Bowl games are often about who is and isn't playing. The Gator Bowl between Ole Miss and Duke will be a perfect example. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart said he will play in the game before preparing for the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, Duke is without quarterback Maalik Murphy. As a result, the Rebels are favored by more than two touchdowns.
Ole Miss and Duke each went 9-3 this season, but the Rebels were in the conversation to make the College Football Playoff, and Duke wasn't even in the final CFP rankings. Not only is Ole Miss getting some love for being in the SEC, but the Rebels looked like an elite team at times this season. "At times" is the key phrase. Ole Miss beat SEC champion Georgia (28-10) and another top 15 team in South Carolina (27-3 on the road) but lost to unranked teams, Kentucky, LSU and Florida.
That inconsistency is why Lane Kiffin was left tweeting about the CFP first round instead of coaching in it.
If Kiffin wants more ammo for his argument that Ole Miss should've been in the Playoff, his Rebels will need to blow out a shorthanded Duke team (as expected).
In three seasons as Ole Miss' starter, Dart has 80 touchdowns and more than 10,000 passing yards. He is fifth in the country in passing yards this season (3,875). The Gator Bowl isn't where Ole Miss wanted this season to end, but Dart will be looking to cap a memorable Ole Miss career on a high note.
Duke is happier with its 9-3 season, maintaining a quality level in Manny Diaz's first season after Mike Elko left for Texas A&M and quarterback Riley Leonard left for Notre Dame. Murphy was a big part of that success, with 26 passing touchdowns and nearly 3,000 yards through the air. With him heading to Oregon State, potentially pushed out by the incoming transfer of highly-touted Darian Mensah, it's unclear how different Duke's offense will look.
Ole Miss would've been a sizable favorite in this game, even if Duke was at full strength. Without Murphy, it's a three-score spread.
Henry Belin IV, a redshirt sophomore, is expected to start against the Rebels. Belin only attempted one pass this season but did start a game in 2023 when Leonard was hurt. In that start, Belin was 4-of-12 for 107 yards but had two touchdowns, and the Blue Devils beat NC State 24-3.
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