GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators conclude its home and conference schedules on Saturday against No. 9 Ole Miss, and after last week's upset over LSU, confidence is brewing in Gainesville.
The Gators' defense completely shut down the LSU offense behind a seven-sack effort, and Florida's offense found success behind its offensive line, which allowed zero sacks against the Tigers. Quarterback DJ Lagway continued his affective connection with Elijhah Badger, and Jadan Baugh and Ja'Kobi Jackson found success in the running game.
This week, however, it's another tough task at hand for the Gators with playoff-contender Ole Miss coming into town for Senior Day.
The Rebels boast the nation's best pass-rushing defense with an NCAA-leading 46 team sacks. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins is sixth nationally with 10 sacks, and former Gator Princely Umanmielen is right behind him wiht 9.5.
Meanwhile, Ole Miss's offense is led by one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Jaxson Dart, who is third nationally in yards (3,409) and first in the SEC in completion percentage (70.8). The Rebels also have the benefit of seeing Tre Harris, who is fifth nationally in receiving yards (987), return to the field after battling an injury.
A win for Florida would give the Gators bowl-eligibility and a second-straight ranked win for Billy Napier. And, after losses to four-win Kentucky and LSU, the losers of three-straight, another loss for the Rebels would be enough to knock them out of playoff contention.
A loss for Florida would mark the fourth-straight season with six losses and keep the Gators out of bowl eligibility for one more week.
Here’s everything you need to know for the Gators’ matchup against the Rebels, including broadcast information and betting odds as well as other game day information for those attending the game.
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Fla.
When: Saturday, Nov. 16, noon EST.
Other Gameday Info:
Watch: ABC
Weather: 59 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny with a zero percent chance of precipitation, according to Weather.com.
Odds: Ole Miss is considered an 11.5-point favorite over Florida in Week 13, according to FanDuel. The over/under is set at 55.5 points.
Series History: The series is 12-12-1. The Gators defeated the Rebels, 51-35, in the series' last matchup on Sept. 26, 2020, in Oxford (Miss.), extending its win streak in the series to two games.
What's At Stake: Florida sits one game away from bowl eligibility and a second-straight upset would further solidify the progress made by Napier and his program this season. Not to mention, the Gators are in the midst of a strong recruiting stretch after four commitments last week and are in position to potentially flip more highly rated recruits. Not to mention, a win over the Rebels would knock Ole Miss out of playoff contention and give Napier his first .500 SEC season as the Gators' head coach.