In a season defined by resiliency and explosive offense, No. 6 Ole Miss delivered another defining moment Saturday night, rallying past Florida 34–24 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to stay firmly in the College Football Playoff race.
The Rebels (10-1, 6-1 SEC, No. 7 CFP) closed out their home schedule with an 8–0 record and their third straight 10-win season, surviving a tense second half filled with missed opportunities before finally putting the Gators away in the final two minutes. The win also kept Ole Miss among the elite one-loss teams vying for a coveted CFP berth—positioning made even stronger after No. 4 Alabama’s loss earlier in the day.
The star of the night was running back Lacy, who carried the ball 31 times for a punishing, efficient performance capped by a 4-yard touchdown run with 1:43 remaining. The score—his 19th rushing touchdown of the season—broke the Ole Miss single-season record previously shared with Quinshon Judkins (16 in 2022).
Lacy’s final carry came moments after the Rebels took over on downs when Florida, pinned at its own 4-yard line, went for it on fourth-and-9. True freshman quarterback DJ Lagway launched a desperate heave toward midfield, but Ole Miss defensive back Sage Ryan knocked it away, effectively sealing the game.
As the Rebels lined up in victory formation, fans chanted loudly in celebration—and with just a hint of anxiety—as they called out for Lane Kiffin, whose coaching future remains a popular storyline amid rising interest nationally.
Kiffin brushed off questions afterward, focusing instead on the win and his team’s playoff résumé.
Though they ultimately controlled the game statistically—finishing with 538 total yards—Ole Miss made the evening far more dramatic than it needed to be. The Rebels failed twice at the goal line in the second half:
Third quarter: Trinidad Chambliss overthrew a target on fourth-and-goal from the 1. Fourth quarter: Another incomplete pass on fourth-and-goal from the 3.
Chambliss otherwise played well, completing 26 of 35 passes for 301 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. But Florida’s pressure affected him from start to finish—he was sacked five times, including two by standout linebacker Jaden Robinson.
Defensively, Ole Miss turned dominant after halftime. The Rebels held Florida scoreless and limited the Gators to just 103 total yards across the final two quarters.
Florida (3-7, 2-5 SEC) arrived far more engaged than in last week’s collapse at Kentucky, and it showed early. The Gators led 24–20 at halftime, fueled by:
Lagway’s 5-yard rushing touchdown. Jadan Baugh’s 2-yard score following a Jayden Woods interception. A highlight: Lagway’s 57-yard touchdown strike to J. Michael Sturdivant
Ole Miss kept pace with Chambliss’s 43-yard touchdown pass to De’Zhaun Stribling, Lacy’s early 3-yard plunge, and two short field goals from Lucas Carneiro. But once the second half began, Florida stalled completely.
Lagway finished 16 of 31 for 218 yards with one touchdown and one late interception—an unlucky tipped ball picked off by Wydett Williams on Florida’s only possession in Ole Miss territory after halftime.
With the loss, Florida’s downward spiral continued, and the Gators were officially eliminated from bowl contention. Complicating matters, speculation around the program’s interest in Lane Kiffin grows louder with each Ole Miss victory.
Ole Miss now stands as one of just a handful of teams with one loss or fewer, and Saturday’s win all but ensures the Rebels rise in the CFP rankings. With a bye week ahead before the Egg Bowl, they remain in position to potentially host an opening-round CFP game—an opportunity linked to both their national standing and their spotless home record.
Meanwhile, Kiffin’s name will continue to surface in major coaching searches, both in college and the NFL, as he guides the Rebels to yet another double-digit win season.
Florida: Hosts No. 21 Tennessee on Saturday as it tries to salvage something from a difficult season. Ole Miss: Idle next week before traveling to Mississippi State for the Egg Bowl on Nov. 28—a rivalry matchup that could further shape the Rebels’ postseason path.
Ole Miss didn’t make it easy, but once again, the Rebels found a way. And with Lacy rewriting the school record book and a defense peaking at the right time, the path to the playoff suddenly looks clearer than ever.
