It couldn't have started worse for Ole Miss.

Jaxson Dart, on the second play from scrimmage, rolled up an ankle while being sandwiched between two Georgia defenders for a sack. On the next play, with a visible limp, Dart's pass was tipped and intercepted, leading to a Georgia scoring opportunity and a touchdown a few plays later.

The Ole Miss starting quarterback left the field to go to the locker room, and the No. 3 Bulldogs had an early lead and all the momentum. More than three hours later, Ole Miss was the clear victor, dominating Georgia, 28-10, to race back into College Football Playoff contention with two games remaining.

It was a thorough beatdown of the conference's best program in recent years, but when Dart left and Georgia went ahead, the home fans at Vaught-Hemingway were reeling.

"It looked like our quarterback was out and down seven points," Lane Kiffin said. "Not a great start."

Then came Austin Simmons.

The second-year backup quarterback, he of two-sport participation, replaced Dart for one drive, and it was one of only two touchdown drives for Ole Miss in the game.

10 plays, 75 yards, 3 minutes, 39 seconds.

Simmons was 5-for-6 for 64 yards, as Ole Miss tied it up and reset the equilibrium of the afternoon. He had only three SEC passes -- mop up last week vs. Arkansas -- this season prior to Saturday. Simmons had only thrown eight passes against FBS competition in 2024 prior to a touchdown deficit and an injured starter against the Georgia defense.

Simmons completed back-to-back passes for 11 yards each to start the drive and then a 10-yard pass on third-and-10 set up the play of the drive. On fourth and one, Ole Miss trusted Simmons, and it paid off with an 12 throw and catch to Cayden Lee for a first down at the Georgia 32-yard line.

He hit Lee again, this time for 20 yards on third and seven, to get down to the nine yard line. Ulysses Bentley found the end zone a play later to even the game.

Dart returned a series later, and Ole Miss wouldn't trail again.

"Austin Simmons did a great job coming in," Kiffin said. "I told him we're going to run the game plan and throw. We're not going to be a back-up quarterback and just hand it off. I didn't know Jaxson was coming back in."

Dart finished 13-for-22 for 199 yards and added a team-high 50 more on the ground.

Simmons played baseball last spring for the Rebels before a torn UCL ended his season. He was able to throw a football weeks later without surgery.