OXFORD, Miss.- The Ole Miss Rebels took a 1-0 lead on the season after running straight through a Trojan defender.
Transfer back Zach Evans led the way for the Rebels with 130 rushing yards on 20 carries. He racked up 100 yards in the first half.
Jackson Dart came out great in the new threads. He seemed comfortable enough with his new offense, but Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said there is still work to be done.
“I thought he was doing great,” Kiffin said. “He knows what the issue is. He knows he’s not rushing things and the timing of our passing game will help. It does not work at this conference.
More time in the system should help Dart settle down a bit. He missed a few open receivers and threw an interception on the play.
“It was kind of the story of the camp,” Kiffin said. “The deep passing game is a little off. Not an explosive day. His longest completion of the day was 22 yards.”
As for the back end, Kiffin was pleased with what he saw. Evans wasn’t the only one who impressed him.
“[Quinshon] He seems to be angry with the whole state of Alabama,” Kiffin said. “He ran mad. He’s a special freshman.”
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The Rebels came out victorious and Kiffin was pleased with his men’s offense, but there was much to build on.
“It’s good to come out of week one with a win,” Kiffin said. But we must do better.
Killing seems to be the theme of this game, and it’s not just the head coach who knows the game.
“We’ve had flashes in there, but we’ve got to stand our ground,” Troy Brown said. “There were times when we didn’t execute.”
Although Brown is a transfer, he has assumed a leadership role on the defense.
“Everybody thought the linebacker group was a question mark,” Brown said. “We want to go out there and play physical. “I feel like we’re emerging for the first time.”
The Rebels will look to build on this performance and do so more consistently next week against the Central Arkansas Bears on September 10th.
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