Ole Miss steamrolled through an easy out-of-conference schedule to begin the season, and it’s doing the same early in its 2024 SEC opener.
Associated Press No. 6 Ole Miss (4-0) jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a six-play, 83-yard opening drive that lasted two minutes and nine seconds.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart was 5-for-5 for 82 yards. Wide receiver Tre Harris had two receptions for 51 yards, including the biggest play of the drive, a 39-yard reception that set the Rebels up with a first-and-goal at the Wildcats’ 1-yard line.
Senior running back Henry Parrish Jr. punched the ball into the end zone on the next play to give Ole Miss the early lead.
The touchdown drive was the fourth by Ole Miss on its opening possession this season. It was also a marathon compared to some of its others.
Against Wake Forest (1-2) in Week 3, the Rebels scored in 1:23 on a five-play, 75-yard drive to begin a 40-6 romp.
Last week, against Georgia Southern (2-2), Ole Miss scored 31 seconds into the game on a two-play, 75-yard drive and eventually won, 52-13.
The Rebels are the country’s top offensive team, averaging 55 points and 670.8 yards per game.
In addition to its games against Wake Forest and Georgia Southern, Ole Miss began the 2024 season playing FCS Furman and Middle Tennessee State (1-3, 0-1 in CUSA), which only has a win against FCS Tennessee Tech.
Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 in SEC) ranks 15th in scoring defense, allowing 12.5 points per game. It held No. 2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 in SEC) to 13 points in a Week 3 13-12 loss.
The Wildcats are fourth in the conference in total yards allowed per game (217).
Kentucky is unquestionably Ole Miss’ toughest opponent so far this season. Early in the Rebels’ conference opener, you wouldn’t know it.
