Florida left Saturday with a statement win and a few fresh questions.
Jon Sumrall’s first season in Gainesville keeps rolling after the Gators hammered previously No. 4 Ole Miss, 52-28, at The Swamp.
Florida is now 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC, and the reward was a jump to No. 8 in Sunday’s AP Poll. Next up is a trip to Columbia to face No.
25 Mizzou at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
But the win over the Rebels came with injury concerns for three of Florida’s key receivers, and Sumrall laid out where things stand after the game.
Bailey Stockton took a hard shot on the targeting play and was limited after returning to action.
“So, injury-wise, Bailey, on the shot, on the targeting call, he took a pretty significant shot to his back. Doesn’t look like anything that should keep him out long-term.
He came back in and obviously had the punt return,” Jon Sumrall said. “But he just wasn’t quite himself, and so didn’t play a whole lot there in the second half.”
Vernell Brown III is dealing with a knee issue, though the early read from Sumrall sounded encouraging.
“And then VBIII, a little knee tweak, nothing substantial, nothing’s torn, but just wasn’t quite confident in cutting it loose there are he tweaked it there late in the second quarter,” Sumrall said. “Feel pretty good about him being available, but it’s too early to know moving forward.”
Eric Singleton Jr. also remains a name to monitor. He was a game-time decision, played through limited practice time, and still managed his first catch of the season, a 38-yard grab.
“And then, obviously, Singleton, being a true game-time decision, had a huge impact in the game,” Sumrall said. “The one late, they probably thought we were gonna run a post, because we had run that a couple times with him and then he hit the out route, the corner route there, to make the big catch.
“I’m really proud of him because he really didn’t practice a lot this week. His work was more about just trying to see, can he run full speed and, maybe, could he cut a little bit? So, he’s a tough dude, and a guy I’m really proud of.”
Florida’s perfect start is intact, but the availability of Stockton, Brown and Singleton will be one of the biggest things to watch this week as the Gators prepare for Mizzou.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Has Earned A Ranking Debate Fans Wont Ignore
Mississippi States fast start has turned what looked like a solid opening month into a real ranking conversation. The Bulldogs are 4-0 and already 2-0 in SEC play, with a win over No. 25 Missouri helping push them up to No. 16 in the AP Poll, and sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor has been one of the biggest reasons for the surge. Taylor has thrown for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns, tying for the national lead in passing scores and giving Mississippi State the kind of offensive punch that can make voters take notice.
The debate now is whether the Bulldogs have done enough to climb higher despite the company they still have to keep in the schedule. Teams ahead of them have stumbled, which only sharpens the argument around Mississippi States place in the poll, but the next stretch will say plenty about how serious this start really is. No. 7 Alabama is looming, and LSU is not far behind, leaving the Bulldogs with a chance to turn an early ranking into something much more difficult to dismiss. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has A Heisman Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The late-September Heisman conversation had a few familiar faces in it, but Ole Miss had its own reason to pay attention. Across the weekend, standout performances from quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers around the country kept the race crowded, with individual game breakthroughs and efficient stat lines nudging certain players into the spotlight as the season starts to settle into its next stretch.
For Rebels fans, the issue is less about the national debate itself and more about what it says about where Ole Miss fits in that race. The review of the weekend's biggest efforts, along with a look ahead to upcoming matchups for some of those players, underscores how quickly the conversation can shift once October football gets rolling. Ole Miss can still make noise, but the path to having a true Heisman contender is starting to feel like a problem fans can't ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Trinidad Chambliss Gives Ole Miss Hope Despite One Ugly Warning Sign
Ole Miss left the loss to Florida with a sharp reminder of how quickly a game can get away from it when the defense cannot slow the run. The Gators piled up more than 300 rushing yards, turning the afternoon into a long one for the Rebels and exposing a problem that will need fixing if this team wants to hold up in SEC play.
Trinidad Chambliss still gave Ole Miss a reason to keep looking forward, though, because the quarterback handled a heavy load and produced one of the better individual outings of the day. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 298 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and added 44 rushing yards with two scores, giving the Rebels a clear offensive centerpiece even in a loss that raised more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]