Football
Ole Miss all but eliminated from playoff with shocking loss
Florida’s 24-17 win against Ole Miss will remove the Rebels from playoff contention.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The football gods gave No. 9 Ole Miss every chance to tie the game on the final drive of Saturday’s game against Florida.
The Rebels avoided a false start penalty (and 10 second runoff) with less than 60 seconds to play when Florida called a timeout. The Rebels then got another huge break when a Gator interception was ruled an incomplete pass which left them in a third-and-10 situation from midfield and just 24 seconds left in the game.
Those were two huge, game-saving breaks for Ole Miss. But on the very next play, Jaxson Dart threw an interception that wouldn’t be overturned on review, sealing a 24-17 win for Florida.
DUNK ON 'EM @Brycethornton_2
📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/jUgk5FuZpV
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 23, 2024
The loss almost certainly eliminates any chance Ole Miss has at earning a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Rebels now have losses to unranked Florida, Kentucky and LSU. Not even their win against then No. 3 Georgia can overcome those blemishes.
It’s a disappointing and shocking loss for the Rebels, but they simply didn’t play like the No. 9 team in the nation.
Dart had his first multi-interception game since 2022 was sacked four times, lost his best receiver (Tre Harris) in the first half and JJ Pegues was stopped short of a first down or touchdown for the first time all season. In fact, he was stopped three times.
Final from Gainesville. pic.twitter.com/dxcuZMzkFW
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 23, 2024
The Rebels’ nation-best pass rush registered just three sacks, but did manage to hold Florida to 344 yards of total offense.
Ole Miss will wrap up its regular season next week when it hosts Mississippi State for the annual Egg Bowl game at Vaught Hemingway Stadium.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
| Thu, Jan 2 |  | vs Duke (Gator Bowl) | 6:30 PM • ESPN |