Rebels’ Dart or Bulldogs’ Beck? Right or Wrong, Winner Improves Stature

OXFORD, Miss. — As the buildup for Ole Miss fight to stay alive in the playoffs reaches the biggest obstacle Saturday against Georgia, the most important position on the field will be in the spotlight.

Enter Jackson Dart for the Rebels and Carson Beck for the Bulldogs. Coaches will always point out there are 10 other field around them but that’s the position that gets the focus. You can bet at some point it will be talked about on the TV broadcast like it’s a two-man battle.

Dart is on pace for the best year of his career. He’s leading the nation in passing yards (3,210) to go along with 21 touchdown passes (third-most) to just three interceptions in nine games played. Dart also checks in as Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded quarterback in the country (92.3).

More importantly, Lane Kiffin doesn’t have to do an awful lot of coaching with him. When a coach and his quarterback are on the same page, it usually reduces stomach ulcers, heart problems and stress levels. The result, at times, has been blowing up socreboards.

Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin talks with quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) during a time out during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

It’s also like adding an extra assistant coach. When things went sideways in that 20-17 loss to Kentucky back in September, it was Dart that rallied the troops. Folks all over the country still seem to be forgetting they lost to the Wildcats on one play and their other loss at LSU was the result of a single play.

“He’s hard to stop,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said this week. “(Dart’s) more comfortable. He’s played more football. He’s got more experience. He’s playing at a really high level. He sees things well.”

A lot of that is, simply, coachspeak. These two coaches who have worked together in the past aren’t going to make anybody on the other side mad if they can help it at all. But Smart probably hasn’t enjoyed looking at the Rebels’ offensive video. It gives defensive coordinators like Smart was for years headaches.

“[Dart] and Lane and the offensive staff are further along,” Smart said. “They know what they’re looking for. They know when you get in something what beats that, and they know how to attack it. So he’s just a proven winner, and he’s a fierce competitor.”

Florida Gators linebacker Derek Wingo (15) sacks Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) during the first half at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. / Doug Engle-Gainesville Sun

On the other side, Kiffin knows that Beck just finds ways to win games.

“He’s thrown some picks, but quarterbacks go through that. It’s a good problem to have,” Kiffin said Monday and he’s not looking much at the interceptions. “You just gotta work through that part and still you got a great quarterback.

“Versus some people around the country that say ‘they protect the ball, but the quarterback can’t make the throws’. It’s a good problem to have. Like I said, these guys have scored 30 in every game and are extremely talented.”

If there’s one thing that plays in Ole Miss’ favor looking at the quarterback matchup, it would be Beck isn’t that mobile. He can run when he has to, but Dart is better.

“You can’t approach this guy like he’s gonna give himself up because he’ll run right through you,” Smart said about Dart. “He’s 225 pounds and he lowers his shoulders and he’s physical. He doesn’t give himself up very often, so we don’t coach it any different than tackling a back. He might drop his shoulder. He might choose to slide. You have to react to what he does. But you have to be physical.”

Kickoff between No. 16 Ole Miss and No. 2 Georgia is 2:30 p.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and can be seen on ABC/ESPN+ or can be listened to through the Ole Miss Radio Network. The Rebels currently stand as 2.5-point underdogs for Saturday’s game.

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