No. 9 Ole Miss and Florida square off Saturday afternoon in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in a must-win game for the visiting team's College Football Playoff chances.
The Rebels (8-2 overall, 4-2 in the SEC) and the Gators (5-5, 3-4) kickoff at 11 a.m. CDT/noon EST. The game will be televised nationally by ABC.
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Teams: No. 9 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2) at Florida (5-5, 3-4)
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548)
Series: Tied, 12-12-1
Time: 11 a.m. CST
Where to Watch: ABC (Bob Wischusen, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath)
Live Stream: ESPN App/SEC Network+
How To Listen: SiriusXM: 81 -- 106/190, Ole Miss Radio Network,
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
Odds: Ole Miss -10, Over/Under 55.5, Money Lines: Ole Miss -375, Florida +295 (per DraftKings)
Team Leaders:
Passing:
Ole Miss — Jaxson Dart, 3,409 yards; Florida -- DJ Lagway, 1,297 yards
Rushing:
Ole Miss — Henry Parrish, Jr., -- 678 yards; Florida -- Jadan Baugh, 476 yards
Receiving:
Ole Miss — Tre Harris -- 987 yards; Florida -- Elijah Badger, 691 yards
Gameday Schedule
https://floridagators.com/feature/football-gameday
Notes:
-- This is the 26th meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Florida, as the two teams have played to a 12-12-1 tie through 25 meetings, dating back to 1926. Ole Miss won the first-ever meeting in Gainesville in 1926 and held a 7-1-1 advantage through the first nine meetings from 1926-58. Florida went on an 8-2 run through the 1990s, and the teams have split six games this century.
-- Ole Miss leads the all-time series in Gainesville at 6-4-1, including a 2-1 record since the year 2000. Perhaps the most memorable trip to The Swamp came in 2008, when the Rebels stunned No. 4 Florida. At the end of a back-and-forth affair, Kentrell Lockett blocked a Gator extra point attempt to spell the difference in a 31-30 win. Marcus Temple halted Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow on 4th-and-1 to end it, prompting Tebow's iconic, "The Promise" speech. The Gators reeled off 10 straight victories, no team coming within single digits, and won the national title.
-- Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. worked with Florida head coach Billy Napier at Alabama. Napier was the wide receivers coach (2013-16), Weis an offensive analyst (2015-16) and Kiffin the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2014-16). They all moved on after 2016—Napier went on to be the offensive coordinator at Arizona State before earning the head coaching job at Louisiana, while Kiffin and Weis went to Florida Atlantic, then Ole Miss.
-- Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris has missed each of the last three full games, as well as the second half against both LSU and South Carolina, but he still leads the SEC and ranks No. 5 nationally with 987 receiving yards. His 8.4 receptions per game are good for No. 3 nationally, while Jordan Watkins ranks No. 8 with 21.3 yards per reception. Harris' reuniting with Watkins, along with the rest of the weapons at receiver and tight end, will once again give Ole Miss arguably the nation's best pass-catching corps.
"Having him back is going to be big-time for us if he is able to go on Saturday," Watkins said. "He adds big-time playmaking ability like everybody else in the room. From anywhere on the field, we can score. Having him out there is going to change the way they play defense."
-- Ole Miss football junior defensive tackle Walter Nolen has been named a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America and announced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee on Wednesday evening.
Nolen is one of seven semifinalists overall and one of just two defensive players to make the cut for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation's best college interior lineman on offense or defense. Nolen is the first defensive tackle at Ole Miss to make the Outland Trophy semifinalist stage. Offensive tackle Michael Oher is the Rebels' lone previous finalist in 2008.
Injury Report (as of Thursday night)
Ole Miss
WR Izaiah Hartrup (Out)
RB Henry Parrish (Out)
RB Logan Diggs (Questionable)
Florida
DB Ja'Keem Jackson (Out)
DB Jason Marshall (Out)
WR Eugene Wilson (Out)
RB Treyaun Webb (Out)
ILB Grayson Howard (Out)
QB Graham Mertz (Out)
DB Asa Turner (Out)
WR Kahleil Jackson (Out)
DB Devin Moore (Out)
OL Devon Manuel (Out)
DL Jamari Lyons (Out)
OL Roderick Kearney (Out)
What they said:
"Lane has always been that guy. He's got tremendous experience. You know, I think Lane has shown a ton of growth in my opinion.I obviously know him well. When his dad passed away, we spent a lot of time talking about some of that. Obviously I had been through that. He's a coach's son. I'm a coach's son. I think we love ball, right? We love everything about the game.Lane continues -- you know, he has had multiple opportunities as a head coach. I think maybe this is his fourth opportunity. So just in general a very accomplished and experienced coach." -- Florida coach Billy Napier
"I think overall we have to do a good job of keeping (Dart) in the pocket, but also getting him off his spot and creating pressure.I think that Ole Miss does a tremendous job with the tempo of their offense. I think they do a good job of moving the ball downfield, taking vertical shots, getting the ball to the perimeter, establishing a run game.So we need to stop the run like every week and then get him off his spot and force him into positions where he is uncomfortable and force him to make mistakes." -- Florida defensive end Jack Pyburn
"I think it's the understanding that we have to continue to work and continue to get better. I think that we fought through adversity, negative adversity, really well this season. I think that when positive things happen, they can be distractions as well.I think that the way that we've handled our past situation speaks to the kind of way that we like to approach it, and that's to go back to work.Ole Miss obviously is a really good opponent and being able to prepare for them and put in the work every single day so we can go out on Saturday and we're with prepared. I this that's what he means." -- Florida wide receiver Chimere Duke
“He’s the best receiver in the country coming to add in to a team that’s throwing the ball as well as any team in the country without him. Him being hurt has made other people have big games and step up. It’s made us design different schemes, work different parts of the field with more tight ends and stuff.” -- Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin on the potential return of wide receiver Tre Harris
"I think he's very athletic, that's what allows him to be so explosive. He has a very nice arm. He gets the ball out to his reads. That's what allows him to make plays on his feet—the threat of him being able to throw the ball and run." -- Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery on Florida quarterback DJ Lagway
Post-Game Coverage:
MPW Digital PostGame Show, presented by Realtree (Neal McCready hosts, joined Jeffrey Wright, Brian Rippee and Chase Parham (from Philadelphia)
https://www.youtube.com/@mpwdigital6243
Around the SEC
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) at Florida (5-5, 3-4 SEC)
Series: Tied, 12-12-1
Noon ET • ABC
Last: UF, 51-35 (2020 at Oxford)
Gainesville, Fla. • Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548)
SiriusXM: 81 - 106/190
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
UMass (2-8) at Georgia (8-2, 6-2 SEC)
Series: UGA leads, 1-0
12:45 p.m. ET • SEC Network
Athens, Ga. • Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium (93,033)
SiriusXM: 374
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
UTEP (2-8) at Tennessee (8-2, 5-2 SEC)
Series: UT leads, 3-0
1 p.m. ET • SEC+ / ESPN+
Knoxville, Tenn. • Neyland Stadium (101,915)
SiriusXM: 119/191
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
Kentucky (4-6, 1-6 SEC) at Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC)
Series: TEX leads, 1-0
2:30 p.m. CT • ABC
Last: TEX, 7-6 (1951 at Austin)
Austin, Texas • Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119)
SiriusXM: 106/190 – 81
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
Louisiana Tech (4-6) at Arkansas (5-5, 3-4 SEC)
Series: ARK leads, 4-0
3 p.m. CT • SEC+ / ESPN+
Fayetteville, Ark. • Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000)
SiriusXM: 108/202
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
Wofford (5-6) at South Carolina (7-3, 5-3 SEC)
Series: SC leads, 20-4-0
4 p.m. ET • SEC+ / ESPN+
Columbia, S.C. • Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559)
SiriusXM: 111/192
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6 SEC)
Series: Tied, 2-2-0
3:15 p.m. CT • SEC Network
Last: MSU, 51-32 (2020 at Starkville)
Starkville, Miss. • Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (60,311)
SiriusXM: 119/191
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1 SEC) at Auburn (4-6 1-5 SEC)
Series: TAMU leads, 8-6-0
6:30 p.m. CT • ESPN
Last: TAMU, 27-10 (2023 at College Station)
Auburn, Ala. • Jordan-Hare Stadium (88,043)
SiriusXM: 111/192 – 381
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) at Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5 SEC)
Series: OU leads, 3-2-1
6:30 p.m. CT • ABC
Last: UA, 45-34 (2018 at CFP Semifinal Orange Bowl)
Norman, Okla. • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (83,489)
SiriusXM: 84 - 106/190
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3 SEC) at LSU (6-4, 3-3 SEC)
Series: LSU leads, 24-7-1
6:45 p.m. CT • SEC Network
Last: LSU, 41-7 (2020 at Nashville, Tenn.)
Baton Rouge, La. • Tiger Stadium (102,321)
SiriusXM: 374 - 119/191
Live Statistics/Matchup/Preview: https://www.secsports.com/scores/football?start_date=2023-08-25&end_date=2024-01-08
Other Ole Miss Activities to Watch:
FRIDAY, NOV. 22
Women's Tennis at NCAA Individual Championships
Volleyball vs. Missouri | 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 23
Women's Tennis at NCAA Individual Championships
Cross Country at NCAA Championships
SUNDAY, NOV. 24
Women's Tennis at NCAA Individual Championships
Volleyball vs. Alabama | 2 p.m. | SECNetwork+
