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Saturday, November 14, 2026Nov 14

Ole Miss stomps Duke for Gator Bowl triumph

AP photo by Gary McCullough / Ole Miss receiver Jordan Watkins is lifted by offensive lineman Reece McIntyre as he celebrates a touchdown catch during the second half of the Gator Bowl against Duke on Thursday night in Jacksonville, Fla.
AP photo by Gary McCullough / Ole Miss receiver Jordan Watkins is lifted by offensive lineman Reece McIntyre as he celebrates a touchdown catch during the second half of the Gator Bowl against Duke on Thursday night in Jacksonville, Fla.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaxson Dart’s final college pass was a 69-yard touchdown that got him chewed out by coach Lane Kiffin on the sideline.

It’s also a throw the quarterback will never forget.

Dart passed for 404 yards and four touchdowns in his final start for Ole Miss, leading the 16th-ranked Rebels of the Southeastern Conference to a 52-20 romp over Duke of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Gator Bowl on Thursday night.

Dart connected with Jordan Watkins seven times for 180 yards and two scores in the game at EverBank Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and the site of the annual “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” game between SEC rivals Florida and Georgia. Watkins’ final score came when he caught the longest pass of the night with 1:27 to play.

Kiffin ripped Dart for it afterward.