What's Next For Ole Miss Football Following Loss to Kentucky?

The Ole Miss Rebels still have a lot to play for, but their margin of error lessened on Saturday.

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) passes the ball to running back Henry Parrish Jr. (21) during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels were sent back to the drawing board to open SEC play on Saturday, falling to the Kentucky Wildcats in a 20-17 upset.

This was not the result that most expected out of the Rebels' conference opener, to say the least. Ole Miss struggled to move the ball against a stout Kentucky defense, and penalties paired with surrendering inopportune plays late eventually led to a home loss for head coach Lane Kiffin and company.

What does this mean for the Rebels moving forward? Well, there are two ways of looking at it, according to Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

"There's not really much to say," Dart said postgame on the locker room message. "You can look at it two ways: you can just quit, or you can take it on the chin. We're on the ground right now. You can either stay down, or get up."

There are plenty of other chances for Ole Miss to right this wrong that it developed on Saturday, but the schedule isn't going to get any easier. The Rebels travel to South Carolina next week (a team that beat Kentucky earlier in the year) before another road trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU the following Saturday.

The goal for the Rebels this year was to reach the College Football Playoff and make a run towards a national title. Those hopes definitely took a hit this week, not because Ole Miss is out of the race, but because its margin for error just shrunk with about two months left in the regular season.

"You can't blink," Dart said. "We've got a lot more opportunities. One game's not going to define the whole year, but at the same time, you better make the most of the rest of your opportunities."

Everything is still in front of the Rebels, even after the disappointing showing on Saturday. But they can't have another performance like they did against Kentucky if they hope to right the ship.

We should learn a lot about this team over the next two weeks. This roster is full of former transfers, and this is the first taste of adversity that Ole Miss has had this season.

How it responds with so many new faces in the locker room will determine just how far it can go in 2024.