This week will feature two of the better SEC teams squaring off when No. 3 Ole Miss visits No. 25 Florida in a game that will be televised on ESPN.
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The Rebels entered Saturday averaging 7.63 yards per play (fifth in the country). About the only things that went poorly for the Gators were a missed extra point and two failed two-point conversion attempts. The redshirt freshman quarterback, and several other Gators, were battling flu-like symptoms this week but seem to be fine under the lights in the The Swamp in full-blown rout mode against Ole Miss. He completed 26 of 40 passes for 259 yards and had one touchdown against one interception. His impressive first half gave him six touchdown passes in a span of three quarters.
His first catch of the game – a 14-yard completion on the right sideline from Grier – pushed him over the 1,000 receiving yard milestone for his career.
He got plenty of help in both games.
Grier started the onslaught with a 36-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson at the 9:09 mark of the first quarter.
The Rebels will try to exploit Florida’s struggles against the run, with running backs Jaylen Walton and Jordan Wilkins leading a ground attack netting 5.5 yards per carry. Five plays later, Grier faked a handoff to Kelvin Taylor and lobbed a 2-yard touchdown to McGee. Despite his comeback effort against Tennessee, Jim McElwain expressed his disappointed with Grier’s performance saying that his final two drives were simply what he was supposed to do. Receiver Antonio Callaway caught the game-winning 63-yard touchdown from quarterback Will Grier with less than 90 seconds left on the clock.
“You don’t downplay it”, McElwain said. The Gators held them to a season-low 328 yards. “We’ve got one that played pretty good in a few situations last week that deserves to go this week”.
So what is more stunning: That Florida did what it did on Saturday, or that just two weeks ago that Ole Miss beat Alabama and walked off the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium feeling on top of the world? The Rebels beat Vanderbilt 27-16 last week, avoiding a potential letdown after knocking off the Crimson Tide for the second consecutive season. McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier kept Ole Miss’ tenacious defensive line off balance with motions, play action and a lot of easy reads for Grier.
The Rebels managed only 151 yards on 32 plays, converting only 1-of-6 third downs.
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(20) Oklahoma State 36, Kansas State 34: Ben Grogan made a 37-yard field goal with 32 seconds remaining to lift the Cowboys (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) past the Wildcats (3-1, 0-1) in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
