No. 4 Ole Miss heads to Gainesville on Saturday for a matchup with No.
21 Florida, and the timing gives this one a little extra edge. The Rebels are coming off a dramatic win over former head coach Lane Kiffin and No.
10 LSU, while Florida is the next test before Ole Miss reaches its bye week.
The Rebels and Gators enter at 3-0 overall and 1-0 in SEC play, with kickoff set for “The Swamp,” also known as Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. Sean McDonough will handle play-by-play, with Greg McElroy on the analyst side.
This meeting comes with plenty of familiar history. Ole Miss beat Florida 34-24 last season amid rumors that Kiffin was interested in the Florida job, and Rebels fans responded afterward by chanting “We Want Lane” in an effort to keep him in Oxford. The series is tied 13-13-1, so Saturday’s winner will grab the edge in the all-time matchup.
The betting line has Florida as a 3.5-point favorite at -105, while Ole Miss is +3.5 at -115. On the moneyline, Ole Miss sits at +140 and Florida at -166. The source notes that 76% of bets are on Ole Miss to cover and 76% are on the Rebels on the moneyline.
Ole Miss has several players ruled out, including CB Cedrick Beavers, CB Dorian Barney, S MJ Preston, LB Ant Davis Jr., LB JaMichael Garrett, CB Victor Lincoln Jr., S Craig Tutt, OL Jalan Chapman and OL Emmanuel Faulkner.
There are also two notable questionable players to watch. Kewan Lacy is a game-time decision after hurting his shoulder against LSU, and Florida’s Singleton Jr. is in a similar spot as he hopes to make his debut for the Gators on Saturday.
For Jon Sumrall, this is his first ranked opponent since taking over at Florida. The Gators already have a 44-39 conference win over Auburn, but Ole Miss presents a different level of challenge, and the matchup carries added familiarity for Sumrall. Before arriving in Gainesville, he coached Tulane to a playoff appearance last season, only to see that run end when Pete Golding and Ole Miss beat the Green Wave 41-10 in Golding’s first game as head coach.
Sumrall also has a past connection to the Rebels, having served as Ole Miss’ inside linebackers coach in 2018.
On the field, Florida will lean on running back Jadan Baugh, quarterback Aaron Philo and wide receiver Vernell Brown as the key names to watch. Golding’s defense will have plenty on its plate trying to slow that group down.
In Other News...
Pete Golding Didn't Hold Back After Ole Miss Reality Check
A rough afternoon at The Swamp left Pete Golding with little interest in softening the message. The Ole Miss head coach came away from the loss openly dissatisfied, and his postgame remarks made clear he viewed the performance as more than just a bad result. Golding pointed to the Rebels execution and effort, offering a blunt assessment of a team that never found its footing.
Goldings comments carried the kind of edge that usually follows a reality check, especially on the road in a game that slips away early. For Ole Miss, the bigger concern now is not simply the loss itself, but the standard Golding was willing to say the Rebels fell short of. The directness of his reaction suggests the focus in Oxford will turn quickly to what, exactly, needs to change before the next chance to respond. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Got Hit With A Problem Fans Feared
Floridas 52-28 win over No. 4 Ole Miss on Saturday was the kind of result that changes how a season is viewed, and it gave Jon Sumrall his first signature victory as the Gators head coach. Behind a punishing ground game, Florida controlled the tone at home and put the Rebels in a position they had rarely faced this season, with Jadan Baugh leading the way on the ground with 142 yards and three touchdowns.
For Ole Miss, the loss is a reminder that even a top-four ranking can come with some uncomfortable questions once the schedule tightens. Florida is now 4-0 for the first time since 2019, and the Gators are staring at a demanding run that will tell a lot about where this team really stands, with Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Florida State all still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Turned College GameDay Into A Lane Kiffin Message
College GameDay in Knoxville had the usual pregame energy, but Tennessee fans made sure Lane Kiffin remained part of the conversation. As ESPN set the stage for the Vols meeting with Texas, the crowd took aim at Kiffin, whose short and contentious 2009 stint as Tennessees head coach still lingers with the fan base.
Now at LSU, Kiffin is back in the SEC spotlight with another big week ahead, and the backdrop only added to the noise. Tennessee is preparing to host Texas while LSU lines up against Texas A&M, so the timing of the message was hard to miss for anyone watching the rivalry-adjacent scene unfold. [Read more 🡒]