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Ole Miss

Lane Kiffin reacts to late interception thrown by Jaxson Dart vs. Florida

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh11/27/24griffin_mcveigh
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Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin talks with his coaches during a timeout during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024. The Gators defeated the Rebels 24-17 [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]

The play that broke Ole Miss‘ season’s back was an interception from Jaxson Dart. Two turnovers from Dart cost the Rebels when trying to get down the field and tie the game. Instead, Florida took control and on the final INT, was able to kneel out the clock for a massive victory.

Directly after the game, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin reacted to the decisions from Dart. He called them “unusual” in those high-leverage situations. An aggressive mindset came from Dart while Kiffin wanted a calmer approach with plenty of time still remaining on the clock.

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“Very unusual by him,” Kiffin said. “Obviously, I wish he would take it back. Just completely unusual that he would throw that ball in that situation. He’s usually really good at that. I said to him, right before ‘We got plenty of time here, don’t need to take shots.’ He went very aggressive on it.”

There were actually three moments where Dart at least thought he threw it to Florida. First was a deep shot into triple coverage but the Ole Miss defense came through with a stop. Dart then had one on the left sideline, initially called an interception. After review, officials overruled and gave the quarterback another chance.

However, on the very next play, Dart ended the game before apologizing to everyone involved with the program.

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“Yeah, bad decision by me,” Dart said on the throws. “And the only thing I can really say right now is I’m sorry. I’m sorry to my teammates. I’m sorry for my coaches. I’m sorry for the fans. Can’t lose these games. Yes, it’s going to hurt for a really long time. That’s all I can really say. I’m sorry.” 

More than likely, chances of making the College Football Playoff are over. ESPN’s Playoff Predictor puts it at 7% — sixth-highest among teams in the SEC. A win in the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State and some serious chaos in front of them will be required.

A tough moment overall for Dart and not something Kiffin would have ever expected from his long-time starting quarterback.