The Ole Miss football season to this point has had more ups and downs than a roller coaster at Six Flags. Great non-conference performances led to an abysmal SEC opener against Kentucky. Since then, they’ve been playing well, but not great, through the rest of conference play. However, if the past two weeks are any indication, it appears that the Rebels may be trying to find their peak. With a matchup against Georgia looming, it couldn’t come at a more opportune time.
And with the initial College Football Playoff committee rankings now having been released, it’s clear that Ole Miss finds themselves in the position of having to win out if they want a chance at a playoff berth. So with the focus squarely looking ahead to the huge upcoming clash against the Bulldogs, what specifically has changed over the past few weeks that are now giving Rebel fans hope once again?
Massive Improvement From Jaxson Dart
There’s no way around it, this team goes as Jaxson Dart goes. If Dart plays well, the team overall tends to play well. If Dart struggles, the team struggles. An example of this would be the fact that the Kentucky loss was Dart’s worst performance of the season. It was also the team’s worst performance of the year. Following the defeat to Kentucky, he still struggled the following week, though they managed to take down South Carolina.
Now, to be fair. that doesn’t all fall on Dart himself. The offensive line has major problems, and they don’t seem to be getting better. That has to be a huge concern moving forward. Another issue has been the play calling. For the first three and a half games of the SEC schedule, the play-calling was horrible. Then, in the second half of the Oklahoma win, and this past week against Arkansas, the play calling has improved drastically. With the improvement, Dart set the school record for total yards in the win over the Razorbacks. His 562 total yards broke Archie Manning’s previous record of 540 set in 1969. That performance earned him AP National Player of the Week honors. Needless to say, he looks more relaxed, and so does everyone else.
This brings us to the next huge factor in why the Rebels seem to be reaching their peak.
More Playmakers Getting Involved
During the few weeks, Dart seemed to struggle, a lot of it was due to the fact that he found himself having tunnel vision in regards to Tre Harris. He largely stopped looking for other receivers, and just about every pass would go Harris’ way.
But with Harris sustaining a lower leg injury and having missed two and a half games, Dart has been forced to look elsewhere. It’s also forced those other guys to step up in a big way. A prime example of this would be Jordan Watkins‘ record-setting performance against Arkansas, as well. In the win, Watkins brought in eight passes for 254 yards, and a ridiculous five touchdowns. It was a performance that was good enough to earn him the school record for both single-game receiving yards and touchdowns.
With Harris still questionable, and a tough stretch coming up with games against Georgia and a road trip to face an improving Florida team, it’s vital for guys like Watkins, Caden Prieskorn, and Dae’Quan Wright to continue stepping up in the passing game.
The Defense Continues To Improve
The most consistent part of the Rebels team this year has been the defense. And over the past few weeks, that unit has continued to improve, especially with the front seven. They set a school record for sacks (10) in a win against Oklahoma two weeks ago. This week against Arkansas, they added another eight. For the season, they lead the nation with a total of 41 sacks.
This elite pass rush has also done a solid job of stopping the run, giving up only 82 yards per game on the ground. That’s good for second in the country. And while the passing defense hasn’t been great, it’s still been much improved from years past.
The improvement of the defense managed to keep the Rebels in the games where the offense sometimes stumbled and struggled. Now, as the offense seems to have found its footing, the defense continues to play well, seemingly showing how Ole Miss is starting to reach its peak.
Ole Miss Peaking: Can They Continue the Solid Play?
While every aspect of the team is playing better now than a month ago, they do find themselves with a tough stretch to close out the year. This week, they host the third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Next week, they travel to The Swamp to take on a Florida team that has also gotten better as the season rolls on. They then close out with an Egg Bowl matchup with Mississippi State. While that should prove to be an easy win, rivalry games oftentimes get weird, which means it could end up being closer than it should be.
With this challenging stretch ahead, and knowing they have to win out, staying at this peak is a must for the Rebels. If the offense can stay spread out, getting everyone involved, things could stay optimistic in Oxford. That’s especially true if the defense can continue their elite play.
But if they fall off that peak, it could be a rough final three weeks to end the season for Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss.
