Swamped: Ole Miss Falls 24-17 to Florida in Gainesville, Shattering Rebels’ College Football Playoff Hopes

OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels traveled to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators Saturday, only for their playoff hopes to be shattered in an upset 24-17 loss in the Swamp.

Throughout the game, the ABC broadcast stated several times that the Rebels had just a 4 percent chance to make the playoffs as the result of a loss to the Gators.

Final from Gainesville. pic.twitter.com/dxcuZMzkFW

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 23, 2024

First half

The Rebels received the opening kick and picked up a quick first down thanks to work from Micah Davis and JJ Pegues on the ground. Davis, a receiver, was rumored to be working in the running back spot for the Rebels throughout the week.

Although moving the chains quickly, the Rebels’ drive quickly stalled after a Jaxson Dart incompletion on second down followed by the Gator defense getting into the Ole Miss backfield for a third-down sack.

The Gators then picked up a quick first down on the ground on their opening drive; however, a few short runs forced DJ Lagway to throw on third down and Trey Amos broke it up to force a Florida punt.

Dart and the Rebel offense then began to gain momentum as the quarterback found Cayden Lee on the opening play for 15 yards. Pushing down the field, Dart shared the ball around and used his legs to set Ole Miss up in the red zone.

Davis got the carry on a 3rd-and-4, coming up short by a yard and giving head coach Lane Kiffin a decision to make. The decision seemed to be an easy one as Pegues was sent out for another short-yardage situation only to be stuffed for the first time in 2024 for a turnover on downs.

With the crowd behind them now after the big stop, the Gator offense put together an 11-play, 89-yard scoring drive to drain the last five minutes of the first quarter. With the help of his running backs, Lagway used his dynamic skillset to extend multiple plays, throwing an eight-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Badger in the corner of the endzone to give Florida a 7-0 lead.

Needing an answer, Dart began to march the Rebels to midfield, leaving it up to Pegues once again on 4th-and-1 to move the chains successfully this time around. Two plays later, the Rebel signal-caller dropped back to pass on second down, finding a returning Tre Harris over the top for a 43-yard score.

Welcome Back Tre 👋@_treharris13 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/SqTZQTY6Kw

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 23, 2024

Harris surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the season on the touchdown, coming into the game just 13 yards shy of the mark after missing the last three games.

Florida’s offense would trot right back out though, picking up a quick first down courtesy of a 16-yard rush from Montrell Johnson. On the next play, Lagway would drop back to pass, finding an open man over the middle, only for the pass to go in and out of the receiver’s hands and picked off by John Saunders Jr.

Look Ma, One Hand 🖐️@john5aunders | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/w1Zz5ZHfIc

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 23, 2024

The diving interception from Saunders Jr. ties Amos for the team lead in interceptions for three on the year, coming up with his second interception in as many games played.

After Caden Prieskorn‘s first catch of the game set up another short-yardage situation for Ole Miss, Pegues was sent out once again to pick up another fourth and short. However, Dart stayed in the backfield and faked to Pegues, finding Jordan Watkins over the top for a 25-yard gain to move the sticks.

On the following play, Dart hit Lee in stride over the middle of the field for a 22-yard score to Ole Miss a 14-7 lead with nine minutes left in the half.

Hit that cellyyyy Cayden 🕺@Cayden_X_Lee | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/4Q8dsNYgTn

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 23, 2024

However, Lagway continued to do what he does best and extend plays for the Gators. The true freshman marched the offense down the field in four plays, tying the game in a hurry with a 25-yard screen pass that Jaden Baugh took to the house.

Continuing to respond though, Dart found Juice Wells and Dae’Quan Wright for big gains to put Ole Miss in the red zone in a hurry once again. Back-to-back incompletions brought up fourth down for the Rebels, leaving it up to Caden Davis. Davis’s 34-yard attempt was no good, missing just left and leaving the game tied at 14.

Walter Nolen came up with a sack on the next Florida possession to stall the drive and eventually force a punt. The Rebels and the Gators then exchanged punts in the final minutes of the half to head into the locker room tied 14-14.

Dart had 237 yards through the air at the break, going 16-for-23 in the half. He found Wright four of those times for a team-high 57 yards heading into the locker room.

Nolen led the way for the Rebel defense with seven tackles, a sack and a pair of tackles-for-loss. Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul Jr. also had seven tackles in the first half.

Second half

Florida received the opening kick of the second half and the Landshark defense had them moving backward immediately as Pegues and former Gator Princely Umanmielen got to Lagway on first down. A holding penalty on the next play put the Gators way behind the sticks, eventually resulting in a punt.

However, Micah Davis muffed the punt and set up the Gators on the Ole Miss 37-yard line. The Rebel defense would quickly bring up fourth down though, forcing Florida to settle for a 53-yard field goal and take a 17-14 lead four minutes into the quarter.

Dart went right to work, using his legs to pick up a quick 20-yard gain and continuing to share the ball around to put together a five-minute drive. The quarterback found Prieskorn to put Ole Miss in the red zone again. However, the Rebels found themselves facing a 4th-and-1 once again, and Pegues was stuffed by the Gator defense for the second time in the game for a turnover-on-downs.

Florida began their next drive on their own 10 after the stop, and the Landshark defense quickly brought up third and long once again. Umanmielen and Suntarine Perkins then raced to the backfield to bring down Lagway and force a quick three-and-out for the Gators.

Dart found 23 yards after a penalty on the first play of the drive, putting the Rebels in Florida territory in a hurry. The Gator defense then made their way into the Ole Miss backfield, sacking Dart and stalling the drive after putting the Rebels behind the sticks.

Caden Davis then came back out for his second field goal attempt of the game, this time drilling a 43-yard attempt to tie the game at 17 with less than a minute left in the third quarter.

Ending the quarter with their first play of the next drive, the Gators marched the ball near midfield with six straight rushes. The Rebel defense stood tall though, bringing up a fourth and short which made Florida head coach Billy Napier make the late-game decision to punt.

Ole Miss quickly went three-and-out deep in their own territory on the next possession, giving the ball right back to Lagway and the Florida offense. Right away the freshman found Chimere Dike down the seam for a 41-yard gain to put the Gators in Rebel territory.

Baugh then put the Gators in the red zone on the ground, eventually allowing Johnson to punch it in from nine yards out to give Florida a 24-17 lead with just under minutes to play.

Dart kept it himself to take the Rebels into Florida territory on the first play of the drive after the score, scampering 35 yards across midfield on the designed quarterback counter. However, back-to-back incompletions brought up third and long once again for Ole Miss and the Gator defense got to Dart for the third time in the game to force another Rebel punt.

Florida would then drain the clock down to four minutes before punting back to the Rebels. The punt set Ole Miss up at their own 22-yard-line and Dart used his legs with the help of Domonique Thomas to push the Rebel offense near midfield.

However, after a couple of completions, Dart took a shot downfield for Wells into triple coverage, throwing an interception in the endzone with a minute and a half left to play.

Ole Miss still had three timeouts, banking on the defense for one last stop to give the offense another chance to tie the game. Forcing the quick three-and-out, the Rebel offense was given a little over a minute to work with and Dart moved the ball to midfield with another completion to Lee for 19 yards.

A few plays later, Dart overthrew Wells again as a Gator defender ran under the pass for a game-sealing interception.

Dart finished with 323 yards through the air, adding 71 more on the ground. The Rebel quarterback went 24-for-41 passing, throwing a pair of touchdowns and interceptions. Perkins led the way for the Rebel defense with 10 tackles, half a sack and half a tackle-for-loss.

Up next

Ole Miss will return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium next for the Egg Bowl and the final game of the 2024 regular season. On Friday, Nov. 29, the Ole Miss Rebels will take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 2:30 pm CT on ESPN.