What Do Florida Football’s Most Recent Upsets Say For Ole Miss
The last time the Gators upset a top-12-ranked opponent? Last fall. The time before that? Only one year earlier. That’s to say, an upset of No. 4 Ole Miss this weekend isn’t out of the question.
Here’s a look back at some of the Gators’ most recent upsets of top-12 teams, and, more poignantly, how the Gators pulled each victory off.
2025 – No. 9 Texas
The Gators were coming off three straight losses, including a 26-7 schlacking to No. 4 Miami the week prior. Quarterback play in recent weeks hadn’t looked up to par, and the Gators look set up for a scheduled loss. Then Texas came into The Swamp, and Florida muscled out a 29-21 win.
What changed?
For starters, the Gators held the Longhorns to only three third-down conversions. They also limited the Texas rushing attack to 2 yards per carry for 52 yards on the ground. The Gators also led the time of possession by almost 10 minutes.
On the offensive side, the Gators got the run game moving, with Jadan Baugh rushing for 107 yards and receiver Dallas Wilson gathering over 100 yards through the air in his freshman debut.
2024 – No. 8 Ole Miss
This was DJ Lagway’s second game coming back from injury two falls back. He and the Gators had just beat No. 22 LSU the week prior, and the Billy Napier-led team looked to be turning a corner with the true freshman signal caller.
On this November morning, the Jaxson Dart and Lane Kiffin-led Rebels arrived at Florida looking to solidify their case for a College Football Playoff bid. The game was back-and-forth, and the Gators pulled through 24-17 by holding Ole Miss to just three third-down conversions and winning the turnover battle with three takeaways, including multiple interceptions in the fourth quarter. The Gators also sacked Dart four times.
2023 – No. 11 Tennessee
Tennessee was 2-0 and just outside the top 10 entering this Week-3 matchup, and it was both teams’ first SEC game of the season.
The Gators controlled the game, winning 29-16, dominating time of possession by over 15 minutes. They stopped Tennessee on all three fourth-down attempts. They also dominated on the ground with Trevor Etienne rushing for 173 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
2022 – No. 7 Utah
Coming into Napier’s first season, excitement surrounded the Gators with Anthony Richardson solidified as their full-time starter.
Utah, coming off a Pac-12 championship and Rose Bowl appearance the year prior, entered the season with CFP aspirations. Then Florida, behind the heroics of Richardson, won 29-26, sparking hope under Napier that never panned out. Neither team pulled away, remaining relatively even in both the pass and run.
2018 – No. 5 LSU
The Gators were off to a productive start, 4-1 in coach Dan Mullen’s first year, yet they remained outside the top 20 for this marquee rivalry matchup. That changed quickly.
Although the Gators held a lead for most of the game, it remained tight. Winning the turnover battle by two proved significant against a Joe Burrow-led LSU team, though a year prior to his Heisman campaign. The Gators returned one of their takeaways for a touchdown, too.
The common thread between each top-12 upset of the last decade is that Florida either won the turnover battle or held up on third and fourth down. These were defensive showcases.
Category: Football, Gators Football
