By Garin Turner
After an emotional win last week against LSU, No. 4 Ole Miss fell flat against the No. 21 Florida Gators in SEC action 52-28. The loss drops Ole Miss to 3-1, 1-1 in the SEC while the Gators move to 4-0, and 2-0 in the SEC.
Ole Miss fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter and played catch-up the entire game. Florida scored on the opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. Ole Miss turned it over on downs on its first possession and the Gators turned that into three points. After an Ole Miss punt, the Gators would turn it over on downs.
The first possessions for both teams in the second quarter ended in a punt. Ole Miss got on the board with a field goal but the Gators answered with a touchdown to push the lead to 17-3. Ole Miss would kick a second field goal for a 17-6 Gator halftime lead.
Ole Miss found the endzone for the first time on the opening drive in the third when quarterback Trinidad Chambliss scored from eight yards out. Ole Miss converted on the two-point conversion to shorten the Gators lead to 17-14. The teams would trade touchdowns. Florida scored after four plays, Ole Miss went on a 14 play, 74-yard drive that was capped off by another
Chambliss run, this one from 10 yards out. Florida would score again three plays later to push the lead to 31-21. A costly fumble would cost Ole Miss, as Florida would score another touchdown.
Ole Miss got the lead back down to 10 on a two-yard Chambliss pass to Deuce Alexander. The defense couldn’t stop Florida as they would score two more touchdowns. Chambliss went 25/34 for 298 yards and a touchdown, he was the leading
rusher with seven carries for 44 yards and the two scores. He also had the two costly turnovers, the fumble and an interception.
Alexander had seven catches for 134 yards and the touchdown. Ole Miss was without star running back Kewan Lacy.
Up Next
Florida is on the road next Saturday against No. 19 Missouri. Ole Miss has a bye and then they’re on the road to face Vanderbilt on Oct. 10.
