No. 21 Florida Runs Over No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28, Gators Start 4-0

Florida Announces Its Arrival With Statement Win Over Ole Miss

Jon Sumrall called Florida a sleeping giant when he took over the program 10 months ago. Since then, the first-year coach has repeatedly challenged his players to “wake the beast.”

On Saturday, the beast officially woke up. No. 21 Florida ran over No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28 at The Swamp, delivering one of the biggest statements of the young SEC season and sending the Gators to 4-0 for the first time since 2019.

Florida controlled the game from the opening kickoff, taking advantage of a dominant rushing attack and scoring touchdowns on five consecutive second-half possessions to pull away from the Rebels. Jadan Baugh led the way with 142 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Duke Clark added 126 yards and a touchdown. The Gators finished with 302 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

The 52 points tied Florida’s most against a top-five opponent since the Gators defeated Florida State 52-20 in the 1996 national championship game. Florida entered the matchup as a 3½-point favorite and justified those expectations by leading from start to finish.

Florida’s Running Game Overwhelms Ole Miss

The Gators immediately established their physical style. Florida led 10-0 before Ole Miss quarterback and Heisman Trophy front-runner Trinidad Chambliss had even attempted a pass.

Baugh continued his remarkable run, becoming just the third player in Florida history to rush for more than 100 yards in five consecutive games. He joined school legends Emmitt Smith, who accomplished the feat in 1987 and 1988, and Fred Taylor, who did it in 1997.

Baugh repeatedly found room between the tackles, while Clark provided another explosive option whenever he entered the game. Clark’s 45-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter proved to be one of the defining plays of the afternoon. He juked Ole Miss cornerback Antonio Kite and former Florida safety Sharif Denson before racing untouched into the end zone.

The play came at a critical moment. Ole Miss had scored 11 points during a three-minute stretch spanning the second and third quarters, cutting Florida’s lead to 17-14 and briefly appearing to seize momentum. But London Montgomery answered with a 41-yard kickoff return, setting up Clark’s touchdown run and shifting the game firmly back toward the Gators.

Ole Miss Can’t Recover From Early Deficit

The Rebels never found consistency offensively, particularly after Chambliss suffered a left-thigh injury on their second series.

Chambliss returned to the game and used the exercise bike between drives, but the injury appeared to affect Ole Miss’ rhythm. He eventually finished with 298 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, while adding 44 rushing yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.

Ole Miss also struggled to take advantage of opportunities early. After falling behind 7-0, the Rebels handed the ball to backup running back JT Lindsey on four consecutive plays. Lindsey failed to gain the necessary yardage on a fourth-and-1 attempt, giving Florida favorable field position.

The Gators consistently made Ole Miss pay for those mistakes. Florida’s offense became nearly unstoppable after halftime, repeatedly pounding the Rebels with its rushing attack and turning the game into a physical mismatch.

Florida’s Statement Win Changes the SEC Conversation

The victory moves Florida to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in SEC play, giving Sumrall his first signature victory as the Gators’ head coach. It also demonstrated how quickly Florida’s identity is changing under Sumrall. The Gators played with physicality, controlled the line of scrimmage and finished drives, particularly in the second half.

For Ole Miss, the loss drops the Rebels to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the SEC. It came one week after Ole Miss defeated LSU in an emotional game that marked Lane Kiffin’s return to his former program. The Rebels had insisted that LSU game was not their “Super Bowl,” but they were unable to carry that momentum into Gainesville. Florida made sure of that.

The Gators now have a major opportunity to build on their breakthrough victory. Florida travels to face No. 19 Missouri next Saturday, while Ole Miss will have a week off before returning to action Oct. 10 at Vanderbilt. For the first time in years, Florida isn’t simply talking about waking the beast. The Gators look like they already have.