GATOR BOUND: Ole Miss Football Earns Bid to Gator Bowl vs. Duke

The Ole Miss Rebels will face the Duke Blue Devils in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2.

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin reacts near the end of the game during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels may not have reached the College Football Playoff field this season, but on Sunday, they learned their bowl game destination, earning a bid to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl set to take place on Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Rebels are set to face the Duke Blue Devils of the ACC in this bowl game, marking the first meeting all-time between the two programs.

Duke went 9-3 (5-3 ACC) under first-year head coach Manny Diaz. The losses for the Blue Devils came against Georgia Tech (24-14), SMU (28-27 OT) and Miami (53-31).

Ole Miss also finished the year 9-3, and while that is not a bad season, it is a disappointing one, considering the high preseason expectations the Rebels received entering the 2024 campaign. The Rebels seemed to have a clear path to reaching the College Football Playoff after their November win over Georgia, but a loss on the road to Florida sank those hopes late in the year.

This will be Ole Miss' fourth appearance all-time in the Gator Bowl. You can view the Rebels' previous results in this postseason game below.

1958: Ole Miss 7, Florida 3

1970: Auburn 35, Ole Miss 28

1990: Michigan 35, Ole Miss 3