Sports Talk

As the rain fell in Oxford, Mississippi a fanbase impatiently waiting for a win from their Rebels, poured out of the stands and onto the field in raucous celebration. Ole Miss had done it, they’d made their mark on the College Football world, they’d beaten the unbeatable, but then came the onslaught of whistles. Unfortunately for the Ole Miss faithful, their celebration had been sixteen seconds premature following a turnover on downs by Georgia’s offense and so the Rebels would have to take the field to knee out the final seconds of the game. Though to onlookers across the nation the task seemed impossible, the referees and security staff of Vaught-Hemingway stadium were able to clear the field so that quarterback Jaxson Dart could end the game with one final knee. Now standing on the sidelines with their beloved team the fans once again took the opportunity to rush the field in celebration lifting up a victorious Dart and adding another wrinkle to a game which will forever be cemented on the legacies of these programs. But, before we can look onward to the ramifications of this game, we must first take a look back at how we got to this point.

The story of this game begins a year prior, when an upstart Ole Miss team, ranked 10^th in the country, ventured to Athens, Georgia with the hopes of an upset. The Rebels season had been progressing similarly to ones of past years during Kiffin’s tenure; a hot start with playoff hopes, followed by an eventual loss to Alabama and a potential derailing of the season. In Athens that day, however, the Rebels had a chance to prove to the playoff committee that they deserved a chance to compete for the final spot in the college football playoffs. With Georgia star tight end Brock Bowers questionable to play, the stars seemed to be aligning for an upset against #1. Unfortunately for Ole Miss, Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs had other plans. Despite being forecasted to sit out this game, Brock Bowers instead suited up and aided the Bulldogs in a 52-17 rout of the Rebels which included 611 yards of total offense and 7 total touchdowns for Georgia. After this game, the buzz around college football rang a familiar tune, no matter how good Ole Miss looks, they simply cannot win big games. The Rebels weren’t bad by any stretch they were a bowl worthy team, just not a playoff worthy team.

These were the narratives that Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was tired of. He’d done everything he could to recruit and bring in talent, turning the University of Mississippi into a destination spot for transfers from all across the nation, sold on the flash of Kiffin’s offense executed in the brilliance of powder blue. Kiffin’s brand of football is centered around that flash, around being the best team on the field and not letting the other team forget it. But, regardless of the charisma or shine, the Rebels just could never seem to make it to the top 4. Unfortunately, this season had been no different. Though they’d avoided their annual matchup with Alabama thanks to a restructuring of the Southeastern Conference, the rebels dropped two games by a total of 6 points to Kentucky and LSU. With two losses in prior seasons, the year would be all but over for the rebels, but now with a 12-team playoff there was a sliver of hope for the 16^th ranked Rebels, so long as they could win every game remaining, and beat the most dominant team of the last half decade the #3 Georgia Bulldogs.

Despite what hope Ole Miss had the team’s chances seemed to be dashed as Jaxson Dart through an interception through the rain and exited the field hobbled before heading to the locker room for further evaluation. Georgia, gifted with excellent field position, quickly were able to score building momentum. As the Rebels trotted out back-up quarterback Austin Simmons for their second drive it seemed the narrative would again be fulfilled and Lane Kiffin’s record would fall to 0-5 vs. top 5 opponents. Simmons, however, seemed to be primed for the moment driving down the field going 5/6 passing for 64 yds and capping the drive with a touchdown run by Ulysses Bentley IV to even the game at 7. During the drive Dart was able to be cleared by the Rebels medical staff and return to the sidelines, and when he returned to the field it seemed whatever demons had plagued him in the first drive had been exorcised. For Georgia, however, the troubles were just beginning.

In spite of the success of the Bulldogs first drive, the rest of their day was markedly unsuccessful. Georgia’s offensive line, touted for its ability to bully its opponents, were themselves bullied by the Rebels’ defensive front four. Georgia’s quarterback Carson Beck has been struggling to complete passes and with a chance to extend a drive and close a 12-point gap midway through the fourth quarter he threw a batted ball interception on 4^th down and 10. However, with 3:22 remaining in the game down 15 points it seemed the Bulldogs would have another chance at a comeback. After an incomplete pass on first down Beck felt the pressure to drive the ball downfield and give his team a shot on second. After dropping back and being forced to move from the pocket, the Rebels were able to find home with a forced fumble on their fourth of five sacks recorded in the game. With the fumble recovered by Ole Miss, the Rebels were able to waste some time before kicking a field goal to push the lead to three scores and firmly place the win out of reach of the Bulldogs. 

So as fans rushed and then re-rushed the field the Rebels had done the impossible and beaten a Georgia team that had not lost to a team other than Alabama since 2020. For fans of the Bulldogs, their team now sits in a spot at risk. To secure their shot at a chance to make the playoffs Georgia will likely need to win out, and with their next game being against a red-hot Tennessee Volunteers team searching for a shot at an SEC title there is considerable reason to worry. For the Ole Miss faithful their outlook has never been brighter. After defeating their Goliath, the remaining teams on their schedule are a quarterback-less Florida team and a home matchup against a rival Mississippi State team which has become the floormat of the conference as team after team continues to stomp on Starkville’s spirit. With a week of upsets and routs across college football the opportunity for Ole Miss has never been greater, and regardless of your fan-hood it seems that the first 12-team playoff race is going to come down to wire.