Mark Stoops calls Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart an 'explosive' player

No. 7 Kentucky is off to a 4-0 start and its highest ranking in the AP Top 25 since finishing the 1977 season ranked No. 6 nationally. If the Wildcats hope to keep it going they’ll have to take down No. 14 Ole Miss and the explosive Jaxson Dart, the Rebels’ quarterback transfer from USC.

Dart is coming off his best two outings of the season.

“I think he’s a really good player,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said Monday. “He’s getting better with every rep. He’s explosive, he’s making good decisions.”

Dart got it going on the ground Saturday in a 35-27 win over Tulsa that wasn’t quite as close as the score indicated.

He ran 13 times for 116 yards against the Golden Hurricane, both season highs. He also went 13-of-24 passing for 154 yards with two touchdowns, avoiding any interceptions in the process.

The 270 total yards were his most this season, on the heels of a 247-yard outing in a road win at Georgia Tech. Stoops, though, despite the so-so numbers, sees the USC quarterback transfer getting better with time in Ole Miss’ system.

“There’s been games this year where, much like our offense, they’ve just, they’ve stopped themselves,” Stoops said. “I’m sure they’re sitting there saying, ‘Who stopped us? We stopped ourselves. Bad snap, bad communication’ just certain things.”

Explosive Jaxson Dart could pose a threat running

One thing Kentucky has managed to do exceptionally well so far in 2022 is limit the damage opposing quarterbacks have done with their legs.

Stoops’ scheme has been a big part of that. And it’s not like the Wildcats haven’t been tested.

Opposing quarterbacks have accounted for just 30 yards rushing on 19 attempts, though it’s worth noting that in college sacks count against a quarterback’s rushing totals. Still, Kentucky limited Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, perhaps one of the nation’s most athletic dual-threat prospects, to just four yards on six carries.

Dart will pose a slightly different challenge, particularly if he gains confidence within the game playing in front of the home crowd.

“You can see when they’re clicking and in a rhythm he’s very talented,” Stoops said. “Can run, makes good decisions, can throw it. Like I said, they’re sitting on a lot of explosives that they’re setting up, and they can do a lot of different things.”

That could challenge a rushing defense that has ranked among the nation’s best so far in 2022. Through four weeks, Kentucky’s run defense checks in at No. 33 nationally, allowing 108.3 yards per game.