When the #5 ranked Ole Miss Rebels rolled into Winston-Salem in September 2024, the vibe at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium was... tense. You had a top-five powerhouse from the SEC stepping onto the turf of an ACC program known for "doing things the right way" and making life difficult for bigger brands. Most pundits expected a blowout. They got one. But if you think the Ole Miss vs Wake Forest story is just about a 40-6 final score, you're missing the nuance that makes college football so weirdly beautiful and frustrating.
Honestly, looking back, the discrepancy wasn't just in the talent. It was in the philosophy.
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Ole Miss, under Lane Kiffin, has basically become the poster child for the "new" college football—a team built through the transfer portal with a dizzying offensive pace that makes defensive coordinators want to retire early. Wake Forest, meanwhile, remains the bastion of the "slow mesh" and developmental recruiting. Dave Clawson, the Deacs' head man, didn't hold back after the game, calling the Rebels a team that has "fully embraced what college football is" in the NIL era. He mentioned their "resources." That's coach-speak for "they have a massive war chest, and we don't."
The 650-Yard Nightmare
When you look at the box score of Ole Miss vs Wake Forest, one number jumps off the screen: 649. That's how many total yards the Rebels racked up. It was a clinic. Jaxson Dart, who was arguably the best quarterback in the country at that point in the season, finished with 377 passing yards and two touchdowns. But it wasn't just the air raid. Henry Parrish Jr. went off for 148 yards on the ground and two scores.
It was a balanced attack that felt like a death by a thousand cuts. Or, more accurately, a death by several very fast, very large athletes who were simply faster and larger than the guys across from them.
Wake Forest had their moments, sure. They recovered a fumble early. They even forced an interception in the third quarter when Dylan Hazen picked off a pass and gave the Deacs the ball at the Ole Miss 45-yard line. For a second, you thought, "Maybe?" But then they couldn't convert on 4th-and-goal from the 4-yard line. That was the game. When you play a team of that caliber, you have zero margin for error. Zero.
Why the "Slow Mesh" Stalled
The Demon Deacons’ offense is famous for that delayed RPO where the quarterback holds the ball in the running back's gut for what feels like an eternity. Against most teams, it messes with linebackers' eyes. Against the 2024 Ole Miss defense? Not so much.
The Rebels held Wake Forest to just 46 rushing yards. Forty-six. You aren't winning many games in the ACC or the SEC with that kind of production on the ground. Hank Bachmeier, the well-traveled veteran QB for Wake, threw for 239 yards, but he was under constant duress. The Ole Miss front was just too explosive, recording four sacks and generally living in the backfield.
A History of Uneven Matchups
Before the 2024 drubbing, these two hadn't seen each other in quite a while. Most fans don't realize that Wake Forest actually held the upper hand in the all-time series leading into that game. They beat Ole Miss in 2006 (a 27-3 win in Oxford, no less) and again in 2008 in a 30-28 thriller.
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But 2008 was a lifetime ago in football years. Back then, Lane Kiffin was just starting his chaotic tenure at Tennessee, and NIL sounded like something you’d find in a chemistry lab. The 2024 version of Ole Miss vs Wake Forest represented a shift in the power dynamic of the sport. It wasn't just a game; it was a demonstration of what happens when a program with elite "resources" (as Clawson put it) meets a program that is still trying to play the old-school developmental game.
The Talent Gap is Real
Let’s talk about those "dudes" Bachmeier mentioned after the game.
- Tre Harris: 11 catches for 127 yards. He was a human highlight reel.
- Jordan Watkins: A 75-yard touchdown catch that essentially sucked the air out of the stadium in the first quarter.
- Walter Nolen: A former #1 overall recruit who anchored a defensive line that gave up zero touchdowns.
Wake Forest has great players, but they don't have a roster where 46% are transfers and 27 are from Power Five schools. That’s the Ole Miss blueprint. It’s aggressive, it’s expensive, and right now, it’s working.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
The biggest misconception is that Wake Forest just "didn't show up." Honestly, they played hard. They forced turnovers. They moved the ball into the red zone multiple times. The issue wasn't effort; it was the "small margin of error" Clawson talked about.
When Wake Forest got to the Ole Miss 4-yard line, they failed to score. When Ole Miss got into Wake territory, they usually found the end zone or at least a field goal. It was a game of efficiency. Ole Miss was 4-for-10 on third downs, which isn't amazing, but they were 2-for-2 on fourth downs. They kept drives alive when it mattered.
There was also a bit of controversy—because it's not a Lane Kiffin game without some drama. Clawson quipped after the game about the "choreographed" injuries on the Ole Miss defense that seemed to happen every time Wake Forest started to gain tempo. It's a common complaint against fast-paced teams that use defensive "cramps" to slow down the opposing offense. Whether it was gamesmanship or actual medical issues, it definitely hampered the Deacs' rhythm.
The NIL Elephant in the Room
We have to be real here: the Ole Miss vs Wake Forest outcome was a billboard for the current state of the NIL era. Ole Miss has one of the most organized collectives in the country. They went out and "bought" (legally, of course) a playoff-caliber roster. Wake Forest is a smaller private school with a different donor base and a different approach to the portal.
Does that mean Wake can never compete? Of course not. But it means they have to be "perfect," as Bachmeier said. And in 2024, they were far from it.
Looking Ahead: Will They Play Again?
Currently, there aren't many future dates on the calendar for these two. The 2024 game was part of a home-and-home agreement that had been in the works for a while. With the SEC and ACC both looking at moving to nine-game conference schedules, these high-profile non-conference matchups are becoming harder to find.
If you're an Ole Miss fan, you're looking at this game as a successful road test that helped propel a historic season. If you're a Wake Forest fan, it was a sobering reminder of how high the mountain is to climb when you're facing the elite of the SEC.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’re following these teams or looking to understand the trajectory of these programs, keep these points in mind:
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- Watch the Transfer Portal Trends: Ole Miss will continue to be "Portal Kings." If they lose a star, expect them to replace them with a proven Power Five starter within weeks.
- The "Slow Mesh" Needs Speed: For Wake Forest to be successful against elite defenses, they need receivers who can win one-on-one matchups quickly to take the pressure off the QB.
- Defense Wins Championships, but Offense Wins Discover: Ole Miss gets the headlines because of Jaxson Dart and Lane Kiffin’s tweets, but their defense in 2024 was the real reason they were a top-five team. They didn't allow a touchdown in their first three games.
- Don't Overlook the ACC/SEC Divide: The gap isn't always this wide, but when it is, it's usually because of depth. Wake Forest hung around for a half, but the second half was a different story as the Rebels' depth took over.
The Ole Miss vs Wake Forest matchup might not be a "rivalry" in the traditional sense, but it provided a perfect snapshot of college football in 2024: the haves vs. the have-nots, the portal vs. the project, and the SEC’s relentless pursuit of dominance. For now, the Rebels own the bragging rights, and they earned them with every one of those 649 yards.