Florida football proved they can take down an SEC opponent on the road last Saturday att Auburn. Heading into Week 4 of the college football season, hosting No. 4 Ole Miss in The Swamp will provide a different challenge and another opportunity to prove themselves, this time in front of their home crowd.
1. Contain Chambliss
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is undoubtedly one of the best players in college football right now. Outside of his impressive stats —924 passing yards this season, seven touchdowns, and a No.1 college football quarterback power ranking, per CBS Sports – Florida coach Jon Sumrall has identified him as a weapon to defend against on the Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Sumrall said Monday. “He’s as good a college football player I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes.”
Chambliss’ ability to make plays outside of the pocket makes him especially difficult to contain. The Gators will need to bring pressure and prevent Chambliss from creating explosive plays. Florida’s pass rush showed its potential against Auburn, but doing that against Chambliss may prove more of a challenge.
Although Florida’s defense appeared stronger last weekend, securing seven sacks and two takeaways, Auburn’s offense was still able to break through. Quarterback Byrum Brown led the Tigers offense to 39 points, while completing 20 of 35 passes for 271 yards.
However, Brown’s lack of playmaking for a large part of the game may have made Florida’s defense appear stronger than they actually were. In short, he didn’t necessarily pose a significant threat. Chambliss does.
In the Rebel’s game against LSU, Chambliss completed 33-of-48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns, and a deciding rushing touchdown to ultimately win the game.
2. Minimize Penalties
Once again, Saturday’s top-25 matchup comes back to penalties for Florida. Florida’s offense is strong, no doubt. But one of its biggest weaknesses lies in the 16 penalties for 138 yards it earned last weekend against Auburn.
The Gators penalties over the last three games have not only steadily increased, but they’ve cost the Gators 265 total yards in the last three games.
Against an SEC opponent, especially one ranked No. 4 coming off a road win at LSU, those slip-ups won’t just get shoved aside. They’ll hurt the Gators in a real way.
The Gators can’t afford to give Ole Miss extra opportunities, especially with an offense that has already shown it can put points on the board, averaging HOW MANY POINTS this season. Whether it’s a false start or a mistake that extends an opponent’s drive, Florida will need to limit the self-inflicted errors.
“If we don’t get that fixed and get back to how we were in Week 1, we are about to get absolutely embarrassed when we play high-end SEC teams,” Sumrall said Monday.
3. Focus on Baugh
The Gators have a star in Jadan Baugh. A Heisman contender, the junior running back has put up a long list of stats and set records since the start of the season. Rushing for over 100 yards in each game and earning eight rushing touchdowns through the first three games, Baugh has been a not-so-secret weapon for Florida.
Heading into Saturday, his strengths serve as an advantage at home. Ole Miss’ defense has its strengths, but when it comes to the run game, the Rebels have faced their issues.
Ole Miss has allowed more than 159 rushing yards per game this season, and currently rank No. 85 in the country for run defense. Baugh, meanwhile, has 458 rushing yards and eight touchdowns through three games.
Feeding Baugh the ball will allow the Gators to lean into one of their biggest strengths while forcing Ole Miss to adjust defensively. If Florida can establish the run early, it could open up opportunities for Aaron Philo in the passing game and keep the Rebels guessing.
4. Let Philo Set the Tone
Baugh should remain a major part of Florida’s offensive game plan, but the Gators can’t become predictable — which is where Philo comes in.
Philo has completed at least 68% of his passes in every game this season and has thrown for six touchdowns through three games. While Florida will likely continue to rely on its rushing attack, Philo gives the Gators another way to attack an Ole Miss defense that will likely be looking to slow down Baugh.
Getting the ball to Florida’s playmakers through the air can force the Rebels to defend the entire field. The Gators don’t need Philo to take over the game, but they will need him to make the right reads and take advantage when Ole Miss gives him an opportunity.
That could become even more important in the environment of The Swamp. With 90,000-plus fans behind him and a top-five opponent on the other side, Philo’s ability to stay composed could be just as important as his ability to make a big play. Luckily, that ability is one of Philo’s biggest strengths.
If Florida can continue establishing the run while using Philo to diversify the offense, the Gators can make it harder for Ole Miss to dictate how the game is played.
“One thing about him is he’s calm, cool and collected,” offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said of the quarterback last week.
5. Momentum in The Swamp
Undoubtedly, players and coaching win games. However, there’s something to be said about the energy the home crowd can bring.
Ole Miss is coming off not only one of the biggest wins in its season, but arguably the biggest game in Ole Miss football history. Sure, the Rebels are riding high after a 32-24 win against LSU and their former head coach Lane Kiffin. But the energy in a jam-packed stadium of scorned Rebels is a little different than the energy derived from 90,000 orange and blue fans hungry to continue climbing SEC rankings.
“The Swamp is a very hostile environment,” sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III said. “Ninety thousand-plus fans, they’re on our side; it’s kind of like a 12th man on the field. And you know, we know the fans will show up and show out every Saturday and give us that little advantage.”
Home-field advantage isn’t something to take lightly, especially when it comes to a classic SEC matchup like Saturdays .
Florida already showed last weekend that it can win in a hostile SEC environment. Now, it will have the opportunity to see what it can do with that environment behind it.
