UNIVERSITY RELEASE — Originally published by Ole Miss Athletics, Sept. 26, 2026.
Ole Miss twice pulled within three points in the third quarter and never got closer than that. No. 4 Ole Miss lost 52-28 at No. 21 Florida on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in the Rebels’ first road game of the season. Ole Miss falls to 3-1 and 1-1 in the SEC; the Gators move to 4-0 and 2-0.
The Numbers
Florida 52, Ole Miss 28 — Ole Miss finished with 426 total yards (298 passing, 128 rushing) against Florida’s 498 (196 passing, 302 rushing). The Gators held the ball 36:59 to the Rebels’ 23:01 and converted six third downs to Ole Miss’s four. First downs went 27-25 Florida. Ole Miss also converted a fourth down.
Who Did It
- Trinidad Chambliss — 25-of-34 for 298 yards and a touchdown, plus 64 rushing yards and two rushing scores
- Deuce Alexander — seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown, his second 100-yard receiving game of the season
- Johntay Cook II — a career-high four catches for 35 yards
- Keaton Thomas — 11 tackles and a pass breakup, leading the defense
- Jehiem Oatis — four tackles, an Ole Miss career high
- Blake Purchase — a tackle for loss for the second consecutive game
- Lucas Carneiro — field goals from 36 and 46 yards
How It Went
Florida scored first on a 65-yard drive and added a field goal on its next possession for a 10-0 lead. Ole Miss ran three first-quarter drives and did not reach the scoreboard on any of them.
Carneiro got the Rebels going early in the second with a 36-yard field goal, making it 10-3 with 10:13 left in the half. Florida pushed it to 17-3 with just under three minutes remaining. Ole Miss answered with a drive built on a pair of big Chambliss-to-Alexander completions, and Carneiro converted again from 46 yards out on the right hash to make it 17-6 at the break.
The third quarter was where it got close. Ole Miss took the second-half kickoff, and Chambliss hit Alexander for 49 yards on the third play of the drive. Two plays later Chambliss ran it in himself — the 100th touchdown of his college career — and the deficit was three at 17-14.
Florida responded with a 45-yard rushing touchdown. Ole Miss came back with a methodical drive, converted a fourth-and-short from inside the red zone and watched Chambliss take the next play around the left side for his second rushing score. Again it was three, 24-21.
And again the Gators answered, pushing it back to 31-21 with 3:45 left in the quarter. Florida opened the fourth in scoring position and finished that drive with a five-yard touchdown pass for a 38-21 lead. Chambliss found Alexander on a short throw in the flat to cut it to 38-28, but Florida scored twice more before time expired.
For the Record
- Chambliss extended his streak to 17 consecutive games with a touchdown pass, the third-longest in school history behind Matt Corral’s 19-game run.
- His first rushing score was the 100th touchdown of his college career, and his 40th on the ground.
- Chambliss moved past Jevan Snead and Archie Manning in career total offense at 5,802 yards, and into 11th all-time in career passing yards at 5,159.
- Carneiro has now made a field goal in nine consecutive games and has 185 career points, ninth in school history among kickers.
- JT Lindsey made his first career start at running back. Suntarine Perkins appeared in his 45th straight game.
- This was the 28th meeting in a series dating to 1926; Florida now leads it 14-13-1. It was only the third time both teams entered ranked in the AP Top 25, and Ole Miss is 1-2 in those games.
Up Next
Ole Miss is off next weekend, then goes back on the road to face Vanderbilt in Nashville on Saturday, Oct. 10.
📄 Read the full university release: Football Drops First SEC Road Game at No. 21 Florida → (OleMissSports.com)