Joel Klatt predicts final score, winner for Ole Miss-Florida matchup

Ole Miss enters at 9-1 with a path to the College Football Playoff still alive, and they get Florida in Oxford on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Florida is 3-6 after a 38-7 loss at Kentucky that included three first-half interceptions and a halftime benching of DJ Lagway. Ole Miss has been a fortress in Oxford, winning 20 of its last 21 home games under Lane Kiffin.

Joel Klatt recently weighed in on the matchup in his picks and previews show. He spent time on the off-field swirl around Lane Kiffin and whether chatter about his future could seep into the locker room.

"There's an old coaching adage... the quickest way to be defeated is to be distracted," Klatt said, calling distraction "the biggest threat to [Ole] Miss down the stretch." He added that beating Florida now matters even more, because "if he struggles in this game... it will create just a seed of doubt" for any decision-makers elsewhere. That was Klatt framing the psychology of the game, but the football part still lines up for Ole Miss.

The on-field reasons start with how these teams are trending. Florida has turned the ball over and stalled in pass protection during a two-game skid, and last week's trip to Lexington was the low point. Lagway was benched at halftime after three picks, and interim coach Billy Gonzales said he owned the decision while later reaffirming Lagway as the starter. On the season Lagway has 1,762 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and Florida's offense has been stuck in the mud for stretches.

Ole Miss, meanwhile, has answers. QB Trinidad Chambliss has the passing game flying high while the run game leans on RB Kewan Lacy, who just tied the school single-season rushing TD record at 16 and sits at 912 rushing yards. The Rebels rolled The Citadel 49-0 last week and beat South Carolina 30-14 the week before. As Klatt put it, "Trinidad Chambliss has been really good on offense... He's a dual threat... over 300 yards in six of his last eight starts."

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Klatt expects Ole Miss to bring its full attention after last year's late loss to Florida and to lean on a balanced game plan. At home the Rebels have been comfortable playing from ahead, and the defense has flashed, including six sacks against South Carolina. Florida's defense has 16 sacks in nine games and has needed takeaways to compensate. That is tough to count on in Oxford, where Ole Miss has been one of the most consistent home teams in the FBS since 2021.

Joel Klatt's pick for Ole Miss-Florida

"You really can't see it until you fall off a cliff," Klatt said of the possible distraction. But he circled back to motivation and last year's result as reasons Ole Miss will be locked in.

"I think you get the full attention of [Ole] Miss, then you get [Ole] Miss 38-20 and they cover the 15.5."

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Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Joel Klatt's pick for Ole Miss-Florida

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