Takeaways From Gators Loss to Ole Miss, Kiffin Unfazed By Buzz

The Florida Gators' recent loss in Oxford painfully showed flashes of what could make them good, and buzz didn't stifle a certain coach

The Gators fought hard, but they couldn't overcome the Rebels | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators were handed another loss, this time in Oxford, Miss, at the hands of Ole Miss. The game with an unusual atmosphere for a matchup between a playoff contender and a team that was clinging to bowl hopes for dear life. 

Regardless of how it played out, we saw some of the best and some of the worst from this Gators team against a top opponent.  

The Gators CAN Play Up to Competition 

We saw it against Georgia and Texas, and now, we saw it against Ole Miss. Florida hasn’t won all these games. In the end, the better team has won more often than not. They clearly ran out of gas toward the end of the game in Oxford. However, when their heads are in it, you see moments of what this team could be. 

Maybe that’s the worst part about this team being 3-7. You know it’s capable of having done more. But this is a far cry from how they played the week before against Kentucky, where they just seemed checked out for much of it. 

Opposing Run Games Have Their Way With This Team Now

The last two weeks have arguably seen this run defense at its worst. First, they allowed two Kentucky running backs to slice and dice them, combining for nearly 200 yards. Then, Kewan Lacy had the game of his life, putting up 224 rushing yards and three touchdowns. 

Florida allowed him to score the same number of touchdowns as The Citadel. Along with the offense giving out in the second half, the inability to stop Lacy was the main reason they couldn’t stop Ole Miss. 

Kiffin Wasn’t Fazed By Any Buzz

Naturally, this matchup put a lot of focus on the Rebels’ head coach. He’s considered to be the premier candidate to be the next Gators' head coach. He’s been bombarded with questions over it. Social media has been in a frenzy. However, Kiffin coached against Florida like nothing was happening. 

Florida allowed 538 total yards of offense from the Rebels, and they held onto the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game. For the record, there is nothing that should be taken away from this other than it shows how he is as a coach. He has a job to do, and he got it done, even when playing one of the most distracting teams on the schedule.