by The Ole Miss Rebels were sent back to the drawing board on Saturday to open SEC play, falling to the Kentucky Wildcats 20-17.
To say the least, this was not the outcome most expected from the opening of the rebels’ conference. Ole Miss struggled to move the ball against a stout Kentucky defense, and penalties combined with late surrenders on inopportune plays ultimately led to a home loss for head coach Lane Kiffin and company.
What does this mean for the rebels’ progress? Well, there are two ways to look at it, according to Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
“There’s not really much to say,” Dart said in the locker room message after the game. ‘You can look at it two ways: you can just call it quits, or you can take it on the chin. We’re on the ground now. You can stay down or get up.’
There are plenty of other opportunities for Ole Miss to right the wrong that happened on Saturday, but the schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Rebels travel to South Carolina (a team that defeated Kentucky earlier this year) next week before making another road trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU the following Saturday.
The goal for the Rebels this year was to reach the College Football Playoff and make a run for a national title. Those hopes were finally dashed this week, not because Ole Miss is out of the race, but because the margin for error just shrunk with about two months left in the regular season.
“You can’t blink,” Dart said. “We have many more chances. One match will not determine the whole year, but at the same time you better take advantage of the rest of your opportunities.”
Everything is still up for the Rebels, even after Saturday’s disappointing showing. But they can’t perform again like they did against Kentucky if they hope to right the ship.
We have a lot to learn about this team over the next two weeks. This roster is full of previous transfers and this is the first taste of adversity Ole Miss has had this season.
How the country reacts with so many new faces in the dressing room will determine how far it can go in 2024.
