FINAL: Florida 24, No. 9 Ole Miss 17

FLORIDA 24, No. 9 OLE MISS 17

What Occurred

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Senior tailback Montrell Johnson Jr. scored on a 5-yard run out of the wildcat formation with 7:41 remaining and sophomore security Bryce Thornton intercepted Heisman Trophy hopeful Jaxson Dart twice within the remaining minute and half, because the Florida Gators shocked No. 9 Ole Miss by bottling up the Rebels’ high-scoring offense in a 24-17 upset earlier than a Saturday sold-out, sonic-booming Spurrier/Florida Area. 

For the Gators, the win was their second in as many weeks in opposition to a ranked opponent, following final week’s defeat of No. 21 LSU. It additionally clinched bowl eligibility, in addition to positioning the crew for a successful document for a 2024 season that started two months in the past with ugly house losses to Miami and Texas A&M. 

As soon as once more, it was freshman quarterback DJ Lagway injecting life into his crew. Lagway accomplished 10 of 17 passes for 180 yards and two first-half touchdowns and one interception, however this present day belonged to the Florida protection, a unit that began the day ranked No. 98 total and tied for eightieth within the nation in scoring. On the opposite facet was a Mississippi offense ranked No. 2 nationally at 539.5 yards per recreation and fourth in scoring at 40.7 factors per. The Rebels approached the primary quantity (464 yards), however by no means got here near the latter — the one which issues — because of the bend-don’t-break UF execution that restricted Ole Miss to simply three second-half factors and held the Rebs scoreless in all three of its red-zone alternatives.

Johnson, on his senior day, carried 18 instances for 107 yards, none larger than the 5 when he switched locations with Lagway, took a direct snap on second-and-goal and sliced in off the correct facet of the road to interrupt a 17-all tie inside eight minutes left within the recreation. Dart, who accomplished 24 of 41 makes an attempt for 323 yards, two TDs and two picks, drove the Rebels to the UF 40, however the drive stalled with a Tyreak Sapp/Caleb Banks sack on third-and-10 that pressured a punt with 6:26 to go. 

The Rebels received the ball again with 3:58 to go at their very own 22. Dart dashed for an enormous first down on third-and-6, however from the Florida 39 tried to drive a deep ball down the center for Antwane Wells Jr., who was blanketed by the UF secondary. The cross sailed into triple protection and was intercepted by a leaping Thornton ultimately zone for a touchback with 1:32 to go. 

Ole Miss had all three timeouts remaining and known as one after three consecutive UF working performs, forcing a Jeremy Crawshaw punt of solely 39 yards that began the Rebels at their 34 with 1:03 left. Sapp sacked Dart on first down, however a 19-yard completion on the following play moved Ole Miss to the UF 48 with 34 seconds remaining. On the following play, Dart was pressured to his proper and, showing to attempt to throw the ball out of bounds, as a substitute hit a sliding Thornton within the chest for the game-sealing turnover with 24 seconds to go. 

The loss was a devastating one for the Rebels, who got here into the sport within the center of the Faculty Soccer Playoff image, however virtually actually have been eradicated. 

The Gators completed with 344 yards of offense, together with 180 on the bottom and had simply the one turnover to 3 for the Rebels. 

Each groups had a pair of lengthy first-half scoring drives completed off by landing passes. The Gators received on the board first by going 89 yards in 11 performs and, on the primary snap of the second quarter, Lagway fired an 8-yard rating to Elijhah Badger on third-and-goal. Dart wanted simply seven snaps to even the rely with a 43-yard bomb to Tre Harris, who beat Thornton and Dijon Johnson on a deep publish to tie the sport at 7-all. 

The Rebels capitalized on a excessive, tipped Lagway cross that was intercepted by security John Saunders Jr. on the Ole Miss 45. After a 25-yard completion to Jordan Watkins on fourth and a pair of, Dart completed the drive with a 22-yard landing strike to Cayden Lee for a 14-7 lead. Lagway wanted solely 4 performs to drag his crew even on the following drive. He checked down a third-and-2 cross that Badger took 27 yards into Rebels’ territory and, after a face masks penalty, hit tailback Jadan Baugh on a display and (because of an ideal kick-out block from guard Damieon George Jr.) zipped in for a 25-yard rating to knot the sport at 14. 

The third quarter was an change of area objectives, a 53-yarder by UF’s Trey Smacokay and 42-yarder from Mississippi’s Caden Davis, that despatched the groups into the fourth quarter even at 17, setting the stage for the wild fourth quarter. 

What it Means

Within the Highlight

A pair weeks in the past, the notion that Johnson, who got here to UF with Napier from Louisiana, had performed his remaining recreation as a Gator was one thing that was being mentioned. As an alternative, he returned from damage for a couple of carries final week and saved considered one of his most interesting hours for an emotional, richly satisfying senior day. What a method to exit.  

Staggering Statistic

Earlier than Saturday, the final time Florida defeated ranked opponents in back-to-back video games was in 2008 — this system’s final nationwide championship season — when the Gators beat No. 23 Florida State 45-15 on the highway, then per week later upset No. 1 Alabama within the SEC Championship Sport in Atlanta. The final time an unranked UF crew (like this one) gained consecutive video games in opposition to ranked foes? That was approach again in 2003, underneath Ron Zook, when the Gators beat No. 6 and eventual nationwide champ LSU 19-7, adopted by a 33-28 upset of No. 11 Arkansas. Each of these wins have been on the highway. 

Up Subsequent

Florida (6-5, 4-4) will wrap the common season with its annual end-of-year showdown in opposition to rival Florida State at Tallahassee. The Seminoles (2-9, 1-7), who routed FCS-classified Charleston Southern 41-7 Saturday, are within the midst of one of many worst seasons in program historical past, however can destroy all these good Gator vibes with a house win subsequent weekend.

E mail senior author Chris Harry at [email protected]