Saturday, September 26, 2026 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As far as intangibles go, the 21st-ranked Florida Gators (3-0, 1-0) sit in an enviable spot relative to Saturday's nationally televised and sold-out Southeastern Conference showdown against No. 4 Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0) at Spurrier/Florida Field.
[Read senior writer Scott Carter's comprehensive "Opening Kickoff" setup here]
UF is coming off a tone-setting victory at Auburn that snapped a six-game losing streak away from home, doing so with a balanced offensive attack highlighted by another tremendous performance from tailback Jadan Baugh. Now the Gators will bring the momentum and mojo from that win to the success-starved "Swamp," where a crowd of more than 90,000 (the 21st consecutive sellout) will be poised to go volcanic for one of the highest-stakes home games in years.
Now, flip the circumstances.
Mississippi is coming off a tone-setter of its own. The Rebels, who reached their first College Football Playoff last season, for months dealt with the anticipation of the homecoming of Lane Kiffin, who left them in lurch – in the middle of a playoff run – to take the LSU job last December. Well, the Rebels were ready for the reunion, handing their villainous former coach a 32-24 defeat under the most powerful of prime-time microscopes. It will be nearly impossible for Ole Miss coach Pete Golding to get his team to the passionate crescendo it reached last week. That is not to say the Rebels are due for a letdown, but the emotional edge in their game this week (like last week) overwhelmingly will be with UF coach Jon Sumrall and the home team.
It's a spot the Gators have not been in very often the last few years and one they need to take advantage of. Bank on the home crowd doing its part.
As for the rest, well, that will be left to the actual football. On that front, Florida most definitely will have its hands full in dealing with Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, an early Heisman Trophy candidate.
Chambliss (70%, 924 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT) was magnificent in the LSU game. He completed 33 of 48 attempts for 363 yards, two touchdowns and one pick, while also running for a score. His playmaking will make for a considerable challenge to the Florida defense that ranks 63rd nationally (326.3 yards per game) and 100th in third-down percentage (42.3). Ole Miss, however, sits at 119th in rushing at 114.0 yards per game after gaining just 63 on 25 carries against a stout LSU defense. There were reasons for that.
Ole Miss quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Trinidad Chambliss.
The Rebels' best running back, Kewan Lacy (191, 4 TD), left last week's game with a shoulder injury and did not return. He's questionable for this game. All he did last year against the Gators was carry 31 times for 224 yards and three touchdowns, as the Rebels won 34-24 at Oxford.
Last week, UF surrendered 373 total yards against Auburn, but only 102 on the ground. The Gators sacked Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown seven times. That kind of a pressure, especially at home (and complimentary to the fan noise), will go a long way toward affecting what Chambliss can do.
For the Gators on offense, quarterback Aaron Philo (73.4%, 721 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT) spread the ball around to eight different receivers at Auburn, with Vernell Brown III (14 catches, 246 yards, 2 TD through three games) and Dallas Wilson (12 for 225 and 2 TD) turning in solid performances again.
But the Florida offense, ranked third in the country at 544.3 yards per game and second in scoring at 54.0 points, is going to rise and fall with Baugh, who with last week's 162 yards and three scores announced himself as a legitimate Heisman contender, as well. The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder has put together four consecutive games, dating to the season finale against Florida State last year, where he's totaled 724 yards (that's 181 yards per) and scored 10 touchdowns.
Ole Miss is giving up 373.7 total yards per game (97th nationally), including 159.0 on the ground (98th). Like UF, the Rebels aren't great at getting off the field on third down, with opponents converting at 40.4 percent (90th).
The last time a top-five team came to town was No. 1 Alabama in 2021. The Crimson Tide left with a 31-29 victory. The previous top-five visitor was No. 3 Ole Miss in 2015. The Gators destroyed the Rebels 38-10, with the "Swamp" as alive as any moment the last couple decades.
Expect that type of environment. The outcome? Well, that'll be up to the ones on the field.
Broadcast coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. on ABC (and streaming on ESPN), with the national crew of Sean McDonough on play-by-play, Greg McElroy providing analysis and Katie George reporting from the sidelines. The Gators Sports Network broadcast will air with pregame coverage beginning at 12:15 p.m. and eventually give way to Sean Kelly, Shane Matthews and Tate Casey on the call. For GSN stations, click here.
Replays will air on Thursday at midnight and again at noon.
Follow senior writer Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) for commentary and analysis throughout the game. FloridaGators.com will have complete post-game coverage from the game late Saturday night and follow-up content Sunday as well.
