‘We’ll look at the film’: Dart hits bullseye, but Kiffin still in evaluation mode with Ole Miss QBs
The plan for the Ole Miss quarterbacks against Central Arkansas didn’t quite play out how third-year head coach Lane Kiffin expected.
Yes, Luke Altmyer drew the start and Dart later replaced him. But Dart came in a little earlier than expected — with less than a minute remaining in the second quarter — after Altmyer tweaked his throwing (right) shoulder.
“We’ll have to go watch the film,” Kiffin said following the 59-3 win. “I felt bad for Luke. He was injured, but he’s so competitive he stayed in. You could see on the interception obviously there was an issue there. We’ll look at the film and see what we think.”
Altmyer did some good things in his time.
Dart, though, took his game to another level.
RELATED: PHOTOS: Ole Miss stomps Central Arkansas to improve to 2-0 in 2022
Dart completed 10 of 15 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
His performance was a marked improvement from his uninspiring effort in a season-opening win against Troy. Ole Miss took Central Arkansas for 500 yards of offense, including three touchdown receptions by tight end Michael Trigg, Dart’s fellow USC transfer.
Trigg is the first Ole Miss receiver to finish with three touchdowns in a single game since Elijah Moore in 2020. Altmyer finished 6 of 13 for two touchdowns and an interception, and he also rushed for a score.
“It’s definitely not easy, especially when you have no idea when you’re going to be coming in or when your time is,” Dart said. “There’s definitely times where it’s hard. You try to stay focused as much as you can.
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“Give a huge out to my teammates for their support. Our camaraderie is only getting stronger and stronger. Toady was a big step for us. We look after each other. There’s times when people are going through different situations (and) we have reach other’s back. I learned about myself you’ve got to be prepared every single play. You never know what’s going to happen (or) when your number’s going to be called.”
RELATED: COLUMN: Did Ole Miss make needed improvements in 59-3 win over Central Arkansas?
Kiffin didn’t have a postgame update on Altmyer’s medical status.
Even more, he didn’t have much to add on the quarterback competition moving forward.
Kiffin has claimed the battle between Dart and Altmyer has been a dead-heat since the spring, and next up is the team’s first road test, at Georgia Tech, in a week’s time.
“It wasn’t something where medical pulled him,” Kiffin said of Altmyer’s injury. “He was hurt. I was putting him back in there in the second half and he just said he would go but he wasn’t 100 percent.
“I thought (Dart) was doing really good. He had one series where he threw the slant in the dirt to JJ (Henry). I thought he did some good things. Got us three points in the two-minute drive at the end of the (first) half. Good. Still young.”
RELATED: Ole Miss receivers beginning to show what they are capable of
