Ole Miss in battle with Florida after first half

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 9 Ole Miss is in a fight down in the swamp.

The Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) are tied with Florida (5-5, 3-4 SEC) are tied 14-14 at halftime of Saturday’s game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Ole Miss’s top five defense has struggled to stop the Gators’ offense, led by DJ Lagway who has thrown for more than 100 yards and escaped the nation’s best pass rush on multiple occasions. Florida has gained 220 total yards in the first half, including 110 on the ground.

“We have to tackle this quarterback,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said during his halftime interview. “Their quarterback is making huge plays.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the Rebels have struggled mightily to run the ball  with just 35 yards. Jaxson Dart is closing in on Eli Manning’s record for passing yards at Ole Miss. He’s thrown for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

Hit that cellyyyy Cayden 🕺@Cayden_X_Lee | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/4Q8dsNYgTn

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 23, 2024

The Rebels will need to find some success running the ball with wide receiver Tre Harris leaving the game in the second quarter with an injury that may prevent him from returning.

Another cause for concern is the Gators’ defense doing something no other team has done: stop JJ Pegues. The Rebels’ 300-pound brusier running the ball was stopped short of a first down on the Rebels’ second drive of the game (he did pick a first down later in the half).

Ole Miss knows it must beat Florida to make the playoffs. But the Gators are making that very difficult.

Look Ma, One Hand 🖐️@john5aunders | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/w1Zz5ZHfIc

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 23, 2024