Ole Miss QB praises ‘elite’ Penn State defense ahead of Peach Bowl

We are almost two weeks away from seeing Penn State football back on the field in the Peach Bowl against No. 11 Ole Miss. While there will be plenty of more discussion around the game as kickoff in Atlanta grows closer, we’ve already had the opportunity to hear initial impressions on the matchup from both programs. This week, Rebels QB Jaxson Dart had some high praise for the Penn State defense and shared his thoughts on some key personnel losses for the Nittany Lions on the defensive side of the ball. 

Jaxson Dart: Penn State defense is “elite”

This month’s Peach Bowl is one of most interesting non-College Football Playoff matchups of the entire bowl season. The game will feature the high-powered Ole Miss offense, which ranks No. 15 in yards per game nationally, versus the Penn State defense, which has been one of the top units all season. 

The matchup will definitely be strength-on-strength when the Rebels offense takes the field. Ole Miss averages 456 yards per game, while the Nittany Lions have only allowed 223 yards per contest this season. 

Through the air, Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart is a top-20 passer with a QBR of 76.7 this year. Dart has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions in 2023. Across the line of scrimmage, the Penn State defense leads the country in sacks and only allows 154 passing yards per game. 

The challenge ahead isn’t lost on the Ole Miss QB. Speaking to the media Wednesday, Dart praised the performance of the Penn State defense in 2023.

“Obviously, they’re elite,” Dart said. “They’re one of the best defenses in the country. Got a lot of speed. They’re long, especially at the linebacker position, and they’re explosive on the edges. Have great corners, and their DBs as a whole have been playing at a really high level.”

How does Ole Miss QB see key Nittany Lion departures impacting Peach Bowl matchup?

Of course, Penn State football has been impacted by some critical departures on the defensive side of the ball in the last week. Last Tuesday, Nittany Lions star DE Chop Robinson announced he wouldn’t play in the Peach Bowl, choosing instead to prepare for the NFL Draft. 

The Penn State defense will also likely be missing its coordinator, as Manny Diaz left to become the Duke head coach last Thursday.

However, the Rebels still aren’t taking the Penn State defense lightly, even following these key losses.

“He’s [Robinson] a great player, and Manny is a great coach,” Dart said. “But I think their defense as a whole is elite, even without them. So, there’s a lot of talent over there. And they play really well together. They’re super disciplined. And I think that they just have a great culture. You can see it on their film. And it’s definitely going to be a really tough game and a tough opponent. But at the same time, it’s going to be really exciting to go against them.”

The Peach Bowl between Penn State football and the Ole Miss Rebels kicks off at noon on December 30 in Atlanta. 

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