A mostly intact Ole Miss football team will look to ring in the new year on a high note and reach the 10-win benchmark for the third time under Lane Kiffin’s guidance on Thursday when it takes on Duke in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Though the 2023-24 campaign produced playoff – and even championship – expectations for the No. 14 Rebels (9-3, 5-3 SEC), a trio of losses throughout the year ultimately prevented the red and blue from being one of the 12 teams vying for a title. Despite missing the College Football Playoff in a season dubbed “The Last Dance,” an overwhelming majority of Ole Miss players have opted in for the contest against Duke (9-3, 5-3 ACC).
In the modern era of college football, programs not participating in a postseason matchup with championship stakes are prone to have some of their top players elect not to suit up for the contest. That was not the case for Ole Miss. Key veterans, like senior defensive tackle and Oxford native JJ Pegues, have chosen to give it one more go under head coach Lane Kiffin’s guidance.
“We all want to leave this place better than how we found it. Definitely for me, just being from here, wearing the jersey one more time, representing Chucky Mullins and 38, it’s a big deal,” Pegues said. “We built something special here. We started something special. We just want to finish the right way.”
For Jaxson Dart, there was never a doubt that the record-setting Ole Miss quarterback would relish his final opportunity to showcase his talents at the collegiate level. Dart, who officially declared for the NFL Draft last week, acknowledged that he and his Rebel peers were unified in their decision to end the season on the field together.
“There wasn’t any doubt. I never even had a second thought about it. I’m just really excited to go compete one last time with the guys,” Dart said. “There are a lot of guys who really could [opt out] and have cases to be first-rounders and whatnot. But we kind of just came together and were just like we want to finish this the way that we started it.”
This means fans of the red and blue will get to see some of their favorite players such as defensive tackle Walter Nolen, defensive end Jared Ivey, and wide receiver Jordan Watkins take the gridiron in Ole Miss garb once more. LSU transfer running back Logan Diggs will also make his debut for the Rebels. Ole Miss will notably lack linebacker Chris Paul, Jr., defensive back Jadon Canady, and offensive tackle Micah Pettus.
The Blue Devils, on the other hand, suffered a major blow ahead of the bowl game with standout quarterback Maalik Murphy and starting running back Star Thomas hitting the transfer portal.
Previewing the matchup
Ole Miss will face an unfamiliar foe led by a familiar face. First-year Duke head coach Manny Diaz, who led the Blue Devils to one of their best regular seasons in recent history, coached against the Rebels in last year’s Peach Bowl as Penn State’s defensive coordinator. Though the two programs will be making their debut against one another on the field, both coaching staffs are well-acclimated with one another.
The Rebels are currently a 17-point favorite over Duke and will go into the postseason game with a major chip on their shoulder, looking to prove why the College Football Playoff committee made a grave mistake in preventing them from championship contention.
Offensively, Duke will enter the game at a major disadvantage. Backup quarterback Henry Belin IV has seven total yards of offense this year as his cross-field counterpart, Dart, was one of the nation’s most efficient field generals with 4,327 total yards and 28 touchdowns.
Fortunately for Belin, trusted wideouts Jordan Moore and Eli Pancol will be at the inexperienced signal-caller’s disposal. The pair of wideouts have combined for 1,539 receiving yards and 16 scores. Dart will have a cornucopia of weapons to feed in the matchup — most notably Watkins, Cayden Lee, and tight end Caden Prieskorn.
Strong defense will be on display on both sides, especially in the trenches. Both teams have had much success getting to the quarterback and are among the nation’s best in sacks. Ole Miss comes to the table with 52 sacks on the season, whereas Duke amassed 41 this year.
Leading the Rebels in taking down opposing quarterbacks are linebacker Suntarine Perkins and edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, who have 10.5 sacks each. Duke defensive ends Vincent Anthony, Jr. and Ryan Smith have a combined nine sacks on the year and will look to put a Rebel offensive line that has struggled to the test.
In the secondary, both teams mounted similar numbers. Duke tallied 12 interceptions this season while Ole Miss logged 11. Lockdown Blue Devil defensive back Chandler Rivers, who has three picks on the year, will work to keep the Rebels’ passing game at bay. Meanwhile, Trey Amos, with three interceptions and 13 passes deflected on the year, is expected to once again be the catalyst for the Rebels’ defensive backs group.
Rounding out the game in the final phase — special teams — Ole Miss will be led by proven veteran talent. Senior kicker Caden Davis has made 23 of 28 field goal attempts, with his longest make being a 56-yarder. Punter Fraser Masin, an Australian native, averages nearly 44 yards per boot and has routinely been responsible for placing opponents in unfavorable territory on the field. Duke kicker Todd Pelino is 15 of 20 this season with his longest make coming from 53 yards out. The Blue Devils’ punter, freshman Kade Reynoldson, has averaged just under 44 yards per boot.
For Ole Miss to win, the Rebels will have to play clean football by limiting turnovers. The defense will benefit from pressuring Duke’s quarterback early and keeping him from getting into a rhythm. Dart and company will march to victory if the offense avoids coughing up the ball.
Duke’s test will be much taller. Offensively, the Blue Devils will need to create opportunities for explosive plays and reach the end zone against a remarkably stingy defense. On the other side of the ball, putting pressure on Dart early and often will be paramount for Duke to come out on top.
How to watch
Location: EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Date: Thursday, January 2
Time: 7:05 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN
Radio: Participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations
