The Ole Miss football team’s 2024 debut was a dominant one, to say the least. Lane Kiffin’s No. 6 ranked squad took initiative early and never looked back in a 76-0 win over Furman.
A Jaxson Dart-led offense embarked on a record-breaking first half, putting 52 points on the board — the most scored by an Ole Miss offense since 1961. The Rebels’ revamped defense played its part, holding the Paladins scoreless not only in the first half but throughout the entire contest.
The Rebels’ first score of the year came on a 15-yard Dart carry. One drive later, the senior signal-caller went on to find South Carolina transfer Antwane “Juice” Wells from 61 yards out to put Ole Miss up 14-0 in the first nine minutes of action.
It didn’t take long for Kiffin to gamble in a 4th and short situation late in the first quarter. The Ole Miss offense remained on the field, and as is standard in these situations, defensive lineman JJ Pegues trotted out onto the field, plowed forward for the first down, and stutter-stepped into the end zone for a touchdown the very next play.
The offense continued to click with Dart rounding out the first half of a high-scoring affair nearly flawlessly. With 418 yards in the air and six total touchdowns at halftime, Dart mounted the best passing performance by an SEC quarterback since Heisman-winning LSU field general Joe Burrow in 2019.
“It comes down to experience. I’ve had three years in this offense. I’ve played a lot of ball with the guys on the team,” Dart said after the game. “When I have guys out there on the field I feel really comfortable with, it makes things a lot easier.”
In the second half, Kiffin turned to redshirt freshman Austin Simmons to lead the offense. The left-handed quarterback connected with sophomore Cayden Lee within the first three minutes after the intermission, giving Ole Miss a 59-point advantage.
The scoring then slowed down, but it did not stop. Jackson Prep alum Matt Jones reached the end zone on back-to-back drives in the dwindling minutes of the third quarter. Ole Miss’ last score came as a result of kicker Caden Davis splitting the uprights from 41 yards to punctuate a shutout victory.
While the high-tempo Rebel offense displayed dominance, the defense played an equally important role in the contest. Pete Golding’s squad was responsible for amassing 16 tackles for loss and holding Furman to just 172 total yards of offense — 600 fewer yards than what the Rebels’ offense produced on the night. The 76 points Ole Miss scored on Saturday tied a program record in the modern era.
Stat leaders
- QB Jaxson Dart: 22-27, 418 yards, and six touchdowns (five passing, one rushing).
- WR Tre Harris: Eight receptions, 179 yards, and two touchdowns.
- RB Matt Jones: Three carries, 68 yards, and two touchdowns.
- LB Chris “Pooh” Paul, Jr.: Eight tackles (five solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
- DB Trey Amos: Two tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception, and one pass breakup.
Coach’s remarks
Lane Kiffin expressed great pleasure with his team’s performance on both sides of the ball. What particularly stood out to the fifth-year Ole Miss frontman was his players treating their FCS opponent like they would a perennial powerhouse.
“I thought that these guys, our players, really came out with a great intensity,” Kiffin said. “They’ve come together from all of these different places, and a number of them didn’t go to the NFL. So I was like, ‘Alright, this is the first message you get to send about the team, no matter who you play next week, or week five, any of that stuff. This is all that matters — this game.’ Just because you say that doesn’t mean it’s going to work, but it was good that they responded that way. They played like it was an elite SEC game.”
What’s next
Next up for Ole Miss is a Saturday, Sept. 7 matchup against Middle Tennessee State. That game will kick off at 3:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network as well as participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
