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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Peach Buzz: Locked and Loaded
12/13/2023 | Football
Peach Bowl TicketsPeach Bowl Central2024 Season Ticket Interest FormJaxson Dart Press ConfereceJJ Pegues Press Conference
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OXFORD, Miss. – A string of Ole Miss football players have announced this week that they're returning to Oxford for next season. Those announcements, coupled with momentum on the recruiting trail and a marquee postseason matchup, have the Rebels putting on some spirited bowl practices as they prepare for the 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 11 a.m. CT against No. 10 Penn State.
Defensive lineman JJ Pegues and quarterback Jaxson Dart met with the media Wednesday, the first Rebel student-athletes to speak publicly since bowl practices began this past weekend.
Both spoke about the energy and enthusiasm they've seen out of their teammates over the past few days, as well as the great opportunity that lies ahead in a New Year's Six bowl.
"I for real feel it. It's a different vibe going on at practice, knowing guys are coming back, knowing guys are locked in," Pegues said. "We can go do something special against Penn State."
As Pegues alluded to, Ole Miss has a chance to make history against the Nittany Lions. Sitting at 10-2, a win in Atlanta later this month would make this the first 11-win team in program history.
While the team is locked in on Win No. 11, head coach Lane Kiffin and the rest of the recruiting staff have been juggling bowl prep with recruiting season—both for high school and transfer portal prospects. The Rebels have been on the short list of nearly every top transfer available thus far, no surprise coming off a historic run of success on the field.
"When you're on the verge of doing something a school has never done before and you're playing at a really high level as a team, that definitely catches the national eye," Dart said. "Coach Kiffin and all of our coaching staff as a whole make this a really exciting place to be. A lot of people want to come here, even if they weren't really aware of Ole Miss when they were getting recruited out of high school, I think everyone is now. It's a great place to be, and there's definitely a lot of excitement and momentum here."
Dart was asked about his future on Wednesday, but the furthest he's looking into the future at the moment is Dec. 30.
"Right now, I'm just focused on the bowl game," Dart said. "We're going to make that decision as a family. There's a time and place for that, but right now, I'm just fully focused on the bowl game and winning this game."
For Pegues, the focus is also firmly on winning. He was one of the first Rebels to announce that he would put the NFL Draft on hold for another year in college. With the decision made, he's excited to focus on bowl prep and honing his craft for next season and beyond.
"Right when we knew we could make history here if we go out and win this bowl game," Pegues said. "Me being from here, got the new playoff thing, it's different. For me, I need to finalize and clean up some stuff in my craft, my D-line work. Me playing two years of it is not enough for me. So I just wanted to get another year under my belt."
And for the Oxford native, there is at least one more perk to staying home.
"Also I get one more year of my grandma's cooking," Pegues said. "That's a big one."
Regardless of whether they're returning for more home cooking in 2024 or starting the next chapter of their football journeys, the Rebels are excited for this last opportunity to play together.
"I've always wanted to play in a game like this," Dart said. "I've always wanted to play in a really big bowl game. The fruits of your labor and everything you put in, you want to end things the right way. It's a great opportunity for us as a team to see how far we've come and to really finish this thing off the way we want to and the way that we've worked this whole offseason and season for."
Limited bowl tickets are still available through the Ole Miss ticket office. All lower level seating is sold out for the Ole Miss allotment. 300 Level tickets may be purchased in the Ole Miss sections at OleMissTix.com.
Grab the latest bowl gear and your Red gameday outfit through Ole Miss Authentics!
2024 Season Tickets
Want to know when tickets go on sale for the 2024 football season? Join our interest list and be the first to know.
Defensive lineman JJ Pegues and quarterback Jaxson Dart met with the media Wednesday, the first Rebel student-athletes to speak publicly since bowl practices began this past weekend.
Both spoke about the energy and enthusiasm they've seen out of their teammates over the past few days, as well as the great opportunity that lies ahead in a New Year's Six bowl.
"I for real feel it. It's a different vibe going on at practice, knowing guys are coming back, knowing guys are locked in," Pegues said. "We can go do something special against Penn State."
As Pegues alluded to, Ole Miss has a chance to make history against the Nittany Lions. Sitting at 10-2, a win in Atlanta later this month would make this the first 11-win team in program history.
While the team is locked in on Win No. 11, head coach Lane Kiffin and the rest of the recruiting staff have been juggling bowl prep with recruiting season—both for high school and transfer portal prospects. The Rebels have been on the short list of nearly every top transfer available thus far, no surprise coming off a historic run of success on the field.
"When you're on the verge of doing something a school has never done before and you're playing at a really high level as a team, that definitely catches the national eye," Dart said. "Coach Kiffin and all of our coaching staff as a whole make this a really exciting place to be. A lot of people want to come here, even if they weren't really aware of Ole Miss when they were getting recruited out of high school, I think everyone is now. It's a great place to be, and there's definitely a lot of excitement and momentum here."
On the hunt for some big fish 🎣#ComeToTheSip | #NSD24 pic.twitter.com/CWoNy6ouXE
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 13, 2023
#WeRunThePortal 🍿 pic.twitter.com/GWkjlXb8RH
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 11, 2023
Dart was asked about his future on Wednesday, but the furthest he's looking into the future at the moment is Dec. 30.
"Right now, I'm just focused on the bowl game," Dart said. "We're going to make that decision as a family. There's a time and place for that, but right now, I'm just fully focused on the bowl game and winning this game."
For Pegues, the focus is also firmly on winning. He was one of the first Rebels to announce that he would put the NFL Draft on hold for another year in college. With the decision made, he's excited to focus on bowl prep and honing his craft for next season and beyond.
"Right when we knew we could make history here if we go out and win this bowl game," Pegues said. "Me being from here, got the new playoff thing, it's different. For me, I need to finalize and clean up some stuff in my craft, my D-line work. Me playing two years of it is not enough for me. So I just wanted to get another year under my belt."
Unfinished Business 💼@JeremiahPegues4 | #StayInTheSip pic.twitter.com/eZAzyxgduB
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 12, 2023
And for the Oxford native, there is at least one more perk to staying home.
"Also I get one more year of my grandma's cooking," Pegues said. "That's a big one."
Regardless of whether they're returning for more home cooking in 2024 or starting the next chapter of their football journeys, the Rebels are excited for this last opportunity to play together.
"I've always wanted to play in a game like this," Dart said. "I've always wanted to play in a really big bowl game. The fruits of your labor and everything you put in, you want to end things the right way. It's a great opportunity for us as a team to see how far we've come and to really finish this thing off the way we want to and the way that we've worked this whole offseason and season for."
Limited bowl tickets are still available through the Ole Miss ticket office. All lower level seating is sold out for the Ole Miss allotment. 300 Level tickets may be purchased in the Ole Miss sections at OleMissTix.com.
Grab the latest bowl gear and your Red gameday outfit through Ole Miss Authentics!
2024 Season Tickets
Want to know when tickets go on sale for the 2024 football season? Join our interest list and be the first to know.
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