Lane Kiffin doesn't anticipate Jaxson Dart's availability being in question after minor Week 6 injury

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was seen riding a stationary bike and flexing his right leg on the sideline during the Rebels’ 27-20 victory over Arkansas this past weekend.

Head coach Lane Kiffin gave a brief but decisive update on his starting quarterback. “He’ll be fine,” Kiffin assured the Rebels fanbase on Sunday heading into the bye.

Dart finished the matchup 16 of 25 for 153 yards and a touchdown — the least production he’s had at the end of a game statistically all season. The ailment limited him on the ground as he was held to 33 yards and failed to score a rushing touchdown for the first time in four games.

It didn’t help that Dart’s top wide receiver, Tre Harris, left the game early with a lower-body injury. He was only able to haul in one reception for 26 yards during the contest. Kiffin said that Harris attempted to return to the game after the injury, but physically was unable to.

Harris has a team-high 17 receptions for 367 yards and six touchdowns on the season and is an integral piece to Kiffin’s offensive attack.

“I think this is really good timing for a bye with Tre,” Kiffin said. “I would anticipate that by the time we play, he’d be fine.”

While the Rebels tried to combat their woes through the passing game, Ole Miss turned to its running backs Ulysses Bentley IV and Quinshon Judkins combined for 161 yards and were responsible for one touchdown a piece during the contest.

A massive area of concern for the Rebels through the first half of the season has been getting the rushing game going. Judkins was a 1,500-yard rusher as a true freshman last season but has yet to surpass 500 yards from scrimmage this season. Bentley has been productive and is averaging 7.4 yards per carry — but that couldn’t be said prior to his performance against Arkansas.

Dart has stepped in as one of the Rebels’ most consistent rushers thanks to Judkins’ slow start. He’s surpassed 300 yards and four touchdowns on the ground to go with his 1,638 passing yards and 12 touchdowns through the air.

Despite Kiffin’s confidence in the Rebels to get back to full strength during their bye, Ole Miss is set to return to action during Week 8 against Auburn on the road. Opening kickoff inside Jordan-Hare Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET, which means the Rebels will be up against one of the most hostile environments in the SEC next Saturday night.