Jaxson Dart calls out officials for 'hatin' on controversial Jordan Watkins call

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart had a few words for officials after his 35-yard connection with Jordan Watkins was ruled just short of a touchdown. At first it looked as it Watkins crossed the plane into the end zone, but a review marked him down at the 1-yard line.

Speaking with reporters postgame after the 26-14 victory against Oklahoma, Dart made his disagreement with the call known in humorous fashion.

“The refs be hatin’ sometimes, man,” he said.

Watkins finished his day with four catches for 59 yards but did not record a touchdown. He ranks fourth on the team so far this season with 17 receptions for 295 yards and two TDs.

It’s been a busy past week for Watkins, who recently became a father. Dart continued to praise his teammate for the work he has put in both on the field and with his new family as he adjusts to this new chapter in his life.

Clearly, based on his performance Saturday, it’s only given him more to play for.

“He’s had a lot of stuff going on,” Dart said. “I’m sure he hasn’t been able to get a ton of sleep either, but I think as a team we were super excited for him and kind of rallied around him. He had an amazing two weeks of practice and really elevated his game.

“Last year he played mostly in the slot on this year he’s playing on the outside. I think that just shows how good of a player he is. He can play anywhere on the field. We played him at tight end last year. He does so many great things for us. He’s a leader. So the more we can get him involved, it really just makes our offense a whole lot better.”

It’s unfortunate that Watkins wasn’t reward with a touchdown on Saturday, but he’ll surely have many more chances to find the end zone as the season moves on. Ole Miss improved to 6-2 (2-2 SEC) with the win against the Sooners and takes on Arkansas next week.