Jaxson Dart gave his Ole Miss playmakers a chance against Central Arkansas. They delivered, too.
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart holds himself to a high standard.
So, no, he’s not going to pat himself on the back, despite an electric performance in relief of starter Luke Altmyer Saturday against Central Arkansas.
Dart got the nod for a 28-10, season-opening Ole Miss win over Troy. But head coach Lane Kiffin long ago settled on a plan to rotate starts for his quarterbacks to open the season, so Dart came off the bench as the Rebels thoroughly dominated the Bears in a 59-3 laugher.
They racked up over 500 yards of offense and all but put the game away with their first 28-point first quarter since Fresno State in 2015.
“Those mistakes that I know the things that I did wrong, I want to clean those things up,” Dart said. “I know the capabilities of this team and all the players around me and the whole offense. We do our part and get them the ball, they’re going to make huge plays for us.”
Dart didn’t go into specifics on his mistakes.
His stat line, though, sure indicates he couldn’t have been much better.
Dart came in with less than a minute left in the second quarter. Altmyer had thrown an interception, but more worrisome, he noticeably tweaked his throwing (right) shoulder. He never appeared again, which is notable, as Kiffin had hoped to sub Altmyer back in in the second half.
Dart, meanwhile, completed 10 of 15 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns, including the third of three touchdowns for Michael Trigg, the Ole Miss tight end and Dart’s roommate. The pair transferred to Ole Miss together from USC in the off-season.
“I just have trust in the guys that are out there and I’m going to give them a shot anytime it’s a one-on-one or just opportunities for a big play,” Dart said. “Tonight, they showed their ability to make plays.”
In a night of big plays, a one-handed grab by preseason All-SEC wide receiver Jonathan Mingo in the third quarter stood out.
Three defenders were around the Rebel veteran when he made the highlight play, but Dart found him anyway, and Mingo set Ole Miss up for an eventual score inside the Central Arkansas five-yard line after a 51-yard gainer.
He recorded his third career 100-yard receiving game.
“When you hit a big one, you gain a little confidence,” Dart said. “You get excited when coach calls plays like that. Once you hit one, you feel a lot of confidence going into the next play.
“I didn’t see (Mingo’s catch) on the field. When they showed the play of the game, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe he just snagged that with one hand,’ which is pretty sick. He’s a stud. He’s going to continue making big plays like that.”
Kiffin was, again, noncommittal on the quarterback race.
Actually, all he would say is the Ole Miss coaching staff will “look at the film” and reassess for Georgia Tech next week. The Rebels and Yellowjackets kick off in Atlanta next Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Among the deliberations, obviously, will be the health of Altmyer.
“You definitely feel for him in that situation,” Dart said. “You never hope someone gets hurt or stuff like that. I could tell, when it happened, it shook him a little bit. I think it showed his toughness, ‘cause he was able to stay in there after it happened and have successful drives.
“I was just trying to be there for him and do everything I can to look after him.”
Altmyer was 6 for 13 for 90 yards two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for a score.
“I was just able to make some plays here and there,” Dart said. “Quite honestly, I feel like I could have made a lot more plays. There were definitely things that I missed that I’m kind of bummed about and looking forward to cleaning up in the future.”
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