Duke sent out a quarterback making his second start against Ole Miss’ all-time career passing leader. While Henry Belin IV made some quality throws, Jaxson Dart showed why he has rewritten the Rebels’ record books.
Ole Miss routed Duke 52-20 in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl as bad turned into worse for the Blue Devils. The Rebels put up more than 500 total yards of offense and got turnovers when it mattered most to prevent head coach Manny Diaz from getting to 10 wins in his inaugural season.
"We preach all year that it's really doing simple well is what wins, and we made simple mistakes," Diaz said. "In the first half, it was possession balance, an inability to get off the field on defense ... and so it's a great thing for us to unpack all offseason. I think this game will provide a tremendous fuel for our football team in our offseason program and summer workouts."
After the first quarter alone, Dart amassed 147 passing yards and two touchdowns. Outside of an early Antwane Wells Jr. touchdown, only one completion in that period was for more than 20 yards, showcasing Dart’s ability to take what the defense gave him and methodically move the ball. Screens in particular were effective, as the speedy Rebel wideouts constantly kept Ole Miss ahead of the chains.
Coming out of the second half, a series of back-to-back punts gave the Blue Devils the ball back with a chance to gain offensive rhythm. After a key fourth-down conversion, Belin felt pressure from his right and threw it against the blitz. However, Isaiah Hamilton anticipated the quick throw and recorded a pick-six, giving his team a 31-7 lead with 8:18 remaining in the third. Ole Miss finished the game with 15 quarterback hurries, a key difference in the signal callers’ outcomes.
Dart responded with a ridiculous 51-yard throw while rolling to his left to find Jordan Watkins at the Blue Devil 3-yard line. Ulysses Bentley IV punched it in on the next play, and the Rebels had total control in the middle of the third quarter.
"I was proud of our offense. That was a really good defense that caused a lot of problems that didn't have any opt-outs," Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said. "That was our offensive players playing really well against a really good defense with a tough scheme. I was really pleased by that."
The Gator Bowl got weird quickly. Ole Miss lined up with its kicker Caden Davis in the shotgun and the offensive line consisting only of the center, but his ill-advised pass found the hands of ballhawk safety Terry Moore, who returned it all the way back to the Rebel 41-yard line.
Duke’s offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer didn’t wait long to reach into his own bag of tricks. Jaquez Moore attempted his first pass of the season following a handoff, launching a rifle well out of Jordan Moore’s reach. The Blue Devils gave it right back with a turnover on downs, and the game remained scoreless after the theatrics.
The Rebels continued to move the ball down the field with ease, as Dart showcased his elite arm strength and ball-placement ability. He favored tight end Caden Prieskorn over the middle and speedy wideout Cayden Lee early, but Wells was the benefactor of the first touchdown, catching a slant route over the middle and taking it all the way to give the Rebels a 7-0 lead.
Down 17-0 and in need of some rhythm, Belin finally got to work. On a crucial third-down conversion against a blitz, he found Que’Sean Brown on a perfectly timed corner route to bring the Blue Devils to midfield. Then, he showcased his mobility with two throws on the run, one to Brown and one where he threw across his body to a wide-open Javon Harvey in the end zone.
But the story of Duke’s first-half defense was missed opportunities. Dart was able to successfully maneuver against the Jonathan Patke-led unit, but even in crucial opportunities for the Blue Devils, Dart quickly dashed any slivers of hope.
On multiple third-down conversions — including a third-and-19 — Duke brought a blitz, but Dart used his legs and found openings to keep a tired defense on the field. With five minutes left in the second and Ole Miss up 17-7, it looked as though the Blue Devils could continue their momentum with a third-and-9 stop. However, running back Bentley made a nasty juke move to get enough yards after the catch to convert.
On the subsequent play, Alex Howard had an interception opportunity go right through his hands. Ole Miss capitalized as Dart found Watkins in the right side of the end zone for an impressive top-tap catch. The Rebels took that 24-7 lead into the locker room and Duke found itself in a massive hole.
"That's the hard thing about quarterbacks that can extend plays with their feet," Diaz said. "I think that's why he's thrown for all the yards and touchdowns that he has."
While the game was already decided, it ended with some flare. First, Dart hit a 69-yard touchdown throw to Watkins with 1:27 remaining. On the kickoff, Peyton Jones lateraled the ball to Sahmir Hagans, who took it all the way to the house to give the Duke sideline some excitement.
Despite the result, this season should be considered a success for the Blue Devils, who won nine games for the second time in 10 years. Duke will open the 2025 season Aug. 30 against Elon.
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Ranjan Jindal is a Trinity junior and sports editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.