No. 3 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 25 Florida Gators
Saturday’s matchup between the No. 3 Ole Miss Rebels and No. 25 Florida Gators probably looked like just another average game heading into the season, but now that the Gators are ranked and the Rebels took down the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide two weeks ago, this is must-see TV.
Florida has yet to really play a team with much substance, let alone put an impressive win together. In fact, the Gators have wins over Kentucky and Tennessee by a combined six points — and neither team was really expected to be a contender this year. However, new head coach Jim McElwain seems to be bringing the winning culture back to Gainesville.
Ole Miss has a new quarterback leading the charge after Bo Wallace graduated, but the Rebels haven’t missed a step under Chad Kelly’s leadership. Beating Alabama a couple of weeks ago really put this team on the map, but they will need to beat the Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Saturday in order to keep the respect that they have earned.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Gainesville, FL
Stadium: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN app
Radio: For Ole Miss radio affiliates, click here. For Florida radio affiliates, click here.
Ticket information: For Ole Miss ticket info, click here. For Florida ticket info, click here.
Keys to Victory
Ole Miss Rebels
Chad Kelly really needs to establish the pass game early and hit Laquon Treadwell and Cody Core as much as possible. Florida’s defense seems to be very stingy on the ground, so getting Jaylen Walton going might not happen as easily. Kelly has been one of the biggest surprises in the SEC this season and Treadwell is possibly the best wide out in the conference. That needs to be taken advantage of.
As for the defense, slowing down Will Grier in his fourth start ever at quarterback for the Gators will be key. The run game isn’t all that impressive, so slowing down the aerial attack will be necessary.
Florida Gators
Will Grier is starting for the fourth time in a Gators uniform as the freshman quarterback had split snaps with Treon Harris through the first couple of games before winning the job. He is really the guy who is going to get this offense going and he will need to pass for about 300 yards and three touchdowns to give the Gators a chance in this one.
On the same note as Ole Miss, Florida will need to halt Chad Kelly’s attack. Laquon Treadwell and Cody Core are a dangerous combo of receivers, but if Florida can assert its strong defense, the Gators will have a chance to upset Ole Miss in The Swamp.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Ole Miss -7
Moneyline: Ole Miss -300, Florida +250
O/U: 51.5
Prediction
I think that Ole Miss will ultimately prove that Florida might be just a tad overrated. Winning two close games against middle-of-the-pack SEC squads doesn’t exactly prove that you’re worthy of beating the No. 3 team in the country, but upsets do happen.
Will Grier will have a solid game, but Chad Kelly will out-duel him and take home a close win. The game will be tied at the half, but the Gators will allow a quick score in the second half to the Rebels and won’t be able to recover.
Final Score: Ole Miss 37, Florida 30
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