Rebels not resting on their laurels after big win over Central Arkansas
OXFORD, Miss. – Normally when a team notches a resounding victory – like Ole Miss beating Central Arkansas 59-3 Saturday – it would tend to celebrate the outcome.
However, the Rebels do not sound like they’ll be resting on their laurels from the second win of the season, a victory in which the offense amassed 510 total yards in the game, 277 of those through the air.
Tight end Michael Trigg caught three touchdowns against Central Arkansas. The USC transfer tied a school record with those three receiving TDs, becoming just the 11th Rebel — and just the second tight end — to accomplish the feat.
Nevertheless, Trigg was still not satisfied with his performance as he tends to think of the one play he did not wind up in the end zone.
“You know I’m happy, but I feel like I got more to do to get better,” Trigg said after the win.
“I feel like learning my plays a little bit better, run blocking even the three touchdowns I had…like I should have had four when I got tackled on the one, I feel like I didn’t do my best. I feel like I got more to give.”
Ole Miss tight end Michael Trigg
One of Trigg’s touchdowns came from Jaxson Dart. The Rebels’ quarterback finished the game completing 10-of-15 passes for 182 yards and two scores in limited action.
But after the game, Dart explained he thought he could have played better.
“I think I was just able to make some plays here and there,” Dart said.
“Quite honestly I think I could have made a lot more plays and there were definitely things that I missed…I’m kind of bummed about and looking forward to cleaning up in the future, but I think, really for me, I just hold myself to a high standard and those mistakes that I know — the things that I did wrong, I want to for sure clean those things up because I know the capabilities of this team and all of the players around me and the whole offense.”
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart
Rebels’ head coach Lane Kiffin saw both good things and areas for improvement in Dart’s effort.
“I thought he was doing really good. He had one series where he threw the slant in the dirt. But I thought he did some good things. Got us three points in the two-minute drive leading into the half. That’s good. He’s still young.”
Head coach Lane Kiffin on Jaxson Dart vs. UCA
Next Up
Next Saturday, Ole Miss takes to the road for the first time this season, heading to Atlanta to play at Georgia Tech. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m., and will be broadcast by ABC.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
Steve Barnes
Steve Barnes joins The Rebel Walk staff as a senior writer and brings a trifecta of journalistic experience. As a writer, he has covered college sports for Rivals.com, Football.com and SaturdayDownSouth.com as well as served as a beat writer for various traditional newspapers.
He has been a broadcaster for arena football and several national tournament events for the National Junior College Athletic Association as well as hosting various shows on radio.
A former sports information director at Albany (Ga.) State University and an assistant at Troy and West Florida, he has helped host many NCAA conference, regional and national events, including serving five years on the media committee of the NCAA Division II World Series.
Barnes, a native of Pensacola, Fla., attended Ole Miss in 1983-84, where his first journalism teacher was David Kellum. The duo has come a long way since that time.
He will bring a proven journalistic track record, along with a knack for finding the out-of-the-ordinary story angles to The Rebel Walk.
Barnes continues to reside in Pensacola a mere ten minutes from the beach because he does have taste and a brain.
