Three Observations From Ole Miss Football's Week 12 Victory Over The Florida Gators

No. 6 Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC) further cemented the program's chances at a College Football Playoff berth on Saturday night after taking down the Florida Gators in a 34-24 Week 12 victory.

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels outscored the Gators 14-0 in the second half to capture an SEC victory in front of a record-setting crowd at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

“It’s really cool to see where our program is. Not just in (the Florida) matchup, but just in the SEC,” Kiffin said. “I told our guys this week. I’ve said it for two weeks, ‘As you get older everybody always says the good ol’ days.’

"And I said, ‘Hey, guys, I think we’re in the good ol’ days right now.' So I think for our fans, for our players it’s like this utopia of what’s going on. So, enjoy it because runs don’t happen very often.”

Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy rewrote the record books, Trinidad Chambliss set the tone through the air, and the Rebels defense shined in the second half to lift the program to a critical win in Week 12.

Ole Miss Rebels Football: Kewan Lacy. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Three Observations: Week 12 Edition

No. 1: Kewan Lacy's Historic Night Leads The Way

In his first year with the Ole Miss Rebels, Kewan Lacy has become the X-factor on offense that the program has been searching for as he continues rewriting the history books in the Magnolia State.

Lacy broke the single-season touchdown record on Saturday after recording his 17th score of the season - passing ex-Rebel Quinshon Judkins in the history books.

But the Ole Miss running back showcased sheer dominance in Week 12 against the Gators after tallying a whopping 224 rushing yards on 31 carries [7.2 yards per attempt] with two touchdowns on the night.

Lacy was jaw-dropping against the Gators with Florida's run-defense unable to find an answer for the rushing attack.

Ole Miss eclipsed the 235-yard mark on the ground against Florida with Lacy spearheading the push.

In total, the Rebels pieced together 538 yards of offense [301 passing and 237 rushing] with 6.5 yards per play. It was offensive clinic in Oxford.

Ole Miss Rebels Football: Lane Kiffin.; — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

No. 2: Tale of Two Halves for the Defense

The Ole Miss defense bent, but didn't break against the Florida Gators on Saturday night after giving up 24 points in the first half - including 17 in the second quarter alone.

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway led the Gators to four consecutive scoring drives to close out the first half with three touchdowns and a field goal before the clock hit zero in the second quarter.

But defensive coordinator Pete Golding once again made in-game adjustments in Week 12 where he has routinely been a game-changer out of the break.

Once the third quarter rolled around, the Rebels were a new-look unit with Ole Miss giving up zero points, forcing a turnover after Wydett Williams reeled in an interception, and making the Gators boot a pair of punts away after turning it over on downs twice.

Ole Miss safety Wydett Williams was the MVP of the defense against Florida where he continued making impactful play after impactful play.

No. 3: Trinidad Chambliss Wins the Quarterback Duel

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambiss and Florida signal-caller DJ Lagway battled it out Saturday in what quickly had the makings of being a shootout across the first two quarters.

But the second half was a different story.

Chambliss made timely plays in crunch time - overcoming an interception and uncharacteristic miss on fourth down in the third quarter - to lift the Rebels to a thrilling win in Oxford.

The Rebels' signal-caller ended the day going 26-for-35 through the air with 301 passing yards with a touchdown to lead Ole Miss to a critical SEC victory.

On the other side, it was Lagway that kept his Gators within striking distance in the fourth quarter after utilizing his dual-threat abilities across all four frames.

The sophomore quarterback logged over 240 all-purpose yards with 218 of them coming through the air on 16-for-31 passing.

It was a quarterback duel in Oxford on Saturday night with Chambliss and Co. making the most of their opportunities in the second half to earn the SEC win.

No. 6 Ole Miss will navigate an open date next week prior to the Rebels' regular season finale against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Nov. 28 in the annual Egg Bowl.

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