Jaxson Dart leads No. 17 Ole Miss past Georgia Tech

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Field Level Media
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Sep 16, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) reacts with running back Jam Griffin (8) after a touchdown during the first half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Sep 16, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) reacts with running back Jam Griffin (8) after a touchdown during the first half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Image: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Jaxson Dart rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns and also threw a touchdown pass as No. 17 Ole Miss defeated Georgia Tech 48-23 in a nonconference game Saturday night in Oxford, Miss.

Dart passed for 251 yards and the Rebels (3-0) gained 299 yards on the ground after gaining just 232 in their first two games combined.

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Haynes King completed 28 of 41 passes for 310 yards for the Yellow Jackets (1-2).

On Ole Miss' first possession of the second half, Ulysses Bentley IV rushed 21 yards for a touchdown that extended the lead to 17-3.

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Tech then threw an incomplete pass out of punt formation, giving the Rebels a first down at the Yellow Jackets' 28. Five plays later Dart ran 6 yards for a touchdown and a 24-3 lead.

King ran 1 yard for a touchdown that pulled Tech within 24-10 with 2:07 remaining in third quarter, then threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Eric Singleton Jr. to make it a seven-point deficit with 10:31 remaining in the game.

But Ole Miss ended any thoughts of a comeback with scores on its next three possessions: Caden Davis kicked a 45-yard field goal, Dart connected with Jordan Watkins for a 68-yard score and Quinshon Judkins added a 1-yard touchdown run. Watkins finished with 119 yards on four catches.

After King's 14-yard touchdown pass to Avery Boyd with 1:34 left, Matt Jones ran 36 yards for an Ole Miss score with 49 seconds left to cap the scoring.

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Ole Miss scored on the first possession of the game with Davis connecting on a 47-yard field goal.

The Yellow Jackets drove into position to try a tying 43-yard field goal on the ensuing possession, but Zxavian Harris blocked Aidan Birr's kick and the Rebels took over at the Tech 34.

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Eight plays later Dart ran 1 yard for a touchdown that extended the lead to 10-0.

The teams turned it over downs on the following two drives — the Yellow Jackets turned the ball over on downs at the Ole Miss 2 and the Rebels did the same on the Georgia Tech 5.

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Birr's 22-yard field goal trimmed the lead to 10-3, which is where the game stood at halftime.

—Field Level Media