The Swamp welcomed two ranked programs for the first time since 2022, and the bout lived up to the hype. No. 21 Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC) was brimming with a buzz ahead of the wildly important battle and proved it is one of the top programs in the country.
The Gators came out of the 52-28 win with 498 yards of offense against No. 4 Ole Miss (3-1, 1-1) in a sold-out showdown full of fireworks. Florida is undefeated through four games for the first time since 2019.
Here are four takeaways from Florida’s first victory against a top-five ranked opponent since 2020.
Florida can tango with anyone
Week 4 added a looming question for the Gators: Can they come out and defeat a superior opponent on a national stage? After the 24-point victory, Jon Sumrall and Co. did just that.
Florida opened the game hot as Aaron Philo captained an 8-play, 65-yard touchdown drive to put the Rebels on their heels early.
After an emotional 32-24 victory in Baton Rouge last week, Ole Miss was riding a wave of momentum, but had the breaks put on upon arrival to The Swamp. Running back TJ Lindsey took three consecutive handoffs before being blown up in the backfield by Florida linebacker Aaron Chiles on fourth down, flipping the field for the Gators at the 9:16 mark of the opening frame.
"That just ignited the stadium," Sumrall said. "Those critical situations of fourth down stops or fourth down conversions, that's the difference between winning and losing in this game."
In one of the most highly anticipated duels in Gainesville in two-plus decades, it was important for Florida to start out firing. Its 302 rushing yards and zero turnovers brings loads of optimism for the rest of the Southeastern Conference stretch.
"The offense is rolling right now," Philo said. "We've got to keep our foot on the gas, keep moving forward, keep practicing hard and keep grinding, moving on week by week."
After Florida flexed its muscles with a commanding 14-point lead, the Rebels came out of the halftime break fast, cutting into the deficit. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss orchestrated a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive headlined by a deep shot to Deuce Alexander on the right sideline. The pass sailed 49 yards past a covering Cormani McClain, setting up Chambliss for an 8-yard rushing score.
Florida didn’t stall, though, as the clubs’ threw back-and-forth punches in the third quarter. Running back London Montgomery’s monster 41-yard kickoff return aided Florida with impeccable field position with 12:47 to go in the frame.
The Gators failed to stop there. They took all five of their second-half drives into the end zone and went on a 28-14 scoring run.
Florida posted its fourth-straight contest with 40 or more points as the offense continued to roll against Ole Miss’ front. While the Gators were coming off three wins — two against inferior opponents and the latter against an unranked program — Saturday marked a new beginning. Florida topped a top-five ranked opponent at home for the first time since defeating Kentucky in 2015.
Jadan Baugh’s HE13MAN campaign stands tall
If there was any doubt that Florida’s junior running back was not in the Heisman conversation, the rumblings were certainly quieted after Saturday’s contest. Baugh notched 42 yards and a touchdown on the ground within the game’s first 4:17 of play. The junior’s ninth touchdown of the season put the Gators on top right out of the gate.
All 90,683 in attendance for the top-25 showdown waited with baited breath each time Baugh touched the ball, just anticipating the back was going to break one loose.
Instead, the Atlanta native chipped away in the opening half, rushing for 84 yards on 15 attempts. His second touchdown of the afternoon marked his fifth-consecutive contest with a multi-score outing, spanning back to last season.
Baugh’s Heisman celebration has become a staple to his end zone trips, as he said Sept. 5 that doing the pose acts as a “statement” for him and the offense.
"It means so much to me, but I think it means so much to them as well," Baugh said. "Just because having somebody on the team who could potentially win this award, that means the world to them."
The 6-foot-1 rusher had a quiet third quarter as his backfield counterparts excelled. After wideout Eric Singleton Jr. added in his first catch of his Florida career, Baugh entered the ballgame again and put it away with 4 minutes left. His 2-yard score marked his third hat trick of the season and 11th score in his junior campaign.
The Heisman talks will continue as Baugh extends his dominant stretch and sits at the forefront of the conversation.
The Gators controlled in the trenches
Winning football starts up front and Florida ruled the line of scrimmage throughout Saturday’s win. The offensive line has given up just two sacks this season, both coming at Jordan-Hare Stadium last week. Florida has given Philo ample time to sit back in the pocket and unload against a less-than-spectacular Ole Miss defense.
The Rebels stack up to No. 11 in the SEC in passing yards allowed and is the league’s second-worst defense in total yards surrendered. Nonetheless, Florida’s O-line play has been superior thus far.
Left tackle Bryce Lovett has specifically stood out. The senior stacks up to Pro Football Focus’ No. 24 tackle in the country, sporting a pass-blocking grade of 82.9. His efforts were on full display Saturday as he used his 6-foot-5, 305-pound stature to drive Ole Miss’ defensive ends into the ground and protect his junior quarterback.
Lovett, along with the rest of the big men up front, sported a near-clean sheet. The Rebels recorded just one quarterback hit and failed to take Philo down in the 60 minutes of play.
Similarly, Florida excelled in its defensive pressure against the elusive Chambliss. While it did not load up the statsheet, the Gators sacked Chambliss once and added a quarterback hit in the win. Jayden Woods’ strip sack came with 2:47 remaining in the third quarter as the sophomore JACK came in free off the left side and pummeled Chambliss. Myles Graham came in to recover the fumble and the Gators punched the ball into the end zone just seven plays later.
“The forced fumble was a big deal,” Sumrall said of Chambliss. “That quarterback’s an unbelievable player, and so for our guys to keep him off balance at times — that’s the least comfortable I’ve ever seen him look.”
Woods has had a stellar opening to his second season in Gainesville as the sack marked his fourth in three games.
"Defensively, I thought we rose up and we battled better than we battled all year," Sumrall said.
Games are won on all three phases
While special teams groups across the country don’t receive as much love as they deserve, Florida’s showed out on Saturday. Whether in the punting or returning game, special teams coordinator Johnathan Galante’s group was firing on all cylinders.
Punter Alec Clark pinned Ole Miss at its own 2-yard line with a 70-yard boot in the first half’s waning seconds. Instead of the Rebels having decent field position with 21 seconds and a sole timeout remaining, they were forced to run out the clock and head into the break with minimal momentum.
The booming punt was Clark’s career-long and tied the fifth-longest in the country in 2026.
On the receiving end, Florida’s returners worked the gaps and provided an immense cushion in the second half. As aforementioned, Montgomery’s 41-yard return set the Gators up to take a two-possession lead in the 3rd quarter. The senior also had a 74-yard run-back with 5:10 remaining in the frame.
Montgomery came into Saturday with just seven rushing attempts for 16 yards, but added great production to the Gators’ return game.
“We have not arrived,” Sumrall said. “We have so much room to grow and get better.”
Contact Riley Orovitz at rorovitz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @rileyorovitz.
Riley is a junior sports journalism student and a Fall 2026 sports editor and Gators football beat reporter. Currently in her third semester with The Alligator, she has previously covered Gators swim & dive and Gators gymnastics. She is an avid South Florida sports fan and enjoys playing/following all sports in her free time.
