No. 13 LSU faces No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday in a game that could be a turning point for both sides. Each team needs to keep winning in order to stay alive in the hunt for the SEC championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
LSU is so far undefeated in SEC play, having narrowly beaten South Carolina in September. Ole Miss downed those same Gamecocks last weekend but lost in its SEC opener to Kentucky.
The Reveille spoke with Teddy King, the sports editor at Ole Miss’ student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian. Here’s what she thinks about Saturday’s matchup.
What went wrong for Ole Miss in the Kentucky loss, and how did you see the Rebels improve in last week’s impressive win?
“That Kentucky loss, it was gut-wrenching. I was standing right behind that [potential game-winning] field goal whenever it was shanked.
“Jaxson Dart’s name is just buzzing and buzzing and buzzing. Heisman odds, one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC – and that’s what you get for playing four non-conference teams. You’re going to put up crazy numbers… In that Kentucky game, I think he held onto the ball for a little bit too long in certain situations. We missed a lot of opportunities… It was a wake-up call… Just errors made on offense. I think play calling could’ve been much better. Our defense really didn’t play like they usually did.
“[Against South Carolina,] the defense was unbelievable. I don’t know where that came from… I think it was one of those things where having a loss like Kentucky, even though it was the first [SEC] game of the season, which is frustrating, it’s good something like that happened then… It was kind of like, so this is the Ole Miss team we’ve been waiting for.”
How have you seen quarterback Jaxson Dart take steps forward even after a standout season last year?
“One of the first things I think of when I think of him, we lost to our biggest rival [Mississippi State in 2022], 24-22… that was on him.
“I think one of the things that you really do see in Jaxson Dart is his leadership on offense… Expectations are really high, and I think he also has expectations for himself. He does a good job emotionally, being a leader to the offense, kind of giving it to people straight… He’s so focused on the team. And yeah, I’m sure he’s focused about him putting up stats for himself but I think one of the things about him is that over the years, he’s really grown to be a leader on that offense and helping out others.
“The Tre Harris-Jaxson Dart connection is one of the best, and it’s so talked about. I don’t think it’s underrated. I think it’s perfectly rated, because I think any Ole Miss fan sees it, and it’s awesome.”
Last year, Ole Miss’ defense was inconsistent just like LSU’s. Where has the unit made strides?
“The d-line, you look at the stats they’ve been putting up, and 24 sacks, leading the nation is something you never thought… That rush defense is ridiculous. I don’t know what they’re breathing, but it’s working… That defense is capitalizing, like the interception from [South Carolina quarterback LaNorris] Sellers… We held them to not even a single touchdown. All they got was a field goal.
“Our cornerbacks are playing pretty well. [Defensive tackle] Walter Nolen, amazing player. That kid, he’s got determination, he powers through. He wants the ball… Our defense is actually playing really well to the point where they’re getting as much hype as the offense… There’s still a lot of work to do, and the season doesn’t stop here… but South Carolina was a good representation of ‘Okay, we came here to play. Let’s keep going.’”
What are the keys for Ole Miss in this game?
“Jaxson Dart really needs to capitalize. In the Kentucky game, Jaxson Dart was trying to look for his go-to receivers, but they were both covered. I think he needs to look to everyone… He just needs to be articulate with plays that he calls and also decisions on the field.
“Defense, again, just capitalizing… Going into this game, the defense needs to make those important stops… Williams-Brice is nothing compared to Tiger Stadium at 6:30 at night. But I think kind of blocking out two years ago, the 2022 game, is also extremely important.”
What’s your score prediction?
“Playing away is one of the hardest things you can do… It’s always a huge factor, especially in a place like Death Valley. It is not a cake walk… That’s just a big factor in my answer. My official answer is going to be 24-21 Ole Miss.”
