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Ole Miss ruined whatever early-season momentum they’d accrued — going 4-0 and with a win over then No. 3 Alabama — by failing to show up in Gainesville for their Week 5 matchup with No. 23 Florida.
The Gators (5-0, 3-0 SEC) dominated the entire game, winning 38-10 in the first matchup since 1957 in which both schools were ranked. For the Rebels (4-1, 2-1), their first loss at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 1995 is a costly one that will certainly see them forfeit their No. 3 ranking.
5 TAKEAWAYS
- The absence of left tackle Laremy Tunsil to indefinite academic suspension was painfully evident in the loss to Florida. Six Gators defenders combined to wrap up Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly four times. The offense finished with season lows for total yards (358), rushing yards (69) and passing yards (259). Kelly led the passing and rushing “attack” with a mere 40 yards on the ground, followed by running back Jaylen Walton with 23 rushing yards. Both Kelly (2) and Walton combined to lose three fumbles.
- Ole Miss lost the turnover battle by a 4-0 margin. The Rebels put the ball on the turf four times and were intercepted once by Vernon Hargreaves III. Florida took advantage of the offense’s miscues, scoring 19 points off turnovers. Ole Miss entered the game having lost only two fumbles on the entire year.
- Halftime couldn’t come fast enough for the Ole Miss defense. The unit was gassed toward the end of the second quarter as the Florida offense continued to run the ball straight into their teeth. When not running, Will Grier routinely picked apart the Rebels linebackers with quick passes by spreading 271 yards to eight different Gators receivers. The defense suffered from poor tackling, fatigue and the inability to make a big play. In his postgame press conference, and before he could watch the tape, Hugh Freeze said that losing 1-on-1 battles with receivers was a major contributing factor in the defensive lapse.
- Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze is now 6-11 against ranked teams as the Rebels fall to 64-148-2 all-time against ranked opponents. The loss trims Ole Miss’ all-time lead over Florida to 12-11-1 and to 6-4-1 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It was Florida’s largest margin of victory over the Rebels since winning 49-3 on Oct. 17, 1981, in Gainesville.
- It’s difficult to fathom how discombobulated Ole Miss looked on all facets against Florida. The Gators deserve credit for playing a complete game and creating as intimidating an atmosphere as there is in college football. Florida exposed several glaring weaknesses of Hugh Freeze’s squad, most notably the team’s offensive line and linebacker play. Last year’s Rebels started 7-0, but went on to lose three times after their first loss. Will history repeat itself in Oxford? Or has Freeze’s squad matured from last year’s 9-4 team? Time will tell. At least a home tilt against New Mexico State is up next for Ole Miss.
REPORT CARD
Offense: D – Ole Miss posted 328 yards of total offense, but only 68 of them came on the ground. The Rebels were out of sync the entire night and didn’t find the end zone until late in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
Defense: D + – The defense held Florida to 355 yards, including only 84 on the ground. The unit couldn’t come up with any big stops, nor turnovers, and it proved detrimental.
Special Teams: C – Gary Wunderlich missed a 29-yard field goal. One shining area was the Ole Miss special teams defense which denied Florida on both of its 2-point conversion attempts.
Coaching: D – Hugh Freeze’s squad had no answers to Florida on either side of the ball, and seemed overwhelmed by the loud conditions inside the stadium. The Rebels were flat and didn’t resemble what the No. 3 team in nation should look like.
Overall: D + – Ole Miss’ three-longest drives ended in a field goal, a missed field goal and an interception. It’s difficult to win that way when you regularly find ways to beat yourself.
GAME PLAN
Not much of your game plan goes according to how you drew it out on a chalkboard in a 38-10 loss. Hugh Freeze used 40 passing plays to 33 running plays, mostly due to passing situations with a big deficit. Neither worked very effectively. Freeze is catching heat on Twitter for deciding to kick a 22-yard field goal with 5:25 to play in the third quarter and the Rebels trailing 25-0. The drive lasted 19 plays and consumed 70 yards over 9:35 minutes. To come away with just three points after being down to the Florida 3-yard line left several questioning Freeze’s decision-making.
GAME BALLS
- P Will Gleeson: 5 punts, 43.8 yards per punt, 2 more-than 50 yards, 1 inside 20-yard line
- DB Trae Elston: 10 tackles, career-high 9 solo tackles, TFL
- WR Markell Pack: 18 receiving yards, 7-yard TD rec., 3 rush yards
INJURY REPORT
Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said after the game that Rebels running back Jaylen Walton was dealing with an ankle injury. The senior tailback and kick-return specialist made his last carry of the night during the Rebels’ opening drive of the third quarter. He finished with 23 yards on nine carries.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.