Florida football played spoiler again at The Swamp against No. 9 Ole Miss.
Montrell Johnson scored the go-ahead 9-yard touchdown with 7:40 remaining, and the Florida Gators held on to upset the Rebels 24-17 before a sellout crowd Saturday afternoon.
With the win, Florida (6-5, 4-4 SEC) cliched bowl eligibility and posted its first .500 season in conference play since 2020. It also spoiled the College Football Playoff hopes of Ole Miss (8-3. 4-3 SEC) as UF picked up its second straight win against a ranked team.
With the score tied at 17, freshman quarterback DJ Lagway led Florida on the go-ahead four-play, 67-yard TD drive in the fourth quarter. Lagway started it by connecting with Florida senior wide receiver Chimere Dike on a 41-yard pass to the Ole Miss 26. Johnson followed with a 12-yard run to get UF into the red zone.
From there, Florida’s bend-but-don’t-break defense held. With Ole Miss driving for a potential tying score, safety Bryce Thornton intercepted Jaxson Dart in the end zone with 1:32 left. Thornton then intercepted a Dart pass with 17 seconds left to seal the win.
Ole Miss outgained Florida 464-364 but came up scoreless on three red zone trips, turning the ball over on downs twice and missing a 34-yard field goal attempt.
Johnson rushed for 127 yards on 18 carries and a TD, while Lagway went 10-of-17 passing for 180 yards with two TDs and an interception to improve to 4-1 as a UF starter.
Montrell Johnson Jr. caps a 4-play, 67-yard TD with a 9-yard TD run on a direct snap, putting Florida up 24-17 on Ole Miss with 7:40 remaining. The big play on the drive was a 41-yard pass from quarterback DJ Lagway to wide receiver Chimere Dike.
Gators remain tied despite just generating just four yards of offense in the third quarter. Ole Miss has outgained Florida 374-234 but is 0-for-3 on red zone scoring opportunities.
Ole Miss ties the score back up 17-17 with 45 seconds left in the third quarter. The Rebels drive 27 yards in seven plays, capped by a 42-yard Caden Davis field goal. Davis missed a 34-yard attempt earlier in the game.
Ole Miss opts to go for it on 4th-and-1 from the Florida 11-yard line but tight end JJ Pegues is stopped for no gain as the Rebels turn the ball over on downs. Myles Graham and Cam Jackson are in on the tackle.
Florida takes advantage of a muffed punt by Ole Miss, as defensive back DJ Douglas recovered it at the Ole Miss 38 yard line. The Gatos only drove three yards, but Trey Smack connected on a 53-yard field goal, putting Florida up 17-14 on Ole Miss with 10:57 left in the third quarter.
Florida chooses to run out clock in first half rather than try to drive for a field goal. Gators will receive kickoff to start the second half. Good quarterback duel going between Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart and Florida quarterback DJ Lagway. Dart 16-23, 237 yards, 2 TDs. Lagway 6-9, 110 yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception. Ole Miss outgained Florida 270-232 in the first half. Ole Miss receiver Tre Harris is out for the rest of the game after suffering an injury late in the first half.
Florida ties in back up, as DJ Lagway connects with running back Jadan Baugh on a 25-yard catch-and-run TD pass. Florida drives 75 yards in 4 plays. Another big play on the drive was Lagway finding Elijhah Badger on a 27-yard catch and run down to the Ole Miss 40-yard line.
Off a DJ Lagway interception, Ole Miss drives 5 plays in 55 yards for a TD, as quarterback Jaxson Dart connects with wide receiver Cayden Lee on a 22-yard TD pass. The big play on the drive came on 4th-and-2 from the UF 44, when Dart connected with recevier Jordan Watkins on a 22-yard gain.
Ole Miss ties the score 7-7 with 12:01 left in the second quarter as Jaxson Dart connects with Tre Harris on a 43-yard TD pass. Florida cornerback Dijon Johnson and safety Bryce Thornton beaten deep in coverage. Heck of a throw by Dart as well.
Florida gets on the board first as quarterback DJ Lagway connects with receiver Elijhah Badger on an 8-yard TD pass, putting the Gators up 7-0. It’s the eighth TD pass of the season for Lagway. Ole Miss safety Yam Banks suffers a leg injury on the play trying to cover Badger and is carted off the field.
Gators in red zone, will have big 3rd-and-goal play from Ole Miss 8 to start the second quarter. Florida outgained Ole Miss 97-66 in the first quarter.
Florida football’s defense comes up with a big red zone stop, taking the ball over on down after Ole Miss gets no gain on 4th-and-1 from UF’s 11-yard line. Freshman linebacker Myles Graham came up with the stop.
On the third play of the game, Florida football defensive back Aaron Gates is taken to the locker room in the first half with an apparent leg injury, Another blow to UF’s thin secondary.
Florida honors its 21 seniors on Senior Day. Among the players who received the biggest ovations were wide receiver Chimere Dike, defensive lineman Desmond Watson and quarterback Graham Mertz.
Florida’s top three cornerbacks are among 12 players out for its meeting with Ole Miss. Wide receiver Tre Harris is back for the Rebels
Florida’s banged-up secondary will struggle stopping a high-powered Ole Miss offense led by quarterback Jaxson Dart and receiver Tre Harris. DJ Lagway will make some plays for Florida, but not enough to prevent UF from falling in its home finale at The Swamp.
Final Score prediction: Ole Miss 35, Florida 24
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Nov. 22
Betting line: Ole Miss -11.5
O/U: 55.5 points
Per Weather.com, the forecast for the Florida-Ole Miss game at kickoff at The Swamp in Gainesville, Fla., is 59 degrees with 0% chance of rain with winds from the northeast at 8 mph.
The Florida football vs Ole Miss game is sold out, though tickets remain available on secondary markets such as such as StubHub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek.
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