The Ole Miss vs Florida game was supposed to be a test for Jon Sumrall’s rebuilt Gators. Instead it turned into a statement. No. 21 Florida ran over No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 26, piling up 302 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns to move to 4-0 for the first time since 2019.
Jadan Baugh carried 29 times for 142 yards and three scores, and Duke Clark added 126 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries. Ole Miss, who arrived with a Heisman front-runner at quarterback, fell to 3-1 and 1-1 in the SEC.
How Florida took control of Ole Miss
Florida were ahead 10-0 before Trinidad Chambliss had even thrown a pass, and the Rebels never really caught up. The Gators led at every break, then scored on five straight second-half drives while Ole Miss were still trying to find a rhythm.
The play that broke the game came in the third quarter. London Montgomery’s 74-yard kickoff return set Florida up, and Clark burst through the Ole Miss secondary for a 45-yard touchdown run. From there the Gators leaned on the ground game and outscored the Rebels 21-7 in the fourth quarter.
Florida finished with 498 total yards and no turnovers. Quarterback Aaron Philo was efficient rather than spectacular, completing 16 of 23 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown, because he rarely needed to do more.
Chambliss puts up numbers in a losing cause
Chambliss did what he could. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 298 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and ran for two more scores. Deuce Alexander was his favourite target, catching seven balls for 134 yards and a touchdown.
The problem was the other side of the ball, and a running game missing Kewan Lacy, who was ruled out before kickoff. Ole Miss managed only 44 rushing yards, and Florida’s ability to run the clock kept Chambliss on the sideline for long stretches.
Ole Miss coach Pete Golding did not hide from it, calling the afternoon an “old-fashioned butt whupping” in his post-game press conference.
Baugh joins Emmitt Smith and Fred Taylor
Baugh’s afternoon put him in rare company. He became only the third Florida player to rush for more than 100 yards in five straight games, joining Emmitt Smith and Fred Taylor.
The win also added to a remarkable opening month under Sumrall. According to The Associated Press, he is the first coach in conference history to see his team score 200 or more points in his first four games, and Florida have scored 40 or more in each of their first four games for the first time since Steve Spurrier’s 2001 side.
Sumrall was careful not to get carried away, saying the program is “being kind of stirred up” rather than fully awake. With Missouri next on the schedule, the Gators now have a ranking to protect. For more from a wild SEC Saturday, read our report on Texas A&M vs LSU.
