Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart threw two brutal fourth-quarter interceptions against Florida to sink the Rebels’ College Football Playoff hopes.
No. 9 Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 in SEC) lost 24-17 despite reaching Florida territory on its last two possessions.
Dart made a poor decision on his first interception, throwing to wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. in triple-coverage on a first-and-10 from the Gators’ 39-yard line.
His second interception came as the Rebels were desperate, facing third-and-10 from the Florida 48-yard line with no timeouts.
Dart threw to avoid a sack, and his pass sailed over his intended target for an easy game-sealing pick for Gators defensive back Bryce Thornton, who also recorded the first interception.
Dart finished 24-of-41 for 323 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 71 rushing yards on 14 carries (5.1 yards per carry).
He had a hot start, completing 13 of his first 16 attempts before ending the game 11-of-25.
Dart picked a bad time to play arguably his worst stretch of football this season. With the loss, Ole Miss is effectively out of contention for a CFP berth.
It’s unlikely to overcome losses to Kentucky (4-6, 1-6 in SEC), LSU (6-4, 3-3 in SEC) and Florida (6-5, 4-4 in SEC).
It’s a giant step back for Ole Miss after it scored its signature win under head coach Lane Kiffin in Week 11 against No. 10 Georgia (9-2, 6-2 in SEC).
Per ESPN’s playoff predictor, the Rebels entered Week 13 with a 67 percent chance of reaching the playoffs. Thanks to the loss to Florida, if it beats Mississippi State next weekend, Ole Miss’ odds of receiving a playoff berth would be four percent.
