Jaxson Dart 'Excited' for 'Bama Challenge' on Saturday

The Rebels quarterback is not buying the "Bama is down" narrative entering this week.

Alabama is still Alabama. At least, that's what Jaxson Dart believes.

The quarterback of the No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels does not believe that the Crimson Tide's rocky start is indicative of the team he will see on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. In fact, he's been looking forward to the challenge after last season's heartbreaking 30-24 loss in Oxford.

"This is a game that I feel like our whole team has been looking forward to," Dart said on Saturday following his team's win over Georgia Tech. “Especially with how things ended in the last time that we played them.

"Obviously, they’re Bama, so you know what to expect from them. From growing up as kids, we’ve all grown up seeing them at the top, so we’re excited for the challenge.”

Carleigh Harbin-The Grove Report

Even though "they're Bama," could the Tide be vulnerable this season? Nick Saban's bunch dropped a home game to the Texas Longhorns two weeks ago, and they appeared to go backwards on Saturday, only knocking off the USF Bulls 17-3 after being favored by 34.5 points.

The Crimson Tide are still figuring out their quarterback position, as all three of their signal callers have now seen playing time. On Saturday, Alabama quarterbacks Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson combined for 107 passing yards. Ty Simpson found the end zone once on the ground but finished the day with -12 rushing yards on nine carries.

Sophomore Jalen Milroe started under center for Alabama in the first two games of the season but was benched after throwing for 255 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions versus Texas.

If there's an advantage Ole Miss has entering Saturday, it's that it knows who its quarterback is. Jaxson Dart has given Lane Kiffin no reason whatsoever to look at his bench through three games, except when the Rebels held an insurmountable lead over the Mercer Bears in Week 1. 

Entering Week 4, Dart has thrown for 852 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception, averaging 12.5 yards per attempt. The junior also leads the Rebels on the ground with 213 yards on 32 carries and has added two rushing scores. Dart ran for a career-high 136 yards versus the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday.

Kickoff between Ole Miss and Alabama on Saturday is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.