Offensive Notebook: Ole Miss Offense Steamrolls Georgia Tech
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ATLANTA -- The Ole Miss Rebels offense put on a show, scoring 42 points, and rushing for over 300 yards in a 42-0 blowout of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday.
Despite dominant performances against Troy and Central Arkansas, the offense simply ran like a well-oiled machine this afternoon. Let’s look at several things that stood out in the Rebels' victory over the Yellow Jackets.
All hail the offensive line
The offensive line has played well this season, particularly in the run game, but today it was outstanding. The Rebels’ front five created running lanes that entire teams could run through on Saturday.
Senior Nick Broeker feasted on Yellow Jackets all game long, and he single-handedly paved the way for Quinshon Judkins' first touchdown of the game. Later in the first half, sophomore Eli Acker had a great block allowing running back Zach Evans to run into the end zone untouched.
Not only did the offensive linemen dominate almost every play, but they played with an extremely high sense of awareness, which was on display when junior Jeremy James recovered a surprising fumble by Evans in the red zone. The big man was quick to fall on it, and the very next play, Judkins scored his second rushing touchdown of the contest with 8:51 remaining in the third quarter.
Another big day for the running backs
Zach Evans transferred from TCU this offseason, and there was serious hype surrounding the junior. So far, Evans has run the ball 49 times, for a team-high 317 yards, three touchdowns and 6.2 yards per carry this season.
Evans led the team this afternoon in rushing with 134 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Quinshon Judkins also made some noise heading into the season, and after only three games, it is clear he is poised for greatness. Judkins runs with attitude and finishes every play with his shoulder pad in the chest of every defender. Judkins has carried the rock 43 times, for 289 yards, three touchdowns, and an eye popping 7.2 yards per carry.
And he is only a freshman. This afternoon was no different, bullying his way through the Yellow Jackets’ defense for 98 yards and two scores. Rounding out the solid performances was junior running back Ulysses Bentley IV, finishing the day with a solid eight carries for 27 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Jaxson Dart's impressive vision in the run game
Jaxson Dart is not the most mobile quarterback to ever put on a Rebel jersey, but he is also no slouch when it comes to moving the sticks with his legs.
Dart ran the ball ten times on Saturday for 40 yards. While four yards per carry does not jump off the stat sheet, there were several times where he turned a play that was going nowhere into a positive gain or even a first down. Playing with Evans and Judkins might be rubbing off on the quarterback because midway through the third quarter, it appeared Dart was going to run out of bounds.
Suddenly he lowered his shoulder and plowed his way through a Yellow Jacket defender.
Dart throws darts
Despite only throwing for 207 yards and zero touchdowns, Jaxson Dart simply made passes that will make you stare.
Dart sent several bullets over the middle to senior receiver Malik Heath and senior receiver Jonathan Mingo. Heath had 78 yards receiving, and Mingo finished with 74 yards. He also had some beautiful over the shoulder passes that were placed perfectly.
While he did have some impressive throws, he also made a few very questionable decisions, which is something he has struggled with since his time at USC. At the end of the first half, Dart sent a laser directly into the gloves of Yellow Jacket defender Jaylon King. This sent him into head coach Lane Kiffin’s doghouse for several minutes, which did not appear to be a fun time for the young quarterback.
Still, Dart showed his upside on Saturday, and if he's the guy moving forward, he will need as many reps as possible under center.
Ole Miss hosts Tulsa on Sept. 24, and it will be televised on SEC Network with a 3 p.m. kickoff.
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