Peach Bowl Champs: Dart Sets Bowl Record, Announces Return for 2024
ATLANTA – (Release) Jaxson Dart fielded plenty of questions about his status for 2024 leading into the 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The Ole Miss quarterback simply responded that he was focused on the bowl game.
As it turned out, the Rebel QB wasn’t lying. Dart showed that he was locked in on No. 10 Penn State, as he came out and trounced the nation’s No. 1 defense unlike it had been all season. Then, on Monday morning, he put the conversations regarding his future to rest. Dart rang in the new year officially announcing his return for one last dance in 2024.
Good Morning… 2024👀 pic.twitter.com/osbR1jP1GE
— Jaxson Dart (@JaxsonDart) January 1, 2024
If the Peach Bowl was any indication, Ole Miss fans are in for a phenomenal 2024 campaign from their quarterback.
Against the No. 3 passing defense in college football, Dart broke his own Ole Miss bowl record with 379 passing yards. The previous mark was 361, set last year against Texas Tech. He’s the only Rebel QB to throw for 350 yards in a bowl, and he has now accomplished the feat twice.
Penn State hadn’t allowed a team to hit the 300-yard mark through the air this season, and Ole Miss finished just shy of 400 yards at 394. Dart contributed to all 394, catching a 15-yard pass from Jordan Watkins.
Trick playyyyyyy
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/z0eo20ulDf
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 30, 2023
It was also the only time this season a team threw more than 40 times against the Nittany Lions without an interception. Dart tied the school record in fewest interceptions in a season, becoming the third Rebel QB ever to throw just five interceptions with at least 200 pass attempts (Matt Corral, 2021; John Fourcade, 1981).
The Rebel QB added 14 yards on the ground for a net of 408 total yards, good for second in Ole Miss bowl history behind his 427 yards against the Red Raiders a year ago. He found the end zone four times, three times through the air and once on the ground, the rushing score coming late and putting the game out of reach for the Big Ten challengers.
Dart’s Dagger 🗡@JaxsonDart | ESPN pic.twitter.com/Gp6SD0bbJB
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 30, 2023
Now, the focus turns to 2024 with Dart leading Lane Kiffin‘s offense and a talented returning cast one last time.
Hotty Toddy!
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
