Ole Miss drew a record 70,033 fans for the win over LSU. That crowd was the largest in school history. The Rebels also picked up their first SEC win of 2026 and Pete Golding’s first conference win as head coach. Still, Florida is entering the next game as the slight betting favorite.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
A reporter told Jon Sumrall that Florida was favored at home against No. 4 Ole Miss. “Who has us favored against these guys?” Sumrall asked during Florida’s weekly press conference on September 21. After being told it was the Vegas point spread, he added, “There’s a lot of good drugs out there, huh?” The comment showed how highly he views the Rebels.
Both teams sit at 3-0, and Florida is ranked No. 21 after a 44-39 road win at Auburn. Ole Miss is No. 4 after beating LSU 32-24. Vegas still listed Florida as a 2.5- to 3.5-point favorite due to home-field advantage in The Swamp.
“We may get added points in Las Vegas for the home-field advantage, more than normal,” Sumrall noted.
Sumrall coached against Ole Miss twice last season at Tulane and lost both games. One came under Lane Kiffin, and the other came under current Rebels coach Golding. He has called Ole Miss well-coached, portal-savvy, and well-resourced.
The player who makes Ole Miss dangerous is Trinidad Chambliss. He has completed 77 of 110 passes for 924 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions at 70% completion rate. He has also added 64 rushing yards and 2 scores.
Against LSU, Chambliss went 33 of 48 for 363 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and 1 interception, plus a 14-yard rushing touchdown. He led a 75-yard drive after LSU tied the game.
Vegas still likes Florida in part because of Jadan Baugh. The running back has 54 carries for 458 yards and 8 touchdowns. He leads the SEC in rushing and ran for 160 yards and 3 touchdowns against FAU and 162 yards and 3 touchdowns at Auburn. Ole Miss ranks 119th in rushing offense and 98th against the run.
Florida does not lean only on Baugh. Aaron Philo has completed 47 of 64 passes for 721 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions at 73.4%. The Gators average 54.0 points and 544.3 yards per game. They rush for 246 yards per game with 12 rushing touchdowns.
However, Florida’s pass defense ranks 98th and allows 231.7 yards per game. On the other hand, Ole Miss throws for 330.7 yards per game, eighth nationally. Deuce Alexander leads the Rebels with 20 catches for 295 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Kewan Lacy adds another X factor. He has 39 carries for 191 yards and 4 touchdowns. He left the LSU game with a left shoulder injury. X-rays were negative, and an MRI followed on Sunday. The injury is not expected to be long-term, but his status for Saturday remains uncertain.
Golding said Lacy wanted to return but was kept out. Backup JT Lindsey managed only 20 yards on 4 carries against LSU.
“Look, I don’t think anybody came here to beat LSU… Yes, is it sweet? Absolutely. And go enjoy, you know, it’s a night for sure, but you know, we got to come back to work tomorrow. We got a really, really good Florida team next week. …” Golding said this after the LSU victory. “It wasn’t the Super Bowl, and we didn’t make it to be the Super Bowl.”
This will be Golding’s first game against Florida as a head coach. His overall head-coaching record is 5-1, including 3-0 this season. As Ole Miss defensive coordinator, he faced Florida twice. A 24-17 loss in Gainesville in 2024 and a 34-24 win in Oxford in 2025.
Florida reached 3-0 with wins over Florida Atlantic 66-21, Campbell 52-3, and Auburn 44-39. The Auburn game was the statement. Florida became the first team to rush for 200-plus yards at Jordan-Hare under Auburn’s current defensive staff, though it also drew 16 penalties. On the other side, Ole Miss beat No. 24 Louisville 41-38, Charlotte 41-9, and No. 7 LSU 32-24. The all-time series sits tied 13-13-1.