Rebel Reset: Ole Miss whipped Mercer, and here’s how it happened
Ole Miss opened up the 2023 season with relative ease after an initial scare that it could potentially be a shootout with Mercer.
Instead Jaxson Dart threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns as the Rebels beat Mercer 73-7 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday. Receiver Tre Harris set a program record for most touchdown receptions in a single game and Spencer Sanders also threw for a pair of touchdowns and 134 yards
Following an opening touchdown drive that needed only three plays by the Rebels, Mercer responded with a touchdown on its opening drive with a 75-yard run by quarterback Carter Peevy. From there the Pete Golding defense clamped down and Mercer did not score another point the rest of the afternoon.
Ole Miss 73, Mercer 7
Matt Jones gets a rushing touchdown on the day
Walker Howard is going to be asked to close out the final 8:30 of the game. The offense could not have had a better start to the season. Good to get this stuff on film as the next 11 games are much more difficult.
Suntarine Perkins is going to be good. He just chased down the Mercer QB across the field for his first career sack.
End of the 3rd Quarter: Ole Miss 66, Mercer 7
The Rebels now has the highest point-total under Lane Kiffin. With another 15 minutes to go it is possible they surpass 70 points.
Ole Miss 66, Mercer 7
Sanders continues where Dart left off with his first two drives at quarterback resulting in touchdowns. The latter being capped off by Cayden Lee’s first touchdown reception off a 34-yard catch.
Having two more than competent quarterbacks is not a terrible thing to have if you’re Lane Kiffin and the Rebels.
Sanders has completed 7 of his 12 pass attempts for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Ole Miss 59, Mercer 7
Ayden Williams first catch as a Rebel goes for 43 yards and Sanders looked good on the drive that ended with a touchdown pass from him to Bentley for 6 yards.
Dart’s day is done as it is now Spencer Sanders running the office. Michael Trigg is also now out and back to wearing No. 0. I believe he was suspended, or sat out the first half.
Ole Miss 52, Mercer 7
The newcomers have thrived today as he sets the new record for most touchdown receptions in a single game at four. Dart finds him for 16-yard strike. Earlier in this drive Dart had what was probably his best throw all day with a 27 yard throw to Watkins in the corner of the endzone, but a Jeremy James holding call negated it.
Daijahn Anthony with his first interception as a member of the Ole Miss defense gives the Rebels the ball back in Mercer territory.
Ole Miss 45, Mercer 7
Jordan Watkins goes 69 yards to the house on the punt return for the first big special teams play of the season. Rebels starting the second half how they started the first
Juice Kiffin retrieved the kicking tee after the Rebels kicked things off in the second half
HALFTIME: Ole Miss 38, Mercer 7
Dart completed 16 of 21 pass attempts to 6 different receivers for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns. Judkins had 12 carries for 61 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Full Stats:
Ole Miss 38, Mercer 7
This was a much better drive orchestrated by Dart and the offense that went 10 plays for 84 yards in just over two minutes and ended with a direct snap to Judkins for the 3-yard touchdown, his second on the day.
This Ole Miss has not looked great the entire first half but it has forced Mercer to punt 3 out of its 5 drives and recovered a fumble on another since the opening touchdown run.
Ole Miss 31, Mercer 7
As great as the offense looked in the first quarter it did not its first possession in the second quarter. Dart has his first 3 incompletions and the offense stalled after getting to the 10 yard-line after a Micah Pettus holding call.
Caden Davis drills a 31-yard field goal attempt for his first of the season.
Mercer was working on a 7-minute drive but after getting inside Ole Miss territory a few flags backed them up then a botched snap led to a fumble recovery by Reginald Hughes at the Bears 33 yard-line.
End of the 1st Quarter: Ole Miss 28, Mercer 7
Could not have asked for a better start to the season for the Rebels offense, minus the Bentley fumble. Dart has completed his first 11 passes and has 237 yards and 3 TDs. Judkins has 6 carries for 25 yards and a TD.
First miscue of the day for Ole Miss comes when Bentley fumbles the ball inside the Mercer 10. Ending what looked to be the fifth straight drive to result in a touchdown.
Ole Miss 28, Mercer 7
Dart is looking very polished and showing that maturity he and others spoke of this preaseason camp. He has completed his first 10 passes — thanks to Wade’s elbow — and up to 207 passing yards in the first quarter.
Judkins with his first touchdown run of the season off a 1-yard run.
Ole Miss defense forces its first punt of the season. Freshman Suntarine Perkins with a key play to record his first tackle on defense in a Rebel uniform. Perkins has another tackle on special teams today.
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Ole Miss 21, Mercer 7
Order restored as Mercer fumbles on the kickoff return and Ole Miss recovered at the Bears 20.
The offense commenced to then score two plays later to, yes, Tre Harris. Harris has tied the program’s single-game record for touchdowns catches in the first 3 minutes and 15 seconds of the game.
Ole Miss 14, Mercer 7
The Dart to Harris connection is a good one so far. Two drives, two touchdown passes. The latest one a 28-yard catch and score. Scoring drive highlighted by a 23-yard reception by Wade that was ruled out of bounds but replay showed he got his elbow down in play.
Dart is 5-5 for 120 yards and 2 TDs; Harris has two catches for 2 catches for 66 yards and the 2 touchdowns.
Ole Miss 7, Mercer 7
First play of the Pete Golding era on defense was not great as Mercer quarterback Carter Peevy goes 75 yards untouched for the score.
Ole Miss 7, Mercer 0
It took all of three plays for Ole Miss to score. Dart finds Tre Harris for the 38-yard touchdown reception. He went 2-2 for 66 yards and the touchdown pass. Watkins had a reception and Judkins had a six-yard carry.
Mercer won the coin toss and deferred. Dart and the Ole Miss offense up first.
Pregame Observations
Jordan Watkins is suited up and fielding punts along with Dayton Wade, Cayden Lee and JJ Henry
After special teams warm ups on the field the rest of the pre-game warmups look to be taking place in the indoor facility. Since it is not a SEC game Ole Miss can do that.
Jeremy James, Eli Acker, Caleb Warren, Jayden Williams, Victor Curne and Quincy McGee the OL starters. Kyirin Heath the starting TE, confirming the Caden Prieskorn injury report.
Watkins, Ulysses Bentley IV and Trey Washington the captains today
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All the talking can finally come to an end as some football can be played today. No. 22 Ole Miss opens up the 2023 season today, hosting Mercer.
This is a matchup 112 years in the making as it is only the second meeting between the two programs and Ole Miss has the 1-0 edge.
Lane Kiffin begins his fourth year as head coach of the Rebels and is six games away from making this his longest-tenured job of his coaching career. He has a current record of 23-12 in his first three seasons in Oxford.
Saturday morning also brought news all Ole Miss fans have been clamoring for this week when Kiffin announced that Jaxson Dart will be the starting quarterback. Dart leads the offense for a second straight season, which is an Ole Miss offense that has been among the most prolific in the sport the last three years.
The Rebels are second in yards per game (511.3) since 2020 (36 games). They’re third in total yards since 2020 (18,408 yards). Ole Miss and Ohio State as the only Power 5 teams with both a Top 10 passing season (2020; No. 7) and a Top 10 rushing season (2022; No. 3) since 2020.
Pete Golding gets the opportunity to unveil his new scheme of what looks to be a transformed Ole Miss defense. After a month of facing off against the very up-tempo Rebels offense Golding gets to unleash his defense against a Mercer offense that managed 17 points against North Alabama in its opener last weekend.
Keep this page open and stick with The Ole Miss Spirit as it will serves as the live updates for today’s game. That includes score updates, stats, highlights and quarter recaps which will be found here throughout the afternoon.
Ole Miss and Mercer (1-0) kickoff at 1:02 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and SEC Network+
