Jaxson Dart has done 'a really good job' running Ole Miss system, Lane Kiffin says

We have just passed the halfway mark of the college football season, and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin gives his take on starting quarterback Jaxson Dart in his first year going against SEC competition.

“I think Jaxson’s done a really good job running the system within the system,” said Kiffin. “You don’t see a bunch of screwed-up plays or formations or where it looks like he’s going the wrong way or the back is. And a lot of that is him communicating the stuff because of how we run the system and how fast it has to go. So, I think he’s done a great job with that. The interception was a freak interception. I think he’s done a really good job.”

There were some ball security concerns with Dart heading into the season, given the small sample size of his play at USC in 2021. The sophomore signal-caller has done a better job in that category, with nearly a two-to-one touchdown to interception ratio. But arguably, his most significant and impressive feat this season has been his ability to run the football. Dart has been very much of a dual-threat quarterback this year for the Rebels. He has rushed the ball 53 times for 371 yards, ranking third on the team in both statistical categories. Through the air, Dart has completed 100 of his 161 pass attempts for 1488 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Dart’s performance in his freshman year at USC could be the exception to his play, not the rule. The Trojans struggled heavily after parting ways with Clay Helton early in the year. And the Six-foot-two quarterback from Kaysville, UT, was no exception to those struggles. Dart played in six games for the Trojans, completing 117 of his 189 pass attempts with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Four of his five interceptions were thrown came in two games last season against UCLA and Washington.

Dart and the Rebels look to continue their winning ways on Saturday when they take a trip out West to take on their neighboring rivals, the LSU Tigers. ESPN’s matchup predictor currently shows the Tigers with a 51% chance of victory. However, given the way Dart and the Ole Miss running game have performed this season, fans should not expect the Rebels to give up their undefeated year against LSU.