Postgame Notables from No. 5 Ole Miss’ 40-6 win over Wake Forest

WINSTON-SALEM, NC — Despite a number of mistakes and penalties that helped keep host Wake Forest in the game, the No. 5 Rebels rolled onward as they still defeated the Demon Deacons, 40-6, in the first road trip of the season.

Captains for the Rebels in today’s game were linebacker TJ Dottery, wide receiver Tre Harris, and linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul, Jr.

Here are some notes and notables from the victory, the third all-time between the two teams. After Saturday’s win, Ole Miss is now 1-2 vs. Wake Forest.

Starters

• CB Isaiah Hamilton made his first career start for Ole Miss.
• QB Jaxson Dart made his team-leading 27th-straight start against Wake Forest.
• Other notable starting streaks include S Trey Washington (18th), S John Saunders Jr. (16th) and Caden Prieskorn (13th).

General Notes

• Attendance for today’s game was 32,849.
• Ole Miss is 68-17 (.800) versus non-conference opponents dating back to a 38-0 win over Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994 … Under head coach Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss is 17-2 against non-conference opponents.
• Ole Miss is now 120-41-6 (.719) all-time versus non-conference opponents during September.
• The Rebels are now 17-10-1 (.586) against current members of the ACC.

Offensive Notes

• The Ole Miss offense scored on its first five possessions of the game, recording four touchdowns in that span … In the first two games of the season, the Rebels have scored in 27 of 39 drives (22 touchdowns).
• Ole Miss’ 96-yard scoring drive marked the fourth time this season the Rebels traveled 90+ yards on a scoring drive.
• QB Jaxson Dart kept moving up the ranks in the Rebel record book … The senior passed Chad Kelly for fifth-most career touchdown passes in a Rebel jersey with 51.
• Dart threw for 377 yards, eclipsing the 300-yard mark through the air for the 10th time in the red and blue, tying Eli Manning for fifth-most in Ole Miss history.
• With two touchdowns through the air, Dart now has 60 total in his career.
• Dart’s consecutive passes without and interception streak was snapped at 178, surpassing Eli Manning for fourth-most in program history.
• RB Henry Parrish Jr. picked up 148 yards on the ground, marking the second-straight week with 100+ yards … He has also scored six touchdowns in the past two games.
• Ole Miss surrendered its first turnover of the season after a fumble in the first quarter … The Rebels hadn’t lost a fumble since the first quarter of the 2023 season opener against Mercer on Sept. 2 … In total, it serves as 893:21 of game time without losing a fumble.
• WR Jordan Watkins caught his first touchdown of the season and 10th of his career with a 75-yarder in the first quarter … It’s Watkins’ longest reception as a Rebel,  QB Jaxson Dart’s longest play of his career and the longest play by the Rebels this season.
• With 127 yards, WR Tre Harris has now picked up 100+ yards in each game to start the 2024 campaign … It’s the eighth of his Ole Miss career, locking him into sole possession of sixth-most in program history.
• Harris also tied a career-best mark with 11 receptions.
• WR Antwane Wells Jr. snagged a highlight-reel one-handed touchdown in the closing minutes of the game … He leads the Rebels with three reception touchdowns this season.
• Wells also surpassed the 3,000-yard mark in his Division I career (FBS + FCS).

Defensive Notes

• Through three games, the Ole Miss defense has allowed zero touchdowns … The last time the Rebels surrendered no touchdowns through the first three games of the season was in 1961.
• The Rebels have allowed their least amount of points (9) through the first three games of a season since 1961.
• The Ole Miss defense once again forced two turnovers – a fumble recovery by S Louis Moore and an interception by LB Suntarine Perkins … Both accolades are the first of their respective careers … Perkins interception with less than two minutes remaining iced the game for Ole Miss.
• Ole Miss tallied five tackles for loss, four of which were sacks … DE Jared Ivey accounted for two of the sacks.
• In the five TFLs, the Rebels took away 27 yards from the Demon Deacons rushing attack.
• Ole Miss’ rushing defense has remained impenetrable, holding Wake Forest to 46 yards on the ground … The Rebels allowed only five in the first half.
• Through three games, Ole Miss has allowed a combined 100 yards on the ground.
• Ole Miss locked down Wake Forest on third downs, with the Demon Deacons converting 4-17.
• LB TJ Dottery led the team in tackles, setting a career best with eight … He picked up seven in the first half.

Special Teams

• K Caden Davis missed the first PAT of his career … He’d made 71 straight since 2021.
• Ole Miss’ kickoff coverage has only allowed 50 yards on three returns in the first three games of the season.
• Davis tallied 10 points kicking and extends his scoring mark to 36, tied with RB Henry Parrish Jr. for the team lead.
• Ole Miss P Fraser Masin recorded his first punt inside the 20 of the season, and the 26th of his career.

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.