So much for No. 3 Ole Miss’s triumphant rise to the top of the college football world. The Rebels had a chance to solidify their College Football Playoff hopes after winning at Alabama, but the Playoff looks like a distant dream after a loss to No. 25 Florida.
Ole Miss vs. Florida final score, plus 3 things to know about the Gators’ 38-10 win
Gators are back?
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Gators, on the other hand, look like the SEC team everyone should be talking about. For all the hype Georgia and Tennessee got heading into the season, Florida made a statement that it might be the team to beat in the SEC East. The Gators came out firing behind quarterback Will Grier, who had an outstanding game despite battling the flu all week (along with many Florida players).
Grier wasn’t even the sure starter earlier this year, and against a vaunted Ole Miss defense, he led his team to a 25-0 first-half lead. He threw four touchdowns in the first half, the first time a Florida player has done that since Chris Leak in 2005.
The Florida defense is as good as it has ever been, but with the offense finally playing up to its talent level in the Gators’ first year under Jim McElwain, this team has the ability to go really far.
Three things to know
1. Is Florida Florida again? The Gators have a really good quarterback in Will Grier, and they have the defense to go with it. Grier’s performance against Ole Miss can’t be overstated, particularly considering the circumstances — he has the flu and he was facing a defense that’s known for hitting hard. No matter, Grier was up to the task, and Florida might be the new favorite to win the SEC East. These Gators are rapidly improving, and they’re back on the big stage.
2. So where does Ole Miss go next? Like this year, the Rebels looked like one of the best teams in the country in early 2014, but they collapsed midway through the season. Hugh Freeze’s team still has games against Texas A&M and LSU coming up, so Ole Miss can’t let this game ruin its season.
3. Tim Tebow’s famous “Promise Speech” came against Ole Miss in 2008. This Florida team kept his promise.
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