Florida and Ole Miss may not carry the feel of a classic rivalry, but these games have built a habit of chaos. The all-time series sits at 13-13-1, and since 2000 the teams have split eight meetings right down the middle at 4-4. With the tie set to be broken Saturday in The Swamp, the matchup brings back a long line of swings, breakdowns and unforgettable moments.
Some of the best-known chapters in Florida-Ole Miss history came with huge stakes and bigger twists. In 2008, the game that became linked forever to Tim Tebow’s “The Promise” speech still had plenty of drama on its own. Florida piled up 24 first downs to Ole Miss’ 10 and outgained the Rebels 443 yards to 325, but three fumbles opened the door for Ole Miss to rally from a 17-7 deficit and steal a 31-30 win.
A year later, Tebow was back in the middle of another Florida win, this time a 30-24 result in 2007. The Gators had stretched the lead to 27-9 in the third quarter before Ole Miss answered with back-to-back touchdowns, including a 77-yard score that tightened things late.
Tebow finished with 261 passing yards and 166 rushing yards, and his 27 rushing attempts matched his career high. The only other time he ran it 27 times was in 2009 against Arkansas.
The 2015 meeting brought a different kind of Florida moment. Ole Miss arrived in Gainesville ranked No. 3, and the Gators responded with a 38-10 win that gave them their first victory in The Swamp against a top-three team since 1999.
That night is remembered as the Will Grier game, with Florida jumping out to a 25-0 halftime lead. Grier was dealing with flu-like symptoms, though that detail tends to get lost in the glow of the result.
Then there was 2020, the opening game of the COVID season and Lane Kiffin’s debut at Ole Miss. Florida’s offense exploded behind Kyle Trask, who threw for 416 yards and six touchdowns in a 51-35 win. Even in a game that big for the Gators’ attack, Ole Miss still found plenty of room to move the ball, with Matt Carral throwing for 395 yards.
Last season brought another Florida win and another reminder that the Rebels have a way of making these games strange. Florida beat Ole Miss 24-17 in a game that turned into an upset of a different kind, with the Rebels carrying a clear path to the playoff before unraveling in The Swamp.
The game also added to the early buzz around DJ Lagway, but it was Caleb Banks who left the biggest mark. Banks had 2.5 sacks, Jaxson Dart threw for 323 yards but also two interceptions, and Florida stuffed J.J.
Pegues twice on fourth and short.
The most recent meeting flipped the script. Ole Miss won 34-24 in 2025 after Florida held a fourth-quarter lead, only to get outscored 14-0 in the final period. Lagway went 16 of 31 for 218 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and the pick came at the worst possible time - in the fourth quarter on the Ole Miss 30-yard line with Florida down by three.
The other notable meeting in this stretch came in 2003, when Ole Miss beat Florida 20-17 in a game that showed exactly how volatile the Ron Zook era could be. Florida had a 14-2 halftime lead and kept Eli Manning’s offense in check, holding him to 154 passing yards. But three interceptions from Chris Leak helped Ole Miss set up the winning touchdown with 1:10 left, and Rex Grossman threw four interceptions overall, including a pick-six, to sink Florida despite the strong start.
In Other News...
Jon Sumrall Just Turned Up The Pressure On The Swamp
Jon Sumralls latest comments have added a little extra edge to Floridas next home date, and not just because of what he said about the Gators crowd against FAU. Sumrall drew a sharp comparison between that atmosphere and the one he recently saw at Auburns Jordan-Hare Stadium, and he made it clear he is expecting even more from The Swamp when Florida hosts Ole Miss. For a program that treats home-field energy as part of its identity, that kind of outside praise can land as both a compliment and a challenge.
The timing also gives the remarks more bite, since Sumrall has already been a familiar name in Auburn conversation and his coaching choices have been tracked closely. Even without a direct Florida-Auburn angle on the field, comments like these tend to travel quickly around the SEC, especially when they touch on stadium environment and fan impact. The next Ole Miss game now carries an added layer: not just a conference matchup, but a chance for Floridas crowd to answer a pointed comparison. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Breakout RB Gives Ole Miss A Much Bigger Problem
Jadan Baugh has become the kind of early-season force that changes how an offense is defended, and Florida has been leaning on it from the start. The breakout back leads the nation in rushing touchdowns and sits second in rushing yards, a surge built on three straight 100-yard games and a steady role in an offense that has topped 42 points in each of its first three outings.
For Jon Sumrall, the bigger development has been the way Baugh is finishing runs and making faster decisions once he gets the ball. The coach has even backed the running backs Heisman pose celebration, a sign of how central Baugh has become to Floridas identity, and why Ole Miss is staring at a much tougher problem than it might have expected when it starts planning for the Gators. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Spurrier Just Weighed In On A Texas Game Gators Fans Know Well
Steve Spurrier doesnt often need much convincing to share a football opinion, and his latest one will perk up Florida fans who still remember how often he had Tennessees number. The former Gators star and coach weighed in on the upcoming Texas-Tennessee matchup by backing the Volunteers, pointing to Tennessees past win over Texas and the edge of playing at home.
For Florida supporters, the timing and the source make it especially notable. Spurriers long history with Tennessee gives his endorsement of the Volunteers a familiar edge, and his personal ties to the state only add to the intrigue, even if the bigger question is whether Texas can shake off the kind of matchup that has tripped up plenty of teams before. [Read more 🡒]