Anna Grace Bowling
After a tough loss on the road against No. 1 Georgia last week, No. 13 Ole Miss will have one more home game in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to close out the 2023 season.
The last time Ole Miss and the University of Louisiana at Monroe met was in 2018, a game in which the Rebels crushed the Warhawks 70-21. There is no doubt that the Rebels will be able to do it again on Saturday, but Ole Miss should not regard this game as a bye week.
Ole Miss is No. 2 in the SEC West, and ULM stands at No. 7 in the Sun Belt Conference with an overall record of 2-8; so, while the competition may not be balanced, Ole Miss fans will be able to enjoy one last win at home before the season concludes.
While ULM has had a rocky season, it did get a new starting quarterback for the 2023 season: senior Jiya Wright.
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart has more than double the amount of passing yards (2,579) that Wright has (1,124), so ULM’s defense will have to make sure they are diligently covering Rebel receivers down the field.
Dart will have to keep his head on a swivel when sharing the field with one of ULM’s best defensive lineman in Adin Huntington, who has recorded 5.5 sacks this season. Likewise, Michael Batton, a junior linebacker, has 70 total tackles and is another one of ULM’s leaders on defense.
Many Ole Miss fans were left concerned during the Georgia game when Dart came off the field with what looked like a nasty concussion. But, in his post-game presser, Head Coach Lane Kiffin said, “He was able to return after getting checked out, but we didn’t see a need at that point for him to go back in.”
Hopefully, Dart will be back and healthy to play against ULM on Saturday.
Students, make sure to stay on campus through the weekend to cheer on the Rebels. The game, which could mark the Rebels’ ninth win of the season, begins at 11 a.m. in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
