Ole Miss pulled away from Georgia Tech after halftime and knocked off the Yellow Jackets, 48-23, on Saturday in Oxford. The Rebels, playing without several top pass catchers, moved to 3-0 on the season with a trip to Alabama on deck.
The Rebels led 10-3 at the break but scored touchdowns on their first two second-half drives. Georgia Tech is 1-2 on the season. Caden Davis hit two field goals and had one blocked. Here are some quick reactions.
Ulysses Bentley and Jaxson Dart picked up the run game, while Quinshon Judkins played through a rib injury. Wide receiver Tre Harris missed the game with an MCL injury, wearing a cast on the leg all week. Wide out Zakarian Franklin dressed but didn’t play, and tight end Caden Prieskorn had a boot on his left foot but is scheduled to return next week.
In those absences, there wasn’t much passing game for three quarters, but Dart ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Bentley had six rushes for 61 yards and a score, showing an excellent burst and some good second-level vision. Judkins was doubtful to play but got 13 carries for 37 yards — a long of seven yards. He had a touchdown.
Ole Miss, as a team, rushed for 299 yards, with Dart’s 68-yarder the longest of the day. The offensive line played better, and Bentley and Dart both added dynamic options.
The passing game didn't materialize consistently until a couple long plays late, with Dart completing 10 passes for 251 yards. Sixty-four of those came on a touchdown throw to Jordan Watkins in thee fourth quarter to ice it. Watkins had four catches for 119 yards.
A couple big plays kept changed the game in the first half. Georgia Tech moved into field goal range on its first possession, but Xavian Harris blocked the 43-yard field goal that would have tied it at three apiece.
With Ole Miss up 10 points on Tech’s second possession, the Jackets looked to have a touchdown on fourth and goal, but defensive back Daijahn Anthony pulled the ball loose from the Tech receiver to force an incomplete pass and turnover on downs.
With Ole Miss up just a touchdown at halftime, those two plays kept things from being way different going to intermission.
Ole Miss adjusted to keep Tech from the long drives that plagued it in the first half to separate. The Jackets had just three drives in the first half, spanning 12 plays, 13 plays and 17 plays while going six of nine on third down.
After halftime, Ole Miss held Tech to six plays and four plays, as both led to Ole Miss touchdowns on the ensuring possessions. When Tech had success offensively, it was a lot of counter and eye candy, finessing Ole Miss in the run game and short and intermediate pass game. The Rebels overpursued and missed tackles at first contact.
Haynes King executed keepers well all night, scoring and continuing drives with 72 yards rushing.
Busted coverages kept Tech in the game. The Rebels led by three scores when King found Eric Singleton for 51 yards on third and two. Ole Miss let Singleton run down the middle of the field unguarded, and Tech scored a touchdown three plays later.
On the next GT possession, on fourth and eight, King again had Singleton wide open, this time in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to seven points with 10:31 to go. Ole Miss took control from there to put it away.
