Did Jaxson Dart win Ole Miss QB job over Spencer Sanders? What Lane Kiffin said after win vs Mercer
OXFORD — Asked whether he foresaw Jaxson Dart starting at quarterback for Ole Miss football moving forward after he dominated in a 73-7 win over Mercer Saturday, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin did not directly answer the question.
Dart was outstanding in his 2.5 quarters of action. He looked decisive with his choices and showcased the arm strength that has long been lauded by evaluators on his way to an 18-for-23 showing. He racked up 334 yards and four touchdowns and did not turn the ball over.
Spencer Sanders, who entered during the third quarter — long after the game's outcome had been decided — looked good, too. He went 8-for-14 with 134 yards and two touchdowns before he was lifted late to get youngster Walker Howard some reps.
"I thought both guys had a great camp and played really well in the scrimmages, the mock game," Kiffin said. "Felt really good about both guys being able to win for us. I thought both guys played extremely well today. Made a lot of plays. I think Jaxson started 11-for-11. Spencer threw two touchdowns.
"We had to make a decision on who went first," Kiffin continued. "Jaxson did and did a really good job. Now we'll go back and go to work this week and just get our players better. So, that was good to see. I know there's people out there who say, 'Well, people need to be named starters for them to play well.' (Dart) wasn't named the starter and he went 11-for-11."
Kiffin had declined to name a starter in the leadup to this game. Reports emerged on Saturday morning that Dart had been given the nod against Mercer.
FULL STORY: Ole Miss football throttles Mercer as Tre Harris makes history and quarterbacks excel
Dart said postgame that he'd been preparing from the end of last season as though he would be the Rebels' starting quarterback. He expressed a similar sentiment at the beginning of preseason practice in August.
"I think it kind of just comes back to controlling what I can control," Dart said. "There may be times where I disagree with something here and there. But, at the end of the day, (Kiffin) is the head coach. He makes the calls around here and he's going to put us in the best positions to succeed. I think that's all you can really ask for as a player."
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football QB competition: What Lane Kiffin said after win
