The Ole Miss Rebels have developed an unfortunate reputation for having injuries occur during convenient times for the team.
During a game earlier in the season, the idea of faking injuries for extra timeouts was mentioned after the Rebels seemed to blatantly do so. Quarterback Jaxson Dart pointed yelled at his running back to get his attention, and then pointed at the ground. Shortly after, the running back bizarrely dropped to the ground and grabbed his knee before being assisted to the sideline.
Not only would the running back return to play, but the Rebels were also caught red-handed on social media. At the time that Dart decided to point to the ground, the coverage happened to be on the camera behind the quarterback. The entire interaction was caught on camera, and swiftly went viral on social media, prompting the argument regarding faking injuries for the benefit of the team.
Blatant fake injury from Ole Miss vs. Kentucky😬
(via @ESPN)pic.twitter.com/l09rrJ7cA1
— On3 (@On3sports) September 28, 2024
During the broadcast of the recent clash between the Ole Miss Rebels and the LSU Tigers, the broadcast placed a graphic regarding the injury stoppages in favor of the Rebels. Many college football fans watching the game were quick to react to the graphic on social media.
Ole Miss had 29 injury-related stoppages in play across the past three games against Power Four conference opponents.
The Rebels have been openly criticized this season by both analysts and opposing coaches for using fake injuries to gain advantages in the game. While there is nothing clearly illegal about the practice, it is certainly frowned upon and has not been a good look for the program.
Ole Miss Rebels Entered LSU Tigers Game With Shocking Amount of Injuries
Currently as previously mentioned, Ole Miss has recorded 29 stoppages in play for injuries during the past three power four conference games. While the Rebels may have injury issues, it also appears to be part of the strategy that coach Lane Kiffin has chosen from the perspective of the fans. Often these injuries have occurred in big situations, or following momentum plays going against the Rebels.
However, the injury issues may be very real for the Ole Miss Rebels football team at the moment following the LSU game.
The Ole Miss injury report has been released. pic.twitter.com/Ke3i71V9Ft
— Brad Logan (@BradLoganCOTE) October 10, 2024
The Ole Miss Rebels also entered the game against Kentucky with 26 injuries listed on the final injury report for the week. Ole Miss went on to lose the game, 20-17, and injuries eventually would play a major part in the loss. The loss against Kentucky was also the game where Dart was caught blatantly asking for his teammate to fake an injury, leading to major criticism of the program, Dart, and Kiffin in particular.
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