Austin Simmons drops back to pass against Georgia. [Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics]

OXFORD, MISS. -- Former Pahokee Blue Devil Austin Simmons stepped up to help spark a comeback for Ole Miss in a huge game against the University of Georgia on Nov. 9. 

Ole Miss was hosting the number three ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Oxford. Ole Miss came into the game as underdogs, and any hope of an upset looked bleak when quarterback Jaxson Dart went down with an injury on the very first drive. The Bulldogs responded with a touchdown on their first drive to go up 7-0. 

 With Dart’s status for the game up in the air, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin turned to the freshman Simmons to lead the offense. Taking the field down 7-0 to one of the best defenses in college football with both your leading rusher and leading receiver out, are not ideal conditions for any quarterback, much less a 19-year-old freshman. 

But, in the biggest game of the season for the team, Simmons stepped up and helped spark a comeback. 

Simmons led Ole Miss on a 75-yard march to the endzone to tie the game 7-7. He completed five-of-six passes for 64 yards and looked calm in the pocket, delivering quick efficient passes. That 10-play drive included a crucial fourth and one play which saw Simmons complete a pass for 14-yards on a quick slant to his slot receiver. 

Dart would come back in on the next drive for Ole Miss and they’d go on to upset Georgia 28-10. 

Coach Kiffin praised Simmons for his performance after the game. 

"Austin Simmons did a great job coming in,” said Kiffin. “We told him ''we're going to run the game plan, we're going to throw with you. You're not going to be one of those backup quarterbacks where you just hand it off'. He did a great job." 

Pahokee sophomore Austin Simmons. [Photo By Richard Marion/Lake Okeechobee News]

As quarterback Simmons has led the Blue Devils to a 9-2 and 9-3 record in two years. His performance on the field attracted a slew of offers from around the country, including Texas A&M, Miami, Tennessee, Florida State and Louisville. 

As a Blue Devil, Simmons has helped lead Pahokee to two back-to-back wins over the Glades Central Raiders in the Muck Bowl. In 2021 Pahokee shut-out the Raiders 28-0. In 2022 the Blue Devils dominated Glades Central 46-14, with Simmons throwing for over 300 yards.