The need-to-know notes from No. 20 Ole Miss’ 37-20 win over No. 24 Tulane

Ole Miss started slow but ended in a flurry to complete a 37-20 comeback at Tulane on Saturday. 

The game was the 73rd all-time between the teams. Tulane was a charter member of the SEC and competed in the conference until 1966.

Ole Miss now leads the all-time series 43-28. The Rebels improved to 28-25 in New Orleans and have won 13 straight in the series dating back to 1989.

Offensive lineman Victor Curne, wide receiver Tre Harris and defensive end Cedric Johnson served as Ole Miss’ captains in the game. Curne is a seasoned veteran who transferred in from Washington in the off-season. He’s started at left tackle in each of the first two games of the season, so far unseating 13-game starter Jayden Williams.

Harris had two catches for 55 yards and his fifth receiving touchdown of the season.

Harris, a transfer from Louisiana Tech, set a new single-game Ole Miss record for touchdown receptions (4) in the Rebels’ season-opening win over Mercer last week.

He was injured against Tulane. He left with a knee injury before halftime. Once he finally returned to the sidelines he was wearing a knee brace on his left knee. Sources indicate it’s an MCL injury of some sort, though severity has yet to be determined. He’s all but assured to sit out the team’s next game, a home date against Georgia Tech next Saturday.

Veteran Rebel offensive guard Jeremy James made his 38th consecutive start. He’s one of three Rebels with 20 or more career starts. The others are cornerback Deantre Prince (25) and Johnson (21). 

Liberty transfer safety Daijahn Anthony made his first career start at Ole Miss in the win. It was the 21st of his career. Anthony last week recorded the Rebels’ first interception of the season.

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GENERAL NOTES

Attendance for Ole Miss-Tulane was 30,000. … Ole Miss is now 163-92-7 (.635) all-time in September and 116-41-6 (.730) all-time against non-conference opponents this month. … The Rebels improved to 62-17 (.785) against non-con foes dating back to 1994. … Ole Miss under head coach Lane Kiffin is 11-2 in the non-con. … The Rebels have only lost three non-con road games since its last trip to Tulane in 2012.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

Ole Miss scored in 48 seconds on its opening drive. The march was capped by a 31-yard touchdown pass from Dart to Harris. It was the second straight week for the Rebels with an opening drive of at least 51 seconds. … Ole Miss is averaging 49.5 seconds per opening drive this season. The Rebels’ opening drive at Tulane was their fastest since scoring in 34 seconds against Liberty in 2021. … Ole Miss is up to 21-5 under Kiffin when scoring first. … Dart was 17 for 27 for 267 yards and two touchdowns. … He moved into 14th all-time at Ole Miss in passing yards (3,575). Dart, for his career, has thrown for 4,928 yards. … Dart surpassed 4,000 yards of total offense (4,266) in his Ole Miss career. He’s 12th all-time … Dart’s produced 5,662 career yards of total offense. … Dart is 18 for 19 for 246 yards and four touchdowns in the first quarter this season.

Star second-year Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins scored his third rushing touchdown of the season. 

It was the 19th of his career and pushed Judkins into a tie for 10th all-time with QB Bo Wallace (2012-14) and FB Merle Hapes (1939-41) … Judkins had 48 rushing yards on 18 attempts and one rushing touchdown against Tulane. … Judkins is No. 13 in Ole Miss history in rushing yards l(1,675 career). … Rebel wide receiver Dayton Wade had a career-high 106 yards on seven receptions, including a crucial and new-career-long reception of 43 yards following a Tulane turnover on downs in the second half. … Tight end Michael Trigg was on the receiving end of a season-long 21-yard pass from Dart for his first touchdown of the season. It was the fifth touchdown reception of Trigg’s career and his fourth as a Rebel.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Ole Miss had four sacks and six tackles for loss. … Rebel LB Khari Coleman’s sack/fumble was scooped-and-scored by defensive Jared Ivey in the fourth quarter to seal the win. It was the first fumble return for a touchdown  since now-Dallas Cowboys EDGE Sam Williams against Austin Peay in 2021. … Coleman now has two career forced fumbles. The score was Ivey’s first career defensive touchdown. … Ivey finished with three total tackles. He had his first sack of the season and the sixth of his career. He’s up to 4.5 sacks as a Rebel and has 2.0 TFLs on the season.

Prince, Ole Miss’ active career leader in interceptions, notched the sixth of his career.

He also broke up two passes in the end zone with 3:00 minutes left in the game. … James Madison transfer EDGE Isaac Ukwu had his first tackles as a Rebel (six total, four solo), as well as 2.0 TFLs, one sack and two QB hurries … Ukwu has 17.5 career sacks. … Oxford native and Rebel defensive tackle JJ Pegues had his first sack of the year and his fourth of his career. Pegues closed with four tackles and his fourth-ever pass break-up. … Louisville transfer linebacker Monty Montgomery recorded his first TFL in an Ole Miss uniform — for a loss of two yards. He had three total tackles. … Anthony broke up two passes to give him three, in all, through two games. … Veteran Ole Miss safety trey Washington led the team in tackles (8). Five were solos.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

Texas A&M transfer kicker Caden Davis was 3 for 3 in his tries at Tulane — a new single-game career high. Davis had just one career field goal in three years with the Aggies. He hit a career-long 56-yarder in the fourth quarter, the fourth-longest in Ole Miss history and the longest by a Rebel since 1988.