Ole Miss football throttles Mercer as Tre Harris makes history and quarterbacks excel

OXFORD — With clinical precision, Ole Miss football put on a tutorial in extinguishing overmatched Mercer's hopes before they could ever take hold.

The Rebels rattled off 293 yards of total offense in the first quarter, finding the end zone on their first four drives on their way to a nice-and-simple 73-7 win over the Bears (1-1) on Saturday to open the season. That point total is the highest for an Ole Miss team since coach Lane Kiffin's arrival.

The blowout presented the Rebels with the opportunity to get their backups some developmental playing time in a game that was over after 15 minutes, keeping their starters fresh for what could be a ranked matchup at Tulane in Week 2.

Jaxson Dart starts — and excels — for Ole Miss football

News broke before the game that Kiffin had elected to start Jaxson Dart over Spencer Sanders at quarterback. Dart, who admitted he had a chip on his shoulder this week after Kiffin declined to name a starter in his media availability on Monday, responded like a player worthy of that role.

He completed his first 11 passes on his way to an outstanding day, finishing with 18-for-23 with 334 yards and four touchdowns. Dart showed precision with his passing and confidence in his decision-making. He made some plays with his legs, too, rushing four times for 36 yards.

Sanders entered the game with a 48-point lead in the third quarter.

He completed 8-of-14 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Instant impact for transfer WR Tre Harris

Just over three minutes into his tenure as an Ole Miss player, Tre Harris had three touchdowns.

By the 9:45 mark of the third quarter, he'd made Rebels history with four touchdowns, the most receiving TDs in a single game by an Ole Miss player.

Harris concluded his day with 133 yards on six receptions.

Jordan Watkins was similarly impactful at wideout. He caught six passes for 111 yards, and delivered the first punt-return touchdown for Ole Miss in 10 years.

FULL UPDATES: Ole Miss football score updates vs. Mercer in 2023 season opener

Pete Golding's Ole Miss defense recovers from early hiccup

There are more optimal ways to begin your tenure as Ole Miss' defensive coordinator than surrendering a 75-yard touchdown run to an FCS quarterback, as the Rebels did on their first defensive play.

But there wasn't much to nitpick from Pete Golding's group thereafter.

The Rebels limited the Bears to 235 yards of total offense. They made the kind of swing plays that can change games, too, coming away with three takeaways.

Ole Miss' defense bent occasionally but rarely looked like breaking. Part of that is down to an outstanding debut showing by new special teams coordinator Jake Schoonover, whose unit helped Ole Miss win the field position battle.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss throttles Mercer, delivers new points high under Lane Kiffin