Lane Kiffin explains how Jaxson Dart 'dramatically improved' since winning QB battle
Ole Miss is 4-0 heading in to SEC play against Kentucky this weekend, and USC transfer quarterback Jaxson Dart is still settling in during his first season in Oxford. After a sub-optimal start, head coach Lane Kiffin has seen notable improvement from his signal caller since winning the starting job and getting some starts in.
Dart didn’t crack 200 total yards of offense in either of the first two games but has “dramatically improved” in the last two contest, according to Kiffin. In his most recent outing, a closer-than-hoped win over Tulsa, Dart had 270 total yards of offense and two passing touchdowns.
“Well he’s really dramatically improved from where we were after two games,” Kiffin said on the SEC coaches teleconference. “Looks like, so far, a much different player. Composed, confident, leadership. So, I think that kind helps you out when you become the starter and have more reps. But he’s going to get a lot more of a challenge as we get in to SEC play starting Saturday.”
He’s right about the competition ticking up. The first four opponents Ole Miss played are a combined 6-10 and none have a winning record. Georgia Tech fired head coach Geoff Collins on Sunday. It has not been a gauntlet so far for Ole Miss.
Kentucky, Texas A&M, Alabama and Arkansas will all present much tougher tests. LSU and Auburn aren’t walkovers even in off years, and the Egg Bowls is never a gimme.
Dart will need to keep elevating his play to keep Ole Miss above water. Kiffin is confident that he can as the initial learning curve for the second year player — in his first year with the Rebels — fades away and he becomes more comfortable with his surroundings.
“No, I just think — I just think it was what happened was a lot,” Kiffin said, explaining why it took Dart a bit to get going. “He’s young, second year, first year with us, which I’m not saying is bad or good. We’ve coached the quarterbacks dramatically different from the air raid system he came from. So, that’s a lot of learning curve. So I think it’s just a combination of things.”