The No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels exceeded expectations with a convincing Week 1 win over Furman at home, thanks to strong quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Dart became the first SEC quarterback to throw for 350-plus yards in a half since LSU’s Joe Burrow in 2019. He left the game after halftime having thrown for 418 passing yards, 26 rushing yards and six total touchdowns with an 81 completion percentage.

The Rebels offense easily marched down the field on the game’s first possession, opening the scoring with a 15-yard rushing touchdown from Dart. This was just the beginning of an offensive onslaught, as the Rebs scored seven more touchdowns and a field goal to give them a 52-0 lead at halftime.

Although most of the starting lineup left the court after the first half, Ole Miss scored 25 more points in the second half and Furman finished with a 76-0 run, setting the record for most points scored under head coach Lane Kiffin.

Even with such a strong performance on Saturday, Dart was not surprised by the outcome. He is committed and expects his team to be successful.

“Honestly, it’s kind of what we expected going into it,” Dart said after the game. “That’s just the standard that we want to play at and excel at. The biggest thing for us is to try to control what we can control, and regardless of the score and situation, go into every play with the same mindset.”

Ole Miss has never had a Heisman Trophy winner, but after this performance, with new and old expectations, everyone should be keeping an eye on Jaxson Dart as the season progresses. He’ll be hoping to continue his campaign next week as the Rebels look to move to 2-0 when they take on Middle Tennessee at home.