the two had a bit of a competition in Week 1, as both kickers got rotated out after every touchdown. Both kickers went five for five on PATs in Week 1. Field goals and extra points should not be a problem for the Rebels in 2023.
