(Photo: AOL.com)
Campus Clash
(4) Ole Miss Rebels at (21) Florida Gators
Ole Miss (3-0):
That was some game on Saturday night, wasn’t it? There were so many storylines leading up to that game, and I had never seen Oxford show up and show out for a game quite like that. Prior to that showdown against Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers, I said two things, with the first being the hype surrounding a regular-season game, whether that’s in the NFL or college football, as in this instance. The second, and most important, was that the biggest matchup in this game didn’t even take place on the field. It was between Lane and now-Head Coach Pete Golding. This game on Saturday night lived up to the hype, and they sent their former coach back to Baton Rouge with a loss. Next to Darien Mensah, Trinidad Chambliss is the best quarterback in the country, and I said this on Monday Evening Quarterback as well. He reminds me a lot of Russell Wilson, and his command of this offense stood out to me. That was such an impressive win for the Rebels. Although they did blow a 17-point lead, they still found a way to escape and make one more defensive play when it mattered. What I’ve been impressed with so far is Pete Golding and how he’s made it clear that this is his program through his actions. After Lane departed, Pete inherited an enormous amount of expectations, and I can say the game this past Saturday was his first defining moment. They blew the lead, as I mentioned, but still found a way to win. This is now Pete’s program. This Saturday afternoon, the Rebels will make their way to Gainesville for a conference showdown.
Florida (3-0):
I’ve seen this program undergo changes. Now, let’s get this out of the way: this isn’t the program that won two national titles in consecutive seasons with Urban Meyer as the head coach and Tim Tebow as the starting quarterback. After Urban, they’ve had their share of coaches, from Will Muschamp to Jim McElwain. One of the best they had was Dan Mullen, who I thought was one of the best coaches in the nation, and I still remember when he led this team to the SEC Championship Game in 2020 with Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts. Let’s just admit it: the Billy Napier era was a disaster, and relieving him of his duties was a much-needed move they had to make. The Jon Sumrall hire looks really good so far, and the Florida Gators have bought into their new coach. Jon took Tulane to the College Football Playoff last season, and now, this is a much different Gators program. The reason why they’ve struggled so much has been due to inconsistent play at the most important position, which is quarterback. Now, I like the fact that they haven’t asked him to shoulder all the responsibility of carrying the offense. He has his share of weapons around him, such as Jadan Baugh, Dallas Wilson, and Vernell Brown III. In their first conference game of the year, they went into Auburn and won, which isn’t always easy. You have to earn the game when you’re playing there, and the most important thing is that they scored 44 points. In an SEC with so many heavy hitters, it’s understandable why you don’t hear much about them. The Gators return to The Swamp for a huge showdown with Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday.
Ole Miss X-Factor: Deuce Alexander
I’ll be paying attention to one of the best wide receivers in the country in this game. Deuce is a smaller receiver who plays with zero fear. He can make those tough catches in traffic and has no issues going over the middle to help move the chains. I like the fact that Deuce has shown he can put up numbers and produce against top competition, and he had a solid game against LSU in Week 3. He also makes Florida’s game plan defensively more of a challenge because they have to account for Chambliss and his versatility, along with Kewan Lacy out of the backfield. Florida must account for his ability to turn normal throws into chunk plays.
Florida X-Factor: Jadan Baugh
This is a Gators offense with its share of weapons, and Jadan is one of them. He is an explosive runner who can run between the tackles or bounce outside with the ball. Against Auburn in Week 3, Jadan finished that game with 162 rushing yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns. He can also take some pressure off Philo, which means they don’t have to rely as much on the passing attack to beat the Rebels. One big explosive run can change the dynamic of a football game, and they must control the clock against the Ole Miss offense.
Final Thoughts:
This is the biggest game for the Florida Gators in recent memory. They’re ranked 21st in the nation in the AP Poll, and they’re sitting at 3-0. On the other side, the Ole Miss Rebels have jumped up to fourth in the polls after their big win against LSU in Week 3. For years, I’ve always said The Swamp isn’t always the easiest place to play, and I’m expecting this crowd to be alive and rocking on Saturday. After big victories, that emotion can sometimes carry over into the following week, and I’ll be watching Ole Miss and how they come out early in this game. The Rebels must shut down and contain Baugh from creating easy first downs for the Florida offense to remain on schedule, get Deuce Alexander the ball early and make Florida account for him, and handle this environment. This is their first road game of the season. The most important key for the Florida Gators is to clean up the penalties. Against the Auburn Tigers, they committed 16 penalties for 138 yards, and those self-inflicted moments can be costly against this Ole Miss team. Next, can they pressure Chambliss without selling out? Because if they do, that could create isolation routes down the field for his receivers. Finally, they need to feed Jadan Baugh the ball as often as possible, and I say that because it keeps Ole Miss from teeing off on Aaron Philo.
