Quarterback Jaxson Dart delivered an impressive performance in his final college start for Mississippi, throwing for 404 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-20 victory over Duke in the Gator Bowl. Despite getting chewed out by coach Lane Kiffin for a late pass play, Dart led the Rebels to their second consecutive double-digit win season for the first time since 1959-60. His connection with receiver Jordan Watkins was on full display with two touchdown passes, including a 69-yarder as his final college career throw.
Duke struggled throughout the game, missing key players due to transfer portal entries. Quarterback Henry Belin IV faced constant pressure from the Rebels defense and managed to throw two touchdown passes and an interception. One of the few highlights for Duke came from Sahmir Hagans’ 99-yard kickoff return following a lateral pass.
Despite some key injuries on both sides, the Rebels dominated the matchup, with Dart’s exceptional play earning praise from Duke coach Manny Diaz. Looking ahead, Duke is set to welcome former Tulane QB Darian Mensah with a reported $8 million NIL deal, while Mississippi will turn to redshirt freshman Austin Simmons at quarterback.
The game was played on a chewed-up field at EverBank Stadium due to a recent NFL game hosted by the Jaguars, causing less-than-ideal playing conditions for the college teams. Despite the turf issues, both teams played hard, with Mississippi coming out as the clearly dominant team in the ACC-SEC postseason matchup.
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