Florida travels to Oxford for another Saturday night, prime-time beatdown, this time at the hands of a Rebel team that can’t wait to exact revenge for last year’s loss which ended their Playoff run.  On top of that, there’s the even bigger story of the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes, with Florida and a few other schools actively courting him in-season to be their new head coach.  

The Gator defense will have to play for pride and each other – hopefully – in order to avoid another blowout loss.  They were embarrassed at Kentucky last week and looked like they just gave up.  That’s a terrible look, but not completely surprising given their watching the offense struggle so often.  If Florida is going to have any chance in this game, the D-line has to be the start of it.  Mississippi has done a great job of seamlessly moving from Austin Simmons to Trinidad Chambliss after Simmons was injured over a month ago.  Chambliss seamlessly fit in and has been a revelation, both passing and running.  He is the second-leading ball carrier behind RB Kewan Lacy, one of the best in the SEC who is closing in on 1,000 yards rushing.  Ole Miss is also loaded with skill players, led by WRs Harrison Wallace and Deuce Alexander and TE Dae’Quan Wright, who is averaging 18 yards per catch.  The Rebel offense will test every area of the field, and it looks like it’s a long night ahead for the Gator defense.  I just don’t see the defense having enough impact players to even slow the Rebel attack, and their mental state can’t be good at this point.

Florida will apparently be led by DJ Lagway at QB, but I can see an early hook if he struggles out of the gate.  Mississippi’s defense has had it’s own problems, giving up a lot of points against better opposition, and wasting a great performance by their offense in their lone loss – allowing 43 points at Georgia and blowing a double-digit lead in the second half.  They are susceptible to the run game, but with the Gator passing game such a mess and missing so many WRs now, I doubt Florida can exploit it.  The big question is whether the Gators can actually put together a game plan that challenges the Rebels, let alone execute it behind an O-line that’s become a sieve the past month.  Mississippi is led by LBs T.J. Dudley, Suntarine Perkins, and Princewill Umanmielen – a name that’s familiar to Gator fans as the brother of Princely.  All 3 are excellent pass rushers, and whoever the Gator QB is will have to get the ball out of his hands quickly and decisively.

I will be shocked if this game is close into the second half, or if the Gators can stay within 3 touchdowns.  Things are that bad now, and Kiffin will relish piling on for style points with the Playoff selection committee, as well as showing Scott Stinklin what he missed out on after sticking with Billy Napier in 2024.  I hope to be wrong and have a positive review to share with you next week, but don’t count on it.  The pain continues.

Prediction:

Mississippi 45

Florida 10