Three Takeaways: Ole Miss Football Dominates Duke in Gator Bowl

The Ole Miss Rebels ran away with things in Jacksonville on Thursday night.

Jan 2, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) is given the MVP award after beating tubes Duke Blue Devils in the Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The No. 14 Ole Miss Rebels ended the 2024 season on a high note on Thursday night with a 52-20 thrashing of the Duke Blue Devils in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Ole Miss (10-3) scored early and often in the rout behind a stellar performance from quarterback Jaxson Dart and a dominant showing by the Rebel defense. Dart's stat line broke program records and pushed him up SEC leaderboards in key statistical categories, and he won MVP honors for the game as a result.

What did we learn about this final football game for the Rebels in this campaign? Let's dive in below.

1. Jaxson Dart is truly one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever don an Ole Miss uniform.

This was already known, but Thursday night further cemented Dart's name into Rebel lore. He set new season passing and total offense records that were previously held by Chad Kelly from the 2015 season while also surpassing the 12,000-yard total offense mark for his career, making him just the fourth player in SEC history to do so.

What I think is even more telling, however, is the impact he's had on the program in his three years in Oxford. After the game, Dart was interviewed by the ESPN broadcast where he broke down what he thought had made the Ole Miss program successful in recent years.

"I think that it starts at the top. It starts with Coach Kiffin," Dart said. "He changed this program. That's why I came here. I saw the excitement, I saw the vision that he had for it, and I think when you get a group of guys who all see it the same way and you build a really strong culture, it just shapes out that way.

"I've been very blessed to be a part of this program and forever thankful for it."

Dart has been a big part of that team culture since he arrived at Ole Miss, and now that he has the records to go along with it, he received an appropriate sendoff on Thursday.

2. This season wasn't what it was supposed to be for Ole Miss, but multiple key players had a fitting end to their Rebel careers on Thursday.

Jaxson Dart and Jordan Watkins are prime examples of this. Lane Kiffin said after the game that he didn't call the play where Dart and Watkins connected for a 69-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and he didn't seem super pleased that the players did it on their own. Still, it's a fitting conclusion to both players' careers that they connect on a long touchdown pass on their final college snap.

Ulysses Bentley IV also got in on the action. He hadn't seen a ton of reps at one point this season, but he always seemed to take advantage of his opportunities in the ground game when they presented themselves. Thursday was no different as he rushed for 70 yards and two scores.

It's impressive that so many players with NFL aspirations chose not to opt out of this game, and they took full advantage of the opportunity on Thursday night to have a strong end to their Ole Miss careers.

3. Very briefly, Ole Miss fans got a glimpse into the future of the program. That glimpse was a bright one.

The Rebels ran one final pass play as time expired in the Gator Bowl, and it was an absolute dime from quarterback Austin Simmons who is expected to take over for Dart in 2025. It was just one pass that went for 34 yards, but Simmons has shown exceptional skill with the ball in his hands during his limited reps this season, and he has the potential to be very special for the Rebels.

Ole Miss also got one carry for 15 yards out of running back Logan Diggs who was sidelined this season after transferring to the Rebels following an ACL injury in 2023. Diggs also hauled in one catch for a six-yard gain on Thursday, and he should factor into the backfield plans next season once he fully gets his legs back under him.

I'm not saying that Ole Miss will contend for a College Football Playoff spot next season, but it's undeniable that some pretty strong pieces are in place as the 2025 campaign approaches.