OXFORD | So, what is there to actually take from a spring football game?

One where tackling to the ground was occasional and limited, and one quarterback had the benefit of the starting offensive line. One where at least two wide receivers who will play this fall — Jonathan Mingo and Jalen Knox — were out with injuries and potentially two others — Malik Heath and Deion Smith — aren’t even on campus yet.

The defenses were far from exotic and for the most part played 7-on-7 base coverages because the primary running backs got a few early carries and called it a day, so that when combined with the lack of talking, it turned into an aerial exhibit that had some moments and some rough patches.

The Red beat the Blue 48-36 on Saturday, but that’s as meaningless as most of the action that happened on the field beyond seeing some individual performances that could and should translate to the fall.

“We were limited in what we did, especially defensively,” Lane Kiffin said. “Had some offensive injures at the skill positions (prior to Saturday). Good to see turnovers and explosive plays defensively and consistent movement at times on offense. And no major injuries.”

That kind of sums it up. No one got hurt to a severe degree. Some players made some plays.

The quarterback competition was on full display, but the difference in players around them was evident. Luke Altmyer, playing behind the starting offensive line, threw for 182 yards and completed 9-of-22 passes. He did run for 77 yards and two touchdowns, essentially playing two-hand touch beyond the line of scrimmage.

Jaxson Dart was sacked six times and was under consistent duress. He threw for 164 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, completing 11 of 30 passes. As has been the case in open practices this spring, the ball comes out of his hand well, but the off-target throws have resulted in explosive plays for the defense.

“Not a very good first half (by Dart),” Kiffin said. “I thought he was trying to win the job instead of playing quarterback. We calmed him down and in control for him to play one play at a time (after halftime).”

Kinkead Dent operated two drives, scoring for each team. He sparkled with 140 yards on 12-for-13 passing. Despite the successful day, signs seem to point toward a two-man race. Maybe that's an incorrect assumption but it's a widely-held belief.

Playing on Altymer’s side, it was a limited look for transfers Zach Evans and Ulysses Bentley. Evans had 21 yards on three carries, and Bentley carried it five times for 28 yards and caught a 42-yard pass that showed his burst in the open field.

Michael Trigg has impressed all spring, and he looked like the biggest mismatch on the field again. A year after Ole Miss tight ends caught just two touchdowns all season, Trigg is expected to be a force in the passing game. He caught seven passes for 89 yards with three touchdowns and two two-point conversions. He was open for another one that was overthrown in the middle of the field.

Defensively, Tysheem Johnson had a 67-yard pick six against Dart, as he followed a convoy to the end zone that included Dart running into Troy Brown despite being in a no-contact jersey.

The new faces on defense all flashed at points, with Brown, Khari Coleman, JJ Pegues and Jared Ivey recording sacks. Reginald Hughes and David Igbinosun each had five tackles, and Ladarius Tennison continues to really play well at the line of scrimmage. Pegues also caught a two-point conversion. He played both sides of the ball during his two seasons at Auburn.

Even without tackling and blitzing, it’s obvious how Ole Miss has upgraded along the defensive front with depth. There may not be a Sam Williams, but the group is talented, and there’s optimism that the defense has more pieces to put on the chess board.

"The defensive line has been good all spring,” Kiffin said. “Some of those guys being new, by far our biggest positional gain from getting here until now. It went from our weakest link to maybe our strongest link.”

The starting quarterback decision will go to the summer and fall. Kiffin believes Dart will improve as he gets more comfortable with the system. He’s said the two quarterbacks have alternated consistent days all spring.

Ole Miss needs to find depth along the offensive line. There’s optimism in the backfield and unknowns at wide receiver. The defense is deeper but needs to hone in roles. Linebacker is unsettled because of inexperience and injuries.

Those are all things we knew before Saturday, and a lot of what was seen by the Grove Bowl crowd is similar to what we’d seen in open practices in the past weeks. Samples sizes during a made-for-streaming exhibition can be dangerous, but it was a glimpse of where things stand. And there are potentially more players arriving via the portal before preseason camp.

Take the good. Try to improve the bad. Continue to acclimate the newcomers with the returners and build as much chemistry as possible. And get healthy while avoiding further injuries.

The scrutinized race to replace Matt Corral is the centerpiece of the offseason, but the final verdict on inexperienced quarterbacks isn’t in April.

On to the fall.