Florida football is finally fun again. The Gators took Ole Miss behind the woodshed at The Swamp – rolling up over 300 yards rushing, holding the ball for 37 minutes, and never letting up the pressure in a statement 52-28 victory. That performance has caught the attention of the nation and the media for the first time since the opening win over Utah in 2022. At least this time there’s every indication that the head coach and his staff are actually competent and professional enough to prove over time that there’s actual substance behind the result.
Florida’s offense manhandled the Rebels the entire game, totaling 495 yards of and punting only twice, both times late in each half while running out the clock. Jaden Baugh ran for 142 yards and 3 TDs, and Duke Clark had 126 yards rushing that included 2 long runs and a TD to announce himself as a weapon in his own right and the best RB2 in the country. As well as both of them played, it was the performance of the O-line that really opened eyes across the country, as Florida pushed Mississippi around all afternoon and dominated the line of scrimmage. OC Buster Faulkner and OL coach Phil Trautwein are being praised nationally by pundits, and they deserve every bit of it. What they have done in 8 months to change the mindset of the players and improve their performance is one of the best coaching jobs in recent memory. Faulkner’s fast, attacking style has already done wonders for the offense. Even when Ole Miss found it’s footing offensively in the second half and twice closed to within one score, the offense never missed a beat and took back the momentum quickly and decisively. QB Aaron Philo was solid again with 196 passing yards and 1 TD, spread the ball around to 8 different receivers, and did not turn the ball over while managing the offense. While no single receiver had a huge game, perhaps the biggest development was getting Eric Singleton back on the field for a handful of plays. He has elite speed and immediately had an effect on the defense, drawing a pass interference call and catching a pass for 38 yards on a deep corner route, leading to the final score. If his ankle continues to improve, he will help open up the field even more for the offense. The halftime score of 17-6 in Florida’s favor could have been much worse for Ole Miss if the Gators hadn’t missed a few easy pass completions and failed on a short 4th down conversion in the red zone.
Florida’s defense was once again a mixed bag of good and bad, but did just enough against a powerful Ole Miss offense to give the Gator offense enough possessions to keep control of the game. The defensive performance was much better in the first half, including a 4th down stop in Rebel territory and holding them to 2 FGs after they had reached the red zone. Limiting Ole Miss to 6 points was critical, as the Rebel offense came alive in the second half and scored 3 TDs in 4 drives, making for some tense moments as they tried to turn momentum their way. Trinidad Chambliss showed why is a Heisman candidate, throwing for 298 yards and a TD while running for 47 yards and 2 TDs. Once again the Gator secondary collapsed in the second half, leaving receivers wide open and allowing Ole Miss to score way too quickly. Fortunately, the defense did force 2 turnovers – the first on a sack of Chambliss by Jayden Woods that forced a fumble, and an interception by DJ Coleman late in the game to end the Rebels’ last possession. Overall the tackling was good and the front seven did a decent job defending the run. The absence of RB Kewan Lacy due to injury did impact the Ole Miss running game, but injuries are a part of the game, and I’m not going to apologize for taking advantage of them. Florida did have intermittent success pressuring Chambliss, but DC Brad White still has work to do on the secondary’s pass coverage.
It’s a team game, and Florida’s special teams were exactly that on Saturday. London Montgomery had two electric kickoff returns after the Rebels twice closed to within one score in the second half, setting up the offense in prime scoring position and immediately choking out any thoughts Ole Miss had of taking the lead. Patrick Durkin again showed why he is one of the best placekickers in the country, making his only FG attempt, a 49-yard kick that extended the lead to 10-0. The Gator coverage units were exceptional, allowing only a 17-yard average on 5 kickoff returns. Punter Alec Clark had a huge moment, ending any chance of the Rebels scoring late in the first half with a 70 yard punt that went out of bounds at the Mississippi 1-yard line. Special teams played a huge part in the victory, easily winning the hidden yards game within the game. Those two kickoff returns kept momentum on Florida’s side and were a huge mental boost to the players while getting the crowd right back into the game.
It’s been a long time since Florida has looked this dominant against a quality SEC opponent, and the Gators are putting the rest of the league and the nation on notice that Jon Sumrall and his staff know what they’re doing and how to win. There are still some huge challenges ahead on the schedule, but the team’s confidence has to be soaring knowing that it can compete with anyone. That kind of juice, coming from winning games but also from the head coach every day, can go a long way.