Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier prior to the game against the LSU Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Florida Football Ready For Another Ranked Foe

The Florida Gators will host the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels in The Swamp at noon Saturday. 

Lagway’s Return

The Gators (5-5, 3-4 SEC) pulled off an upset win against No. 21 LSU this past Saturday for the first time since 2018.

Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway returned to the field after being cleared from a hamstring injury he suffered against Georgia. He finished with 13 completions on 26 pass attempts for 226 yards, one touchdown and a 135.7 passer rating. He named SEC Freshman of the Week. 

Coach Billy Napier said Monday UF has all of the metrics and resources required to keep Lagway healthy. He plans to do what they did last week to prepare for Ole Miss: 

Earning Right To Win

The Gators had to have the right to win, Napier said. He said last week the Gators were the most prepared they have been. He looks to continue this pattern and this week’s message is all about learning the right to win. The Gators plan to have a playoff mindset to try and reach their goals of beating the Rebels (8-2, 4-2):

Rebel Playmakers

Veteran defensive end Princely Umanmielen,who transferred from Florida to Ole Miss for his senior year, has had a productive season with 24 tackles, 9.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.

 Napier acknowledges the Rebels have a veteran team with 32 seniors and a few redshirt juniors. He also mentioned a disruptive Ole Miss defensive line. The highest number of tackles goes to Chris Paul Jr, and TJ Dottery with more than 60 tackles.

Lane Kiffin

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin gets along great with Napier, he reports. They have quite a few similarities, having bonded and talked about having lost their fathers and how they were both coach’s sons. Napier spoke highly of Kiffin:. 

Game Time

Saturday’s game is set for noon start with ABC, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF handling the broadcast.

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