The Florida Gators defeated the No. 4 ranked Ole Miss Rebels in Gainesville, marking the first time the Gators have beaten a top-5 team since a victory over Georgia in 2020. The win came after a high-intensity game against LSU and former coach Lane Kiffin the previous week, though the atmosphere in the Swamp was distinct from that prior matchup.
Florida entered the game as the No. 21 team in the nation, facing an Ole Miss squad that arrived at No. 4. The Gators controlled the early stages of the contest, with running back Jadan Baugh opening the scoring on a short run to the end zone. Kicker Patrick Durkin added an extra point and later secured another three points with a field goal in the first quarter.
Ole Miss recorded their first points early in the second quarter with a field goal, followed by another late in the period. However, those two field goals were separated by another rushing touchdown for Baugh. The Gators took a 17-6 lead into halftime.
The second half saw both offenses find success on the ground. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss scored a rushing touchdown on the team's first drive of the half. Florida responded immediately with a rushing touchdown from running back Duke Clark. The ground game defined the contest, as Florida posted 302 rushing yards. Both Baugh and Clark rushed for over 100 yards each, making it the first time two Gators have achieved that milestone in the same game since 2022.
Florida led for the entire duration of the game and extended their advantage in the fourth quarter. During that final period, the Gators scored their only passing touchdown of the day, which occurred during one of their seven trips to the red zone. The Gators' offense has been consistent this season, scoring more than 50 points in all but one game. The sole exception was last weekend's contest against Auburn, where Florida scored 44 points.
This victory is expected to impact national rankings. Florida will next face the No. 19 Missouri Tigers, while Ole Miss will look to recover in a couple of weeks against Vanderbilt.