‘About as good as you can do’: Reaction from the Ole Miss locker room after a flawless opener
Ole Miss football opened an expectations-filled 2024-25 season with the most points of the Lane Kiffin era (76) and a total annihilation of Furman on Saturday.
Seven players made their first starts at Ole Miss: Nate Kalepo (OL), Princely Umanmielen (EDGE), Walter Nolen (DT), TJ Dottery (LB), Brandon Turnage (CB), Trey Amos (CB) and Jadon Canady (S). All are former transfers. Five were signed in the nation’s No. 3-ranked portal class back in the off-season.
Umanmielen started 24 games at Florida, while Kalepo had 18 at Washington. Kalepo came in with his Washington teammate Julius Buelow. Nolen started 14 games at Texas A&M. Amos had 13 combined between Alabama and Louisiana.
Twenty-six different Rebels made their Ole Miss debuts against Furman: RB Rashad Amos, Amos, K Mike Baker (first career), CB TJ Banks (first career), S Yam Banks, DT Kamron Beavers (first career), LB Raymond Collins (first career), WR Micah Davis, DT William Echoles (first career), DE Kam Franklin (first career), CB Isaiah Hamilton, DE Chris Hardie, Kalepo, S Louis Moore, Nolen, LB Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul, OL Diego Pounds, OL Gerquan Scott, QB Austin Simmons, RB Dominique Thomas, Turnage, Umanmielen, WR Juice Wells, WR Noreel White and TE Dae’Quan Wright.
The 76 points tied for the most for the Rebels since 1935. Their 772 yards of offense are the second-highest total in program history. Ole Miss put up 52 in the first half alone — the most since at least 1962.
“Fifty-two (and) missed a field goal at the end,” Kiffin said, when assessing the Ole Miss offense. “That’s about as good as you can do.
“The one series we don’t punt, but the one series we kick a field goal and not a touchdown. We look at it, three points at the end, only four points left out there with a lot of series. That’s a really good half. I don’t care who you’re playing, that’s a hard thing to do.”
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The Rebels opened with eight consecutive scoring drives.
Third-year starting quarterback Jaxson Dart and Simmons combined for 529 passing yards, the most ever at Ole Miss in a single game. Dart’s five touchdowns are a career-high. He became the first SEC quarterback since Joe Burrow in 2019 with over 350 passing yards in the first half.
Dart’s now Top 5 all-time at Ole Miss in career touchdown passes. He’s just two back from tying Chad Kelly. His 36 points responsible for are the most since Showboat Boykin’s 42 in 1951.
Dart, fifth-year head coach Lane Kiffin, star WR Tre Harris and Paul all held postgame press conferences to discuss the win. Harris had eight receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns. His 61-yard score was his longest as a Rebel.
Paul recorded a team-high eight total tackles, as well as a career-best 2.5 tackles for loss. Paul is a transfer linebacker from SEC rival Arkansas.
