Ole Miss Where is Jaxson Dart?

[umrebelfan69]

I am a huge Jaxson Dart fan. At the beginning of this season, there was not another QB in D1 football that I would rather have. And that is pretty much unchanged, but he is OBVIOUSLY just not the same player that he was in 2023.

I believe we are to blame as well. What I mean is that to begin the year, we knew if we were to make a run at the CFP, we would need Dart to remain healthy. I am afraid that it was hammered so much into his head that we needed him to slide, and to not take hits, that he has lost one of his most endearing traits. Lets face it, in 2023, he was one of the toughest players I had ever watched, tougher than woodpecker lips. I know he hasn't lost his toughness, but he is coached to avoid those hits at all costs.

This is good.....but it is bad too. I believe it takes away what makes Dart.....DART. And i believe it can have a trickle down effect on the rest of the team.

I am going to show two plays from the 2023 season, where Dart just never let the idea of sliding cross his mind. i will follow that by a play from last Saturday against Oklahoma..... I will allow yall to judge if I am just imagining a different mindset.

Egg Bowl 2023

https://twitter.com/x/status/1850977605953912951

Peach Bowl 2024 (23 season)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1850977843263455275

Here is the play from last Saturday against OU. This was a crucial 3rd down in the first half. We are inside the 10 yard line, and Ole Miss is clinging to a 3 point lead. In essence, this caused us to not score on this trip into the redzone. As we didn't convert the 3rd down, Kiffin being Kiffin, went for it on 4th, and was dropped for a huge loss. But the effort of Dart on this play is my problem........

https://twitter.com/x/status/1850970297991565597

Now....... I dont really think Ole Miss is a playoff contender anymore, but with us having losses against Kentucky and LSU, we dont have any more mulligans. Arkansas, Georgia, and Florida are our next 3. If.......and I am saying IF the Ole Miss team still believes they are a CFP team, then this is the type of effort we can ill afford. we have to have nothing but full-tilt boogie woogie from every player on the field.

I dont know guys.....maybe I am just overreacting.

 

[themetalreb]

There is something wrong with this team...I haven't watched a play since the second quarter of the LSU game when Kiffin thought giving the ball to a 125 lb tailback on 4th and 1 at the LSU 5 yard line was a good idea. I was already barely hanging on. The game vs Oklahoma is the first Ole Miss win that I haven't at least gone back and watched a replay of since I can't remember when. I just don't want to. I knew the Kentucky game was more than just a loss, and you and I disagreed about that. I know you've asked specifically about Dart, but I think Dart is just fine. Like you said in another thread a couple weeks ago, losing Judkins was critical in every way. He was tough enough to make the D2 O line look okay. If Dart had just an average offensive line, I believe you would find Jaxon Dart. At any rate, the season is over. I'm already drinking the basketball kool aid. I know I'm in for another kick in the nuts, but like a fatal addiction, Ole Miss always pulls me back in.

 

[umrebelfan69]

Well Metal, I am glad you gave your thoughts.

I agree there are many things that add to the blame-game. OL play has been atrocious since Jeremy James went down. However we know that if Ole Miss makes a good block, we get flagged for holding, the same play with ANYONE ELSE, isn't holding. Its so bad now that I have no idea what Holding is anymore. But not going to blame refs.

But what I will say is that sliding a yard short of the first down is just not like Dart at all, not even close. This goes to leadership, and therefore has a trickle down effect on the rest of the team. I provided the film, nobody has to watch the whole game.

 

[themetalreb]

I mean, I see the film, I'm not sure what to make of it...I will say this: one more loss and you're gonna see the GAF meter bottom out for some of these mercenaries. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[umrebelfan69]

I mean, I see the film, I'm not sure what to make of it...I will say this: one more loss and you're gonna see the GAF meter bottom out for some of these mercenaries. I hope I'm wrong.

You’re not wrong. You live by the portal, you die by the portal.

That’s why we need a pay-to-play amendment by the NCAA. Unless NIL is tied to play, the school has no leverage.

 

[RTR2006]

I'll say this. After watching the first 2 videos, I would be sliding too. Just my opinion though.