Florida Falls to Ole Miss, 34-24, Secures Fourth Losing Season in Five Years

Florida erased a 10-point deficit only to fall to Ole Miss for its seventh loss of the season.

The Ole Miss Rebels got revenge for last year's loss to Florida with a 34-24 win. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

OXFORD, Miss.-- The Florida Gators will officially miss a bowl game for the second time in three seasons.

Florida, erasing a 10-0 deficit to take a 24-20 lead into the half, was shut out in the second half as Ole Miss held on for a 34-24 win. Rebels' running back Kewan Lacy ran for 224 yards and three scores, headlining an Ole Miss offense that had 538 yards of total offense.

Nonetheless, Florida's defense kept the game in check by forcing the Rebels to kick two field goals in the and forcing two turnovers on downs in the redzone.

Ole Miss Rebels running back Kewan Lacy had over 200 yards rushing with three touchdowns. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Gator offense saw its best success from the middle of the first quarter through the second, with DJ Lagway rushing for a touchdown, the first of his career, at the end of the first quarter. Following an interception by Jayden Woods, Jadan Baugh found the end zone to give the Gators a 14-10 lead.

The game quickly turned into an offensive shootout from there with the teams trading long touchdown passes.

Trinidad Chambliss hit DeZhaun Stribling for a 43-yard touchdown on third down, a play after a third-down stop by the Gators was negated by an offsides penalty, before Lagway hit J. Michael Sturdivant for a 57-yard touchdown to give Florida a 21-17 lead.

Ole Miss nearly retook the lead a drive later but penalties on both teams told the story on the drive.

Chambliss hit Stribling for a touchdown, which was negated by an ineligible man down the field. Ole Miss settled for a field goal to make it 21-20 in favor of Florida, but the officiating crew mistakenly called a personal foul on Florida after the play.

Had the penalty been called correctly, the Rebels would have had first-and-goal with a chance to take the lead before the half. Instead, Florida extended its lead with a 38-yard field goal from Trey Smack to end the half with the Gators ahead, 24-20.

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway had two touchdowns, including his first career score on the ground. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss, again, nearly retook the lead in the third quarter but were stuffed inside the 5-yard line by Florida's defense. Stuffing Lacy for just two yards, Chambliss threw two-straight incomplete passes to turn the ball over on downs.

Third time was the charm for the Rebels, though, as Lacy, taking advantage of a 59-yard rush at the end of the third quarter, scored from a yard out to open the fourth quarter to take a 27-24 lead, and Lagway followed it up with an interception in Rebels' territory.

Lacy iced the game on the ensuing drive with a four-yard touchdown rush, his third of the game.

Florida, now officially out of contention for a bowl, will play for bragging rights over the next two weeks with home matchups against rivals Tennessee on Nov. 22 and Florida State on Nov. 29.