No. 4 Ole Miss will travel to Gainesville, Fla., to face No. 21 Florida on Saturday, Sept. 26. Under new head coach Jon Sumrall, Florida’s offense looks promising to begin the season. Additionally, the Gators’ home-field advantage cannot be overlooked; The Swamp is commonly regarded as one of the toughest environments in college football.
Florida quarterback Aaron Philo has 721 passing yards and six passing touchdowns this season. He has taken full control of the Gator offense and maximized the weapons around him. Rebel defensive end Blake Purchase discussed the keys to containing Philo in a press conference on Sept. 22.
“(Philo has) had a pretty good year,” Purchase said. “I think (the defense does) a pretty good job of getting back to the quarterback, so (we need to) just keep that on, and just put pressure on.”
Gator running back Jadan Baugh has rushed for 458 yards and eight touchdowns this season. He has had 100-yard outings in all three of the Gators’ wins. Rebel safety and Florida transfer Sharif Denson spoke on Baugh’s skills in a press conference on Sept. 22.
“(Baugh is) very strong in the weight room, very strong on the field. He (has) good hands (and is a) good pass blocker. He really (does) everything, so there’s nothing that he can’t do,” Denson said. “Then, obviously, he breaks all the tackles, and his body contact (and) his balance is just really good.”
Wide receiver Dallas Wilson has 225 yards on 12 receptions with two touchdowns. Wilson has a large catch radius and makes lots of explosive plays.
The Ole Miss defense is coming off its most dominant performance this season against LSU. The unit held the talented Tiger offense to 330 total yards, adding two sacks and a goal-line interception to seal the win. Indeed, the defense seems to have found a way to make big plays in big moments, which will have to continue against Florida.
The Rebels had numerous missed tackles in Week 1, but were much more efficient against the Tigers in Week 3 and were able to bring down ball carriers more consistently.
Though the Ole Miss defense allowed the Tigers to convert on 9-of-17 third downs, it also forced three three-and-outs and had six quarterback hurries.
The Rebel offense is also hitting its stride. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has thrown for 924 passing yards and seven touchdowns, with two more touchdowns on the ground. While his numbers speak for themselves, he also has an innate ability to extend plays and turn broken plays into positive yards.
Running back Kewan Lacy’s performances have been strong as usual, but JT Lindsey has become a playmaker in the Rebel backfield, as well. He has 48 yards on 12 carries and played a major role in the second half against LSU after Lacy left the game with a shoulder injury. Lacy will be a game-time decision on Saturday.
While wide receiver Deuce Alexander has been the top target for the Rebels, fellow wide receivers Traylon Ray, Horatio Fields and Johntay Cook II have all started to look more comfortable in their roles.
Florida’s defense has been spotty so far this season. Its secondary has given up 231 passing yards per game, which could be critical since the Rebels have several talented pass-catchers and a strong passing game. Ole Miss will need to exploit the open gaps in the secondary to produce chunk plays and get downfield.
Florida’s defensive front can put pressure on quarterbacks. Standout defensive lineman Emmanuel Oyebadejo has totaled five quarterback hurries over the first three games, and the unit has seven sacks.
This is a must-win game for the Rebels. They have the opportunity to snatch a fifth ranked win early in head coach Pete Golding’s tenure and move up in the rankings.
