Preseason expectations differed drastically for Duke and Ole Miss. The Blue Devils were expected to be a middle-of-the-pack ACC team while the Rebels were projected to be a College Football Playoff contender in the mix atop the SEC.
In their end, they finished the regular season with matching 9-3 records, a win for Duke in its first season under head coach Manny Diaz and a disappointment for Ole Miss, which coach Lane Kiffin thought was deserving of a spot in the 12-team CFP field. But while the Rebels will have the core of their roster intact for Thursday’s Gator Bowl, the Blue Devils will be without two of their top offensive weapons.
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss’ all-time passing leader, will take the field in Jacksonville, along with NFL prospects Trey Amos, Walter Nolen, Jared Ivey and Tre Harris. On the other hand, Duke will be without quarterback Maalik Murphy and running back Star Thomas, both of whom entered the transfer portal.
That disparity in availability helps explain why this spread opened at two scores and has since ballooned to three in the first meeting between the Rebels and Blue Devils.