Lane Kiffin, Jaxson Dart reflect on helping Ole Miss to 11 wins for first time

With Saturday’s 38-25 victory over Penn State in the Peach Bowl, Ole Miss did something it had never done before. The Rebels won 11 games for the first time in program history, marking another impressive chapter in Lane Kiffin’s tenure as head coach.

It was clearly a special moment for Kiffin, who now has a 34-15 record during his four years in Oxford. As the confetti rained down at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, he soaked in the moment as he spoke with ESPN’s Quint Kessenich.

Last year, Ole Miss went 8-5 and fell to Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl. That led Kiffin to overhaul the roster, led by transfer portal additions such as leading receiver Tre Harris and tight end Caden Prieskorn — the Peach Bowl offensive MVP. All told, the Rebels brought in 24 players from the portal a year ago, and it added to the sweet nature of the victory for Kiffin.

It paid off with a new single-season wins record.

“To do something that’s never been done before, to get to 11 wins in such a great program with so many great players that have come before us and played here,” Kiffin said. “For this group to come together, half these guys weren’t here a year ago. They came together for one common theme of being great. I’m just honored and blessed to coach these guys.”

Jaxson Dart: Ole Miss has a ‘bright future, for sure’ after 11th victory

It was quite the performance from the Ole Miss offense, led by 379 yards and three touchdowns from Jaxson Dart, who also had a rushing touchdown.

For Dart, it was another step in his journey at Ole Miss. Last year, he had an up-and-down season as a passer, throwing for 2,974 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 13 games. This season, those numbers improved to 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns, along with just five interceptions.

Most importantly for Dart — one of Kiffin’s first high-profile transfer portal additions — it was about getting that elusive 11th win.

“We just made history,” Dart said. “I’m jacked now. We’re gonna keep going, and bright future, for sure.”

Ole Miss will now look to build on its record season, and Kiffin has been hard at work on the recruiting trail. So far, the Rebels have 12 commitments out of the portal and hold the No. 3-ranked transfer class this cycle, according to the On3 Team Transfer Portal Rankings. The biggest additions have been on defense, headlined by top-ranked transfer Walter Nolen and the No. 4-ranked portal prospect, Princely Umanmielen.

Suffice to say, Ole Miss is still on an upward trajectory.