When Mississippi wins the coin toss, coach Lane Kiffin usually chooses to receive. Quarterback Jaxson Dart is happy with that choice.
Dart completed his first three passes on the opening drive, helping the Rebels go 75 yards in five plays for a touchdown, setting the tone for the game as the No. 5 Rebels cruised to a 40-6 victory at Wake Forest on Saturday.
“I love it, I love it,” Dart said. “It gives you the chance to set the mark on the game. I think when you play a fast team like us, and we choose to take the ball and score right away, that can be demoralizing for a defense. You want to make a statement. I think that shows the confidence coach Kiffin has in us.”
The senior quarterback threw for 377 yards and two touchdowns, while Henry Parrish Jr. rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Dart completed 26 of 34 passes and also ran for a 13-yard touchdown.
Tre Harris had a big game with 11 catches for 127 yards, and Jordan Watkins grabbed a 75-yard touchdown pass. The Rebels (3-0) outgained the Demon Deacons 650-311.
The Rebels’ defense held Wake Forest (1-2) to just 46 rushing yards on 32 carries and kept them from scoring a touchdown for the third straight game. The Demon Deacons had only one run longer than 10 yards, which ended in a fumble by Ty Clark.
Hank Bachmeier was 22 of 39 passing for 239 yards for Wake Forest.
“Ole Miss … they are what everyone thinks they are,” said Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson. His team failed to score a touchdown for the first time since a 52-3 loss to Clemson on Nov. 6, 2019.
“I thought our guys played really hard but Ole Miss is well-coached, they have a lot of resources, and they’ve used those resources well to become a top five team.”
Mississippi began the season with big wins over Furman and Middle Tennessee State by a combined 125 points and showed their strength in their first game against a major conference opponent.
The Rebels faced some challenges, including two turnovers and several costly penalties. They were flagged 11 times for 114 yards, with one penalty being a 15-yard penalty on Dart for taking off his helmet after being hit at the goal line.
“I felt like this is what we needed as a team,” Dart said. “I felt like it was the ugliest 600-yard game we could play. We did a lot of really good things and at times didn’t finish. But you saw how explosive we are, too.”
The Rebels’ opening drive was strong, with Dart completing 3 of 3 passes for 46 yards, and Parrish finishing it with a 25-yard touchdown run.
The Rebels continued their strong performance.
Dart was 10 of 13 for 198 yards in the first quarter alone, showcasing his arm strength, including a big play to Watkins, helping Ole Miss build a 20-3 lead. Parrish also added a 22-yard touchdown run as the Rebels outgained the Deacons 282-57 in the first quarter.
“I get nervous when we go into an environment like this,” Kiffin said. “If you don’t start early, they gain momentum, and you end up going through the motions. But that did not seem to be the case. We started fast on defense and offense, and I was really pleased with that.”
Dart made a mistake in the third quarter when he threw an interception while rolling out to his left. However, the Mississippi defense stepped up, stopping a fourth-and-goal attempt from the 3-yard line to keep a 17-point lead.
Dart made up for it on the next drive by scoring on a quarterback draw to make it 30-6. He ended with 36 rushing yards on six carries.
Harris was also outstanding as a receiver for Mississippi, with 28 catches for 426 yards and two touchdowns in three games.
