The Gator Bowl featuring Ole Miss vs Duke didn’t stay competitive for very long Thursday night. What was once a relatively highly anticipated bowl game between two 9-3 teams quickly got out of hand. By midway through the second quarter, it started to feel more like a party for the Rebels. By the end of the 52-20 victory, it felt more like a celebration of one of the most successful eras in the history of Ole Miss football.
Coming in, most people knew Duke was facing a tall task. They were down to their third-string quarterback, Henry Belin IV. Their leading rusher opted out well prior to the game. However, how much difference being fully staffed would have made is open to interpretation.
Gator Bowl: Ole Miss vs Duke
From the opening kickoff, it was all Rebels. At the end of the first quarter, Ole Miss led 14-0. It could have been worse, if it weren’t for a mind-boggling trick play attempt on fourth down from inside the Duke 10-yard line on the Rebels’ first possession.
Duke picks off Ole Miss in the end zone on fourth down
ESPN pic.twitter.com/oH3FZUpufE
— ESPN (@espn) January 3, 2025
By halftime, the Ole Miss lead was 24-7. The second half provided more of the same. While the Rebel defense appeared to take their foot off the gas a bit, the offense never did. For the Ole Miss offense, wide receiver Jordan Watkins caught seven passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. One of those was a 69-yard touchdown reception with less than two minutes left in the contest. Tight end Dae’Quan Wright also brought in three passes for 73 yards and a score.
Jaxson Dart’s Big Finale
In his last game as a Rebel, Jaxson Dart made the most of his final chance to impress NFL scouts. The Ole Miss signal-caller finished 27-35 for 404 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 43 yards on the ground. Those were good enough numbers for him to move into fourth place in SEC history in total offense (12,009 yards.)
From a school standpoint, he passed Chad Kelly for both the Ole Miss single-season passing yardage record (4,279 yards) and single-season total offense record (4,774 yards). Kelly set both of the previous records in 2015.
Dart was also named Gator Bowl MVP for the performance.
Duke QB Plays Well In Second Career Start
While not much went right for the Blue Devils, they did see a promising performance from Belin. In only his second career start, the sophomore completed 25 of his 44 passes for 236 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. He also added 16 yards on the ground.
Against one of the best defenses in the country, and playing without their leading rusher, those have to be considered extremely promising numbers for head coach Manny Diaz as he evaluates the quarterback room heading into next season. While his play will likely be overshadowed by Dart’s performance on a national scale, for many Blue Devil fans, Belin’s performance was a bit of a pleasant surprise.
Ole Miss Looks To Ride Gator Bowl Momentum Into Offseason
Despite a 10-3 record and a blowout win in the Gator Bowl, the season feels like a disappointment for Ole Miss. Their aspirations of a College Football Playoff berth or even a national title didn’t work out. But that’s now in the past. They now look ahead to the offseason, where they hope to use the momentum from a big bowl win. They’re losing a plethora of playmakers on both sides of the ball. And while they have already replaced some production through the transfer portal, more moves need to be made by Lane Kiffin and the Rebel coaching staff.
The good news for Rebel fans is that Kiffin is solid at utilizing the portal. Currently, they’re ranked third in the portal rankings, according to 247Sports. With the spring window approaching in April, there’s still a chance for them to improve that ranking.
The post Gator Bowl: Ole Miss vs Duke Turns Into Lopsided Affair appeared first on Last Word on College Football.