Florida walked away from its 52-28 win over Ole Miss with more than just a statement victory in Week 4. The SEC also handed out three weekly honors to Gators who helped drive the upset, with Jadan Baugh earning the first Offensive Player of the Week award of his career, London Montgomery taking Special Teams Player of the Week and Bryce Lovett landing Offensive Lineman of the Week.
For Baugh, the recognition adds another line to a season that has already turned into a full-blown run. The junior halfback carried 29 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns against Ole Miss, while also catching one pass for 12 yards.
He was the engine behind Florida’s ground game in the win over a top-five opponent, and he finished Week 4 with the most rushing first downs in the FBS at 11. He also piled up 103 yards after contact.
Baugh has now gone over 135 rushing yards and scored multiple touchdowns in all four games, making him the only FBS player to do that in 2026. He entered Week 5 leading the country in rushing touchdowns with 11, total touchdowns with 11, scoring at 16.5, total points with 66, PFF rushing grade at 92.6, PFF offensive grade among running backs at 88.6, missed tackles forced at 34, rushing first downs at 29 and PFF HandsFumble grade at 86.1.
The numbers around his start are staggering even by Florida standards. His 600 rushing yards are the most ever by a Gator through four games, and he became the fastest Gator to reach 10 rushing touchdowns in a season, doing it in 3.5 games.
He also entered Week 5 with 486 consecutive touches and 432 straight rushes without a fumble. Baugh had previously won SEC Freshman of the Week after scoring five touchdowns against Kentucky in his first career start during the 2024 season.
Montgomery’s honor came from a different kind of explosion. The offseason transfer from East Carolina returned three kickoffs for 128 yards against Ole Miss, averaging 42.7 yards per return. His biggest moment came after a 41-yard return in the third quarter, when he broke loose for a 74-yard runback - the second-longest in the SEC this season and the longest by a Gator since Solomon Patton’s 100-yard return at Missouri in 2013.
That 128-yard total was the most in a single game by an SEC player this season. It also helped Florida become one of two FBS teams to lead its conference in both single-game kickoff return yards and punt return yards, with Vernell Brown III’s 173 punt return yards against Campbell in Week 2 giving the Gators the other side of that ledger.
Lovett’s award was built in the trenches, where Florida controlled the game from the start. Starting at left tackle for the fourth straight game to open the season, the Rockledge, Fla. product posted an 85.1 PFF pass blocking grade over 69 snaps and did not allow a pressure or hurry. His block rate was perfect.
That protection helped Florida hammer Ole Miss for 302 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, the program’s best rushing output against an SEC team since the 374 yards against South Carolina in 2022. As a group, Lovett and the Florida offensive line finished Week 4 without allowing a sack, while giving up just one tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry.
The Gators have already collected other weekly honors this season, too. Brown was named Co-SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after his 173 punt return yards and two touchdowns in Week 2, and center Harrison Moore earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his play in the win over Auburn in Week 3.
In Other News...
Florida Is Suddenly Right In The Middle Of A Five-Star WR Fight
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Royal said he could see himself playing at Florida, and he is reportedly close to a decision, which puts the Gators squarely in the conversation as the process starts to narrow. With NIL factors continuing to shape the recruiting landscape, the uncertainty around his commitment only adds to the intrigue, and Florida appears to be pushing to stay in the mix until the final call is made. [Read more 🡒]
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Missouri now looms as the first real measuring stick for head coach Jon Sumralls group, because the Gators momentum has to survive a game like this if the bigger picture is going to hold. Florida does not need a perfect finish to keep its postseason hopes alive, but it does need to keep proving it can handle the kind of matchup that can quietly change the tone of a season, especially with Texas and Georgia still waiting in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Florida's Hot Start Still Leaves One Huge Contender Question
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Still, Herbstreit framed the next step in sharper terms: if Florida wants to be taken seriously as a national title or SEC championship contender, it has to beat at least one of the heavyweights on its upcoming schedule in Texas or Georgia. That leaves the Gators in a familiar but revealing spot, with early momentum in hand and a chance ahead to prove the surge is more than just a strong opening month. [Read more 🡒]