Ole Miss played their second game of the season on Saturday night when FCS opponent Central Arkansas traveled to Oxford. The Rebels took care of business, winning 59-3 in commanding fashion. Here are three takeaways from the game:
Talent Gap
This game was over before it started. The talent gap between these rosters is massive and was apparent from the opening kickoff.
In the past four recruiting classes, Central Arkansas’s highest-rated recruit was ranked 1649th nationally (per ON3). In the past four NFL drafts, the Bears have had just one player selected.
The Rebels exposed the lack of talent across from them by scoring 28 points in the first quarter, blocking a pair of punts and generally being more dominant in all phases of the game. This is the kind of game that helps Ole Miss sharpen up and smooth out any issues they may have with transfer chemistry.
Dart Separates
Though Jaxson Dart played far from a perfect game, it looks to me like this may be the end of the quarterback competition in Oxford.
Dart looked much cleaner than last week as he was able to connect on a couple of deep balls, move the ball over the middle and showcase his arm talent by putting his throws on a line, as opposed to letting them hang in the air where defenders have more time to react and make a play.
I predict that Dart will get the start next week against Georgia Tech (Which is somehow the toughest game so far). Knowing he is QB1 on the depth chart may instill some confidence and calm down his erratic play. Additionally, getting two full starts before conference play will give him a chance to iron out the kinks in his game and get a feel for the team. There are snaps where it looks like Dart is trying to win the Heisman as opposed to setting his team up for the next play. Learning how to throw check-downs, avoid sacks while staying in the pocket and taking heat off of simple throws would elevate his game to the next level.
Judkins Overperforms
Quinshon Judkins was rated as the 46th running back in the nation (via 247Sports).
Judkins was overlooked by in-state powerhouse Alabama and given just a 3-star rating by the major recruiting sites. Through the first two weeks of his career, Judkins looks like a seasoned vet. Though the competition has not been stiff, he has looked like a physically ready back who the staff trusts to take meaningful carries. He runs with great pad level and shows the right amount of violence you would like to see from a between-the-tackles runner.
He has had multiple runs in both games where he looked genuinely stronger than the players across from him, a trait that is rarely shown by young players in his position. Though the season is young, it looks like Judkins is the true backup behind Zach Evans.
