Tell me if you’ve heard this before: The quarterback from the winning team states that they were motivated by something the opposing team did during the week, such as social media “trolling” on said quarterback’s Instagram account.
Well, it happened again! After Ole Miss narrowly defeated Texas A&M 38-35 on Saturday afternoon to keep their playoff hopes alive, Rebels QB Jaxson Dart, who threw for nearly 400 yards in the win, took it upon himself to express his deepest feelings concerning a very mild social media “troll” earlier in the week from several Aggie defensive lineman, and during the after-game press conference, Dart stated,
“I guess they do not get enough attention from the games they are losing, so it was a good win for us.”
Shots taken, indeed! Yes, Aggie D-line standouts, including Fadil Diggs, McKinnley Jackson, and Shemar Stewart, joined linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and freshman Chantz Johnson in posting apparently vicious arm-flexing emojis just days before the matchup. Still, Dart stated that this was enough to get the team more focused than ever.
“Coming into it, we had a lot of confidence already. Them doing that just boosted it even more,” Dart stated. “I know the O-line specifically took that to heart, especially because of how many defensive linemen commented on it.”
Texas A&M Players commenting on the Ole Miss college football playoff post last night. This game is going to be a physical war. pic.twitter.com/gmWbHBK38K
— Steven Willis (@TheStevenWillis) November 1, 2023
The Rebels, of course, got the last laugh in the final minutes of the game, marching down the field with just minutes remaining by way of chunk plays in the passing game, leading to star running back Quinshon Judkins punching in the go-ahead touchdown from one yard out.
As many of us have avoided talking ad nauseam the past 24 hours, Texas A&M junior defensive end Shemar Turner was ejected late in the fourth quarter after striking offensive tackle Micah Pettus in the groin, as the trash talk apparently went too far in the heat of the moment. It’s not the best look, but hey, it’s all about learning from your mistakes and moving on.
Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.
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