Lane Kiffin has his chance Saturday to become the fourth former Nick Saban assistant to beat him.
After watching Kirby Smart, Jimbo Fisher, and Steve Sarkisian be successful, Kiffin enters Bryant-Denny Stadium for a Southeastern Conference showdown at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS. He has yet to defeat Coach Saban, but Kiffin’s players are excited and prepared for the challenge. We have seen entertaining performances from this matchup since 2020, including a 63-48 shootout victory for the Crimson Tide in 2020 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Jaxson Dart, a second-year quarterback for Mississippi, spoke to reporters following Ole Miss’ win over Georgia Tech. He said the team is ready to face Alabama.
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“I feel like this is a game our whole team has looked forward to, especially with how things ended the last time we played them toward the end of the game,” Dart said. “They are ‘Bama so we know what to expect from them. All of us have grown up seeing them at the top. We are excited for the challenge.”
Dart and the Rebels suffered a 24-30 loss at home to the Tide in 2022. Bryce Young had three touchdown passes, while Quinshon Judkins had 135 yards rushing and two touchdowns in a losing effort. Dart was sacked three times in the contest.
He is having a good season so far as Ole Miss is averaging 52.7 points per game.
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Dart has 852 passing yards, seven touchdown passes, and two rushing scores. Kiffin saw how Sarkisian exploited Alabama, and he looks to do the same. The Crimson Tide has to be at its best this weekend. Its goals for a SEC Championship, a College Football Playoff appearance, and a CFP National Championship are in order, but it starts with a victory over Kiffin and the Rebels.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
