Florida football is off to its first 4-0 start since 2019 after running the Ole Miss Rebels out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium by a final score of 52-28 on Saturday afternoon.
The Gators got out in front early with a 10-point lead at the end of the first 15 minutes, but the Rebels returned and cut the lead to three heading into the locker room at halftime. The two SEC rivals played tug-of-war in the third quarter before the Orange and Blue took control in the final frame.
Jon Sumrall's squad put on a clinic on the ground, rushing for 302 yards on 52 carries spearheaded by a pair of 100-plus-yard efforts from Jadan Baugh (142 yards on 29 attempts) and Duke Clark (126 yards on 12 attempts). While the defense had some shaky moments, it came through
when it mattered, and the special teams had a strong showing in the Swamp.
Immediately after the dust settled on the Week 4 rumble, the Gators Wire staff submitted their instant reactions and analysis to the victory in good, bad and ugly format. Here is what we had to offer.
Michael Long
GOOD: Florida's star running back keeps legitimizing the Heisman chatter. Jadan Baugh scored multiple touchdowns in a game for the fourth consecutive time this season and looked every bit as dominant against the No. 4 team in the nation as he did against FCS program Campbell. The Doak Walker Award watchlist honoree totaled 83 yards in the first half alone and found the end zone twice before the break.
Duke Clark responded after Ole Miss cut the lead to three, breaking free for an electric 45-yard dash that lit up the Swamp. Florida responded every time Ole Miss sliced the lead to single digits. Jon Sumrall's team capped the third quarter with an Aaron Philo rushing TD after Montgomery's 74-yard kickoff return.
BAD: Aaron Philo was praised for his accuracy after transferring from Georgia Tech this offseason and it was supposed to be one of the reasons he beat out redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr., but it was his lack of precision that raised some concerns on Saturday. Philo's misfires cost the Gators two opportunities to extend the first-half lead.
While Florida ultimately pulled out a victory, it's safe to question whether the team is winning in spite of Philo's deficiencies.
UGLY: Trinidad Chambliss gashed the Gators' secondary to start the second half for a 49-yard bomb that set up the score that cut Florida's lead to three. The Gators' defense provided little resistance on the following possession as Chambliss scored on back-to-back possessions to start the second half. Penalties emerged as something to watch for Brad White's group in the second half as penalties helped propel two Ole Miss scoring drives.
Adam Dubbin
GOOD: Florida's special teams were particularly special on Saturday, gaining a total of 264 return yards on six chances and scoring 10 points on field goals and extra points — going perfect on all eight total attempts.
London Montgomery had a monster day, returning three kicks for 128 yards with a longest run of 74 yards, while Alec Clark brought back a pair of punts for a total of 113 yards with a longest return of 70 yards. Maybe even more impressive is that Vernell Brown III — who had been the big name on the unit in previous games — did not get a single touch.
Those returns shortened the field significantly for the Gators' offense, which was critical in their success given Philo's continued struggles with downfield passes.
BAD: Inability to contain Chambliss on the ground made this game a lot closer than it should be in the middle minutes, allowing him to scamper a total of 44 yards on seven carries for a pair of scores, with many runs through wide-open holes in the defensive line.
Florida also managed just one sack, but the corps does get a gold star for the forced fumble out of Chambliss' hand. Still, quarterbacks with even a modicum of mobility seem to be a bit of an Achilles heel for Brad White's squad.
UGLY: Penalties again reared their ugly head, and while it was not quite as egregious as last weekend against Auburn, the yellow flag killed some big plays and gave Ole Miss more opportunities than it deserved. Florida finished with eight penalties for 92 yards, but it was the timing of those mistakes that exacerbated things.
The SEC is packed with unforgiving opponents and the Gators cannot afford to shoot themselves in the foot against the likes of Texas and Georgia. Hopefully, Sumrall can find a way to instill a little more discipline into his team as they dig deeper into the thick of the conference schedule.
David Rosenberg
GOOD: Duke Clark is legit, huh? Florida has two really good backs it can beat teams with — without needing a receiving corps. I'm always happy to see these performances come in big games. It leaves the "Yeah, but it was against a good Group of Four" argument a non-factor.
Florida can run it down a top-5 team's throat and drop a 50-burger. Do something about it. This Sumrall guy was serious about winning now. The Gators are officially a team to talk about after that dominant win.
BAD: Doing the "bad" in these always suck because I don't feel like anyone was really bad. You don't punish a good cornerback for not getting thrown at, right? Chambliss threw for 300, Alexander caught 135, and they have no run game without Lacy. This is what playing the opponent looks like.
UGLY: Injuries aren't good. We saw Bryce Lovett, Vernell Brown III and a few other players show discomfort on the sides. Bailey Stockton being awake is a good sign, but that was a rough hit he took.
Michael Trim Jr.
GOOD: Jadan Baugh has legitimately positioned himself to be the best running back in the country. After today, the All-SEC back has double-digit touchdowns this season after a hat-trick performance. He also added 142 rushing yards to his season total, helping establish the Gators as one of the conference's premier teams.
BAD: The defense continues its bend-don’t-break, don’t-break mentality after giving up 28 points to Ole Miss. Florida’s defense was able to force two fumbles and an interception in their victory over the top-five team.
UGLY: This isn’t necessarily ugly, but Aaron Philo looked very pedestrian. The Gators' starting quarterback completed less than 70% of his passes but did miss a couple of throws that could have pushed the lead further in this ranked matchup.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Instant reactions from Florida's home win against Ole Miss in Week 4
