Surging No. 21 Florida hammers No. 4 Ole Miss as favorite

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Jadan Baugh ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns, Duke Clark added 126 yards and a rushing score, and No. 21 Florida manhandled fourth-ranked Ole Miss 52-28 on Saturday to reach 4-0 for the first time since 2019.

The Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC), installed as 3½-point favorites, proved Las Vegas oddsmakers right by leading from start to finish. Florida scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives in the second half.

The Rebels (3-1, 1-1) insisted that last week's victory against LSU, the one that spoiled former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin's return, was not their "Super Bowl." But they failed to build on that emotional win.

Florida had a lot to do with it.

The Gators jumped on the Rebels early, leading 10-0 before Heisman Trophy front-runner Trinidad Chambliss threw a pass, and set the pace the rest of the afternoon. Florida was unstoppable running the ball.

Baugh became the third player in school history to top 100 yards rushing in five consecutive games, joining Emmitt Smith (1987, '88) and Fred Taylor (1997). Baugh was elusive between the tackles, and Clark allowed the Rebels no break when he subbed into the game.

Florida finished with 302 yards rushing and six TDs on the ground.

Clark's 45-yard TD run early in the third was the play of the game. He juked cornerback Antonio Kite and former Florida safety Sharif Denson on his way to the end zone.

In the win, Florida tied the school record for most points against an Associated Press Top-5 team, according to ESPN Research. Florida equaled the mark set when it beat No. 1 Florida State 52-20 in the 1997 Sugar Bowl.

This is also the second time Florida has scored 50 points in three of its first four games since its 1996 national championship season, per ESPN Research.

Chambliss and Ole Miss scored 11 points in a three-minute stretch, spanning the second and third quarters, and seemed to have all the momentum, although Florida still led 17-14. But London Montgomery returned the ensuing kickoff 74 yards to set up Clark's scamper.

Ole Miss seemed out of sorts from the start. Trailing 7-0, Chambliss handed off four consecutive times to backup running back JT Lindsey, who failed to move the chains on a fourth-and-1 play, giving the Gators great field position.

Chambliss injured his left thigh on the team's second series. He returned and used the exercise bike between drives.

He ended up throwing for 298 yards, with a touchdown and an interception late. He also ran seven times for 44 yards and two scores.

The takeaway

Ole Miss

The Rebels missed star running back Kewan Lacy. He ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns against Florida last year in Oxford but missed this game because of a left shoulder injury. Lindsey started in his place and finished with 31 yards on 11 carries.

Florida

Coach Jon Sumrall spent the past nine months calling his team a "sleeping giant" and insisting it was time to "wake the beast." A road victory last week at Auburn was huge, but beating a top-five team might be the turning point. The Gators had dropped 12 in a row against the top five.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.