Three Takeaways From Rebels Rout of Central Arkansas
The Ole Miss Rebels once again played two quarterbacks on Saturday night, and they once again made easy work of an opponent in a 59-3 win over the Central Arkansas Bears.
The Rebels met little-to-no resistance in the blowout win, and while making sweeping judgements from a game against an FCS opponent is a foolish exercise, there are some takeaways to be made from Ole Miss' win on Saturday.
1. If Luke Altmyer is injured for an extended period of time, Jaxson Dart just gained an important opportunity in the quarterback race.
Luke Altmyer's "upper body" injury in the first half of Saturday's game was an unfortunate development in what was a hot start for the sophomore quarterback.
Granted, Altmyer's scoring drives came against a Bears defense that was outmatched from the start, but before his injury, he looked poised behind center. Once he was obviously not at 100 percent, however, his ball lost its zip, and he threw an interception late in the first half.
Dart finished out the second quarter and played the majority of the second half before giving way to the backups, and he went 10-of-15 through the air for 182 yards and two scores. Again, it came against an FCS defense, but Dart looked more comfortable on Saturday than he did a week ago against Troy.
Lane Kiffin admitted after the game that he would watch the tape before announcing a starter for the upcoming game against Georgia Tech, but if Altmyer is unavailable, Dart has an opportunity to create some separation in this race that has gone two weeks into the season.
2. The Ole Miss running back room is as advertised, but Saturday belonged to Quinshon Judkins.
Although he did not find the end zone on the ground in the Rebel win, Judkins led Ole Miss with 104 yards rushing. The freshman out of Pike Road, Ala., was expected to make an immediate impact in his first season in Oxford, but he has exploded onto the scene in the first two weeks.
Zach Evans will likely remain the primary back for Ole Miss, but Judkins and Ulysses Bentley have proven their value in this room as well. That's a good situation for Lane Kiffin's team.
3. Stronger tests await, but Ole Miss' defense has been solid through two weeks of play.
The Rebels' defense has allowed a combined 13 points through its first two games. Sure, those games were against Troy and Central Arkansas, but that's a performance that can't go unnoticed.
The focus has been on the new faces on Ole Miss' offense, but it's important to remember that the Rebels have a lot of transfers on defense as well as a new coordinator in Chris Partridge. The early returns on his side of the ball have been positive.
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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