For Florida, Saturday’s matchup against Ole Miss was its biggest home game in recent memory. And it was expected to be a high-scoring battle. But for the first 30 minutes, that wasn’t the case. The Gators came out strong with 17 first-half points while holding Ole Miss to two field goals. But once the Gators and Rebels emerged from their respective tunnels for the second half, the highly anticipated track meet was on.
Ole Miss’ star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss came into his own, finding the end zone twice in the third quarter. But Florida’s high-octane offense, which entered Saturday No. 2 nationally in points per game, didn’t let up, continuing to storm down the field drive after drive.
After 29 combined points in the third quarter, Ole Miss was driving into plus territory and seemed destined to bring the game back within one possession. But Jayden Woods wasn’t letting that happen. The JACK rusher bulldozed through the Rebels' offensive line and forced a sack-fumble on Chambliss that Myles Graham recovered. Off the turnover, Florida stormed downfield, and wide receiver Dallas Wilson took a jet-sweep carry to the goal line and extended over the white chalk for a 6-yard score.
From there, Florida dominated the final quarter, scoring touchdowns on five consecutive drives. When the dust settled, No. 21 Florida (4-0) emerged victorious, defeating the No. 4 Rebels (3-1) 52-28. The win marked the first time the Gators beat a top-five team at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2015, when UF took down then-No. 3 Ole Miss. The triumph is also Florida’s first against a top-five-ranked team since it beat then-No. 5 Georgia in 2020, and it powered the Gators to their first 4-0 start since 2019.
"I'm really proud of our guys," Florida head coach Jon Sumrall said. "I'm excited about the direction we're heading."
Setting the pace for Florida, Jadan Baugh showed why he’ll be remembered as one of the greatest players to wear the Orange and Blue.
Through his first three games of his junior season, Florida’s bell-cow back stormed for 458 yards and eight touchdowns. The junior continued churning on Saturday, recording 29 carries, 142 yards and three touchdowns, joining Emmitt Smith and Fred Taylor as the third Gator back with 100-plus rushing yards in five straight games.
With another excellent performance, Baugh continued to make his case for the Heisman Trophy.
"It means so much to me, but it means so much to them as well," Baugh said. "Having somebody on the team that could potentially win this award, that means the world to them."
But Baugh wasn’t the only Florida runner to leave his fingerprints all over the game. Sophomore Duke Clark was ultra-efficient and showcased his game-breaking speed, taking 12 carries for 126 yards and a touchdown. Ultimately, Florida’s run game accounted for 303 yards and six touchdowns.
"I feel like we can do anything," Clark said. "This offense can be incredible. Just as good as we want to be."
Meanwhile, quarterback Aaron Philo continued his steady start as Florida’s QB1, completing 16 of 23 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown. He also helped engineer UF’s four consecutive touchdown drives in the second half.
Chambliss, meanwhile, was impressive as usual, going 25 for 34 passing for 298 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also added 44 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, carrying much of the run-game load with starter Kewan Lacy sidelined thanks to a shoulder injury.
The Rebels, fresh off their emotional victory over LSU last Saturday, looked fatigued early. Meanwhile, Florida came out firing, converting on first down on its first three plays. Baugh ran for 12- and 23-yard gains, and tight end Luke Harpring made a 13-yard grab near the sideline. Philo showed his toughness, converting a crucial third-down near the goal line. That set up Baugh, who dashed up the middle of the defense for a 6-yard score to put the Gators up 7-0.
After the offense set the tone, the Gators' defense did their part. STAR Kanye Clark made a crucial shoestring tackle on a third-and-2 run by Ole Miss running back JT Lindsey, before Chiles demolished Lindsey behind the line on fourth down, forcing a fumble and a change of possession. With the plus-field position, kicker Patrick Durkin converted a 49-yard field goal to extend UF’s lead to 10-0.
On Ole Miss’ second drive, Chambliss, after evading Florida defenders for almost 20 seconds, was leveled near the first-down marker by safety Alfonso Allen Jr. and linebacker Myles Graham. After he was down for a moment, Chambliss got up on his own power and returned to the game on the Rebels' next drive.
As the clock ticked down in the first half, Florida faced its own fourth-and-short from its own red zone. Ole Miss sent the house, forcing Philo to overshoot tight end Amir Jackson, giving the Rebels the ball.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium exploded early in the second quarter when wide receiver Vernell Brown III took a screen pass for a 67-yard house call. However, a hold against fellow wideout Bailey Stockton wiped away a potential three-score advantage, and the Gators punted. That holding call seemed to frazzle Florida for a moment, and it then committed personal fouls for kick-catch interference and a facemask tackle on the ensuing Ole Miss drive. But Florida’s defense tightened up, forcing the Rebels to settle for a Lucas Carneiro field goal for their first points.
Brown tweaked his knee during the second quarter and did not play in the second half. Post-game, Sumrall said that he should be back on the field next weekend, but it is still too early to tell.
Near the end of the first half, Stockton tried to make a grab but suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit by Ole Miss safety Joenel Aguero. Aguero was flagged for targeting and disqualified from the contest; Stockton was carried off the field, but he returned in the second half. When the ball ricocheted from the hit’s impact, it bounced into the hands of wideout TJ Abrams, who took it for a first down. Baugh then powered into the end zone for the second time on the afternoon, bouncing off defenders for a two-yard run that extended the lead to 14 points.
Carneiro nailed a 46-yarder with just over a minute left in the first half, and Ole Miss looked to add more points after forcing a quick three-and-out. However, punter Alec Clark made the best play of his young Florida career, booting a 70-yard kick that pinned the Rebels at their own two-yard line. Chambliss and the offense couldn’t move out of deep territory and took the 11-point deficit into the locker room.
With the ball to begin the second half, Ole Miss’ offense found its footing. Chambliss found his favorite target, Deuce Alexander, for a field-flipping 49-yard gain after the speedy wideout burnt corner Cormani McClain with a nasty double-move. Two plays later, the 6-foot quarterback took care of business himself, darting into the end zone for an 8-yard score. The Rebels then completed a two-point conversion, bringing the deficit to three points.
But Florida’s offense responded quickly thanks to its talented running backs. First, London Montgomery started the drive with a 45-yard kick return, giving the Gators excellent field position. Baugh picked up two 7-yard gains before Duke Clark dashed through the Rebel defense for a 45-yard score. It marked the fourth house call of the season for the sophomore back, who has emerged as Florida’s primary change-of-pace runner behind Baugh.
With both offenses now in sync, the sides traded big blows in quick succession. Ole Miss’ attack moved downfield with elite efficiency, and Chambliss broke through once again for his second rushing score of the night.
But Montgomery instantly answered. He fielded another kickoff, but this time, he almost took it all the way with a 74-yard return that put Florida deep in Ole Miss territory. Philo connected with Jackson on a well-designed play for a 23-yard gain before Florida’s quarterback powered into the end zone from a yard out to continue the nonstop third-quarter scoring.
Then, Woods made the biggest defensive play of the game, stripping Chambliss and giving Florida the ball.
"It was good to get the ball back to our offense," Woods said. "That was my reason ... Our offense was doing their thing all night."
Wilson then took his sweeping run into the end zone, extending UF’s lead back to three possessions. However, Chambliss and the dynamic Ole Miss offense did not go down without a fight. The Rebels bolted down the field, completing a four-play, 76-yard drive that ended with an Alexander touchdown reception. Alexander finished the contest with seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.
Up 10 and looking to put the game out of reach, Clark once again showed off his elusiveness, breaking right for a 44-yard carry to put Florida at the Ole Miss five-yard line. Philo then connected with Jackson for a 5-yard score to re-extend the lead. Florida’s defense held up, and the Gators started running out the clock thanks to Baugh’s strong running.
But that didn’t mean Florida didn’t have one big play left. On a second down with just over four minutes remaining, Philo aired it out deep to Eric Singleton Jr., who made his first catch as a Gator for 38 yards. From there, Baugh put the finishing touches on the contest, completing his hat trick of touchdowns en route to the three-possession victory. Ole Miss tried one more push downfield, but safety DJ Coleman intercepted Chambliss, ending any doubt.
The undefeated Gators will head to Columbia, Missouri, on Oct. 3 to battle the No. 19 Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max Bernstein is a fourth-year sports and media journalism major and sports management minor. This Fall, he is a Sports Editor and a Florida Gators and Jacksonville Jaguars reporter at The Alligator. Now in his ninth semester with The Alligator, Max previously served in roles including Digital Managing Editor, Sports Editor, Assistant Sports Editor and Football Reporter. He has also made appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. In the rare moments Max isn't working, he's usually with his girlfriend Reese, watching sports with his fraternity brothers or missing his family and his two cats.
