Jaxson Dart to Tre Harris is nation's top passing combo, more overreactions from Ole Miss win
OXFORD − It was more of the same in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
No. 5 Ole Miss football beat Georgia Southern 52-13 on Saturday night in front of a record crowd.
The Rebels moved to 4-0 and closed out the nonconference schedule without playing a close game. Through four games, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has his Rebels looking like one of the best teams in the nation.
Time for some overreactions:
Jaxson Dart to Tre Harris is the best connection in the country
Perhaps the most telling play that illustrates the connection quarterback Jaxson Dart and receiver Tre Harris had on Saturday night was an incompletion.
Facing fourth-and-6 in the second quarter, Dart threw a back-shoulder fade down the sideline to Harris, who was covered well. Harris got a hand on the ball and almost brought it in, but his collision with the ground and a defender knocked the ball free.
The play didn’t work, but the sentiment remains. If Harris gets man-to-man coverage, expect a target.
Most of Dart’s other throws at Harris worked. One highlight came when Harris sprinted down the Eagles sideline, jetted past his defender and coasted 70 yards for a touchdown.
Harris finished with 11 catches for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Through four games, Dart-to-Harris has been a devastating combination for opposing defenses.
Ole Miss football fans aren't done setting records
In the second quarter, a message flashed on the video boards that sent the crowd into jubilation.
The screen announced that there were 67,505 fans in attendance at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, a new attendance record.
It may not be the last time that message pops up this season. The previous two record attendances were set against LSU and Alabama. If 67,505 fans show up to watch the heavily favored Rebels against a Sun Belt team, imagine the possibilities when, say, No. 2 Georgia comes to Oxford on Nov. 9.
Ole Miss will jump on Kentucky early in SEC opener
Georgia Southern kicker Gavin Stewart booted the opening kickoff into the end zone for a touchback.
It took just 30 seconds for Ole Miss to score a touchdown.
The Rebels jumped on Georgia Southern with their no-huddle offense. Dart rifled a pass to Harris for 40 yards to start the game, then ran up to where the referees were spotting the ball to get in position for another snap. Before the defensive players could catch their breath, Dart lofted a pass to receiver Juice Wells, who cruised into the end zone.
Ole Miss has averaged more than 18 points in the first quarter. The Rebels like to take the ball if the coin flip goes their way, and they have shown a propensity to do big things with it before the opposing team's quarterback even plays a down. If Kentucky isn’t careful next week, the Wildcats will wind up in an early hole.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football: Jaxson Dart, Tre Harris elite, watch out Kentucky