Jaxson Dart explains why Ole Miss' win over Georgia was so special

It was a huge moment for Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss program. The Rebels came into the contest against No. 3 Georgia ranked No. 16 in the country and boasting a 8-2 record.

Ole Miss has its sights squarely on the College Football Playoffs this season, and the Rebels boast one of the top offenses in the nation, scoring 40.7 points per game, but those two losses mean that they're right on the cusp of the CFP. There was no room for error taking on Georgia on that early November afternoon two weekends ago. The game started off poorly with a red-zone interception from quarterback Jaxson Dart followed by a long touchdown drive from UGA. However, the Rebels came back and took care of business in front of the home crowd.

The end result was a convincing 28-10 Ole Miss win that boosted the Rebels' ranking to No. 9 overall and squarely solidified them as a CFP contender in 2024.

"Going into the game, our backs were against the wall. That’s how we feel like we’re playing a Playoff game each and every week because we understand if we lose, we’re out," Dart explained of the emotions surrounding the game while speaking on the "Andy and Ari On3" show. “So, the emotions of going into that game were really high and we knew what was at stake for us and as you said, this was a big game for Ole Miss as a program, and winning it was huge."

Dart went on to say that it was a particularly special moment for Ole Miss because of the adversity the Rebels had faced earlier this season. They lost 20-17 to Kentucky in late September and then 29-26 to No. 13 LSU in an overtime game on Oct. 12.

The Rebels are "that" close to being undefeated, but they're also still close to seeing their CFP dreams fall apart. In order to make it, they'll have to beat Florida and Mississippi State, two SEC opponents, to finish the season.

They had a bye week after the Georgia win, which has allowed them to refocus, according to Dart.

"It was nice that we had a bye after that so guys could have their emotions and thoughts to themselves and have a little bit of time to really just reflect on everything,” he explained.