Juice Wells with one-handed catch of Jaxson Dart touchdown pass. (Photo Credit: Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics)
In the third full week of college football, we got a clearer picture of where the state’s major teams stand at this point. That’s good news for Ole Miss fans, maybe not so good for those who follow Mississippi State and Southern Miss.
Bear in mind, though, it’s still a long season. Your mileage may vary.
Here’s how it all played out:
Ole Miss 40, Wake Forest 6:
The fifth-ranked Rebels (3-0) hit the road for the first time this season, but the outcome seemed familiar.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart, who’s entered the Heisman Trophy chat, had another big game. So did emerging workhorse running back Henry Parrish Jr.
Add it all up and it was another solid victory for the Rebels, who have yet to be seriously tested this season.
Dart completed 26 of 34 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns, while Parrish got 23 carries and responded with 148 yards rushing and a pair of TDs.
Put that all together with another stellar defensive effort – Wake Forest (1-2) managed just 48 yards rushing on 32 attempts – and it was an easy night for the Rebels.
Ole Miss essentially put the game away in the first quarter, scoring on a pair of runs by Parrish (25, 22) sandwiched around a 75-yard Dart TD pass to Jordan Watkins. Then it was just a question of thoughtfully managing that 20-3 advantage.
Mission accomplished.
Dart added a 13-yard scoring run in the third quarter and a 31-yard scoring pass to Antwane Wells Jr. in the fourth. Favorite target Tre Harris finished with 11 catches for 127 yards.
Defensively, the Rebels came up with 5 tackles for loss including 4 sacks. Two of those sacks came from senior defensive end Jared Ivey.
If there was a downside for Ole Miss, it came in the form of a slew of penalties. That will need to be cleaned up before they get into the heart of their schedule. The Rebels also gave up two turnovers, including an interception moments after announcers highlighted Dart had passed Eli Manning for consecutive throws without a pick.
After the game, Ole Miss coach Lake Kiffin said Wake Forest, which was contracted for a return contest in Oxford next season, will buy its way out of that date, thus depriving Demon Deacons fans of the chance to experience The Grove.
Ole Miss returns home for a Saturday date against Georgia Southern, with a 6:45 p.m. kickoff. The Rebels’ SEC opener will follow, home on Sept. 28 against Kentucky.
Toledo 41, Mississippi State 17:
This was not the return to Starkville that Bulldogs fans were hoping for after last week’s loss at Arizona State. The Bulldogs were favored by 10.5 entering the game.
No one told Toledo they were supposed to roll over and lose. The visiting Rockets (3-0) blasted off for a 28-3 halftime lead and were comfortably in control from there.
On four of their first five possessions, Toledo found the end zone.
Toledo quarterback Tucker Gleason will brag to his grandchildren that he completed 23 of 28 passes for 285 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions against an SEC defense. The Rockets added 169 yards rushing, with four runners tearing off carries of more than 10 yards.
The Rockets, a Mid American Conference team, put up nearly 500 of offense against the Bulldogs on their home turf.
Mississippi State’s offense looked out of sync, as well. In the first quarter, the Bulldogs ran just nine plays for 8 total yards. For the second straight week, MSU got behind big early and was forced to become pass dominant.
For MSU (1-2), Blake Shapen completed 28 of 39 passes for 319 yards and two second-half TDs. He had an interception and a fumble. The Bulldogs managed just 66 yards rushing on 27 carries.
First year head coach Jeff Lebby probably envisioned the Bulldogs being 3-0 at this point in the season, or at a minimum, 2-1. The slog ahead gets brutal with No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Texas, No. 5 Ole Miss, No. 6 Missouri and No. 7 Tennessee all on the schedule.
In the immediate term, Mississippi State will have to regroup quickly, as a desperate Florida team visits next Saturday for an 11 a.m. kickoff.
South Florida 49, Southern Miss 24:
That South Florida team that gave Alabama fits a week ago came to Hattiesburg and didn’t slack off.
The Bulls (2-1) fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter as the home team got a pair of touchdown passes from Tate Rodemaker, 19 yards to Kyirin Heath and 37 yards to Kenyon Clay. But the Golden Eagles (1-2) trailed 28-21 at halftime and never seriously threatened in the second half.
While three Southern Miss quarterbacks eventually combined for 397 yards, South Florida pounded out 369 rushing yards as two Bulls went over the century mark – Kelley Joiner (117, 2 TDs) and Nay’Quan Wright (105, 1 TD.)
The Golden Eagles will look to get back on track Saturday at Jacksonville State, with a 2 p.m. kickoff.
