Ole Miss (Not-So) Morning-After Show: The Rebels made a 2024 statement in the Peach Bowl
No. 11 Ole Miss on Saturday secured the first 11-win season in program history with a 38-25 shellacking of No. 10 Penn State in the Peach Bowl.
Ben Garrett (OMSpirit.com) and former Rebel, and eight-year NFL veteran, Bradley Sowell have full reaction from the game, as well as postgame sound from head coach Lane Kiffin and select players, in an all-new edition of The Ole Miss Morning-After Show.
Look out, 2024. Here the title-contending Rebels come.
“These guys will be in contention for the national title next year,” ESPN color analyst Louis Riddick, who called the game, said.
Memphis transfer tight end Caden Preiskorn closed out his debut Ole Miss season as Peach Bowl offensive MVP.
Prieskorn, who’s returning to Ole Miss next season, had 10 receptions for 136 yards, two touchdowns and a couple of highlight-reel catches.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart hasn’t yet announced his return for what would be his third, and final, year in Oxford. Still, he was brilliant, as well, in the win, finishing 25 for 40 for 379 yards and four total touchdowns.
Jared Ivey has already made public his plans to postpone the NFL Draft to run it back with the Rebels in 2024. The College Football Playoff this time next season expands to 12 teams.
Ivey was named Peach Bowl defensive MVP after totaling five tackles, two tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Star wide receiver Tre Harris, another transfer addition last off-season, is coming back and had another standout performance in the win. Harris hauled in seven catches for 134 scoreless yards.
The deadline for draft-eligible players to declare is January 15.
“I made sure the players (who said they were coming back next season) were coming back that played so well today,” Kiffin joked in his postgame press conference.
Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins remained coy about his future earlier this week.
However, he was his usual dominant self against a Nittany Lions defense that entered the day as the top-ranked overall unit in college football.
Judkins carried 34 times for 106 scoreless yards. He’s just the second running back to go over the century mark against Penn State this season.
“We’re just getting started,” Kiffin said during the on-field trophy celebration.
Kiffin has already signed an extension with Ole Miss. He has four 10-win seasons over his last seven as a head coach, including two at Ole Miss. The Rebels secured their first-ever 11-win campaign in the Peach Bowl.
