JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jaxson Dart’s final college pass was a 69-yard touchdown that found him picked off on the sideline by coach Lane Kiffin.

It’s something the quarterback will never forget.

Dart threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns in his last start for Ole Miss, led the 16th-ranked Rebels to a 52-20 victory over Duke in the Gator Bowl on Thursday night.

Dart connected with Jordan Watkins seven times for 180 yards and two scores, including The longest pass play of the evening with a game time of 1:27. Kiffin screwed him over after that.

“I love him, right down to the last play when he checks into a pass he shouldn’t make,” Kiffin said. “He has to learn a slightly better class there.”

Dart added 43 yards rushing and left patches of grass and dirt on his red-and-white uniform at EverBank Stadium.

The senior never considered opting out of the bowl game. Instead, he helped the Rebels (10-3) make history. With the win, Ole Miss achieved consecutive double-digit victories for the second time in program history and the first time since 1959-60.

“This place changed my life,” Dart said. “It was the best decision I made. The relationships I’ve built with everyone here alone will last a lifetime.”

Ulysses Bentley IV, another senior playing his final college game, ran for 70 yards and two scores for the rebels. Isaiah Hamilton returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown Early in the third quarter. All of them got to celebrate with dunks on the sidelines of a portable basketball hoop decorated with Duke logos.

This postseason duel between the ACC and SEC was never close. That wasn’t to be expected either. Ole Miss was a 17 1/2-point favorite, largely because the Blue Devils (9-4) were without quarterback Maalik Murphy and star running back Thomas. Both entered the transfer portal after Duke’s regular season finale.

Third-year student Henry Belin IV was starting his second career and was harassed all night. Belin completed 25 of 44 passes for 236 yards, with two touchdowns and the interception. He was fired three times.

Belin’s TD passes were two of the team’s few highlights. Sahmir Hagans’ 99-yard kickoff return — from a cross-field lateral, no less — was another.

One of Ole Miss’s few mistakes came when Kiffin called for a trick play on fourth down. Kicker Caden Davis’ pass was intercepted in the end zone and Dart took almost every snap the rest of the way.

“I think what stood out today is a special quarterback that played special,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said.

The takeaway food

Duke: The Blue Devils won’t put too much stock in the loss, not with Belin getting a rare start and getting more offensive help along the way.

Ole Miss: The Rebels had most of their starters play in the bowl, a testament to what they think of Dart and Kiffin. CB Jadon Canady and RT Micah Pettus, both starters, entered the transfer portal. And LB and leading tackler Chris Paul Jr. have opted out to prepare for the draft process.

Key violations

Duke cornerback Terry Moore, who intercepted the kicker’s pass on the trick play, left the game in the first half and ended up in the locker room. Ole Miss offensive lineman Eli Acker injured his right knee on an extra point in the second period and had to be taken off the field.

Chewed field

The pitch at EverBank Stadium was anything but pristine. The middle section of the grass was mostly chewed up, more reminiscent of a community sand course than the bright green turf that usually seems pulled from a resort golf course. The Jaguars hosted Tennessee in an NFL game four days earlier, leaving little time to get the field into its best condition. Even night temperatures of over 40 °C did not contribute to regrowth.

Next

Duke is awaiting the arrival of former Tulane QB Darian Mensah, who will reportedly receive $8 million in NIL funds over two years to play for the Blue Devils.

Ole Miss will turn to highly touted left-handed QB Austin Simmons, a redshirt freshman from Miami. Simmons enrolled two years early and spent the last two seasons watching and learning from Dart.

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