Texas Bowl QB Preview: A look at the Rebels’ Jaxson Dart, Red Raiders’ Tyler Shough
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss will take on Texas Tech in the TaxAct Texas Bowl on December 28 at NRG Stadium in Houston. For the next few weeks, The Rebel Walk will take a look at each team’s position groups.
Let’s start out out with the quarterbacks.
Ole Miss: Jaxson Dart
After arriving at Ole Miss in January from USC via the transfer portal, Dart began the season in a battle with Luke Altmyer for the Rebels’ starting quarterback job.
Dart would eventually be named the starter following the team’s win over Tulsa in the fourth week of the season.
In 2022, the 6-2, 220-pound sophomore from Kaysville, Utah would go on to throw for 2613 yards, completing 201 of 321 his passes (62.6%), throwing 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Jaxson Dart on the money 🎯
— We Run the Sip (@OMRebelNation) November 1, 2022
He threw at least two touchdown passes in six of the twelve games this year, while throwing three touchdowns in three of those six games.
Dart was also a threat on the ground, rushing for 548 yards on 117 attempts. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in two games this season, rushing for 116 yards vs. Tulsa and 115 yards vs. Auburn.
Texas Tech: Tyler Shough
When Texas Tech plays the Rebels, the Red Raiders will stay with the quarterback who’s been at the controls during their season-ending three-game win streak, Tyler Shough.
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire recently said he expects Shough to start the bowl game based on the quarterback’s recent performance. Prior starter Behren Morton is not fully recovered from the ankle injury he suffered on Oct. 8 at Oklahoma State and aggravated on Nov. 5 at TCU.
The Red Raiders are 4-0 this season with Shough starting. Those wins came in the season opener against Murray State and the past three games against Kansas, Iowa State and Oklahoma.
Texas Tech is 3-1 when Shough attempts more than 20 passes, with the only defeat coming against a No. 3 TCU team bound for the College Football Playoff.
RED RAIDERS HAVE THE LEAD
Tyler Shough finds JJ Sparkman for the go-ahead score 🔥pic.twitter.com/E6WY9V7W1M
— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) November 5, 2022
Shough, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior from Chandler, Arizona, suffered a broken collarbone in the Red Raiders’ opener and didn’t regain the starting job until the 10th game.
Shough is in his second season at Texas Tech after transferring from Oregon, where he was on the roster for three seasons. His time at Texas Tech has been riddled by injury, as he has only appeared in 10 games in the last two seasons.
In six games this season, Shough has thrown for 1062 yards, completing 82 of 138 passes (59.4%), throwing six touchdowns and three interceptions.
On the ground, Shough has rushed for two touchdowns, tallying 158 yards on 47 carries.
In his most recent game against Oklahoma, he completed 31 of 50 (62%) for a career-high 436 yards while throwing two touchdowns and one interception. He ran for 44 yards on nine carries against the Sooners.
Comparing Dart and Shough
Shough has a slight advantage over Dart in experience, having played in 21 total games while Dart has played in 18. In years, however, Shough has been a college quarterback for much longer as he is in his fifth year, compared to Dart’s second.
That being said, if one looks only at the QBs’ time with their current teams, Dart has played two more games than Shough.
Expect to see a very similar playing style from both Dart and Shough.
The two quarterbacks use their athleticism to create a threat running the ball while also stretching the field vertically throwing the ball. Shough is also dangerous running the ball. He rushed for at least 30 yards in every leg of a three-game winning streak to end the regular season, including a 76-yard rushing performance against Kansas.
Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for more position matchups between Ole Miss and Tech.
Hotty Toddy!
Nick Filipich
Nick Filipich was born and raised in Biloxi, MS. He is an Ole Miss alum with a degree in Sports and Recreation Administration. A sports junkie with a great passion for all things Ole Miss, Nick played baseball and football in high school — which is where he discovered his love for sports. He is an avid Braves and Saints fan, and in his free time enjoys spending time with family, friends and his black lab, Dixie.
