Baugh Punches Ole Miss Twice: Gators Lead 17-6 at the Half
Updated: 20 hours ago
FINAL: Florida 52, Ole Miss 28. Read the full postgame story.
GAINESVILLE — The Swamp is shaking, and No. 21 Florida is 30 minutes from the biggest win of the Jon Sumrall era.
Florida leads No. 4 Ole Miss 17-6 at halftime, and the story of the first half is simple: the Gators own the line of scrimmage.
Baugh keeps pounding. Jadan Baugh, one of the nation’s top rushers coming in, capped a 65-yard opening drive with a 4-yard touchdown, then punched it in again from 2 yards out to finish a 15-play, 87-yard drive late in the second quarter. He has 83 yards on 17 carries. Florida has run for 133 yards at 4.9 a carry and held the ball for 19:41 of the first 30 minutes.
The kickers mattered. Patrick Durkin’s 49-yard field goal made it 10-0 in the first quarter after Aaron Chiles stuffed JT Lindsey on fourth-and-1 and Florida took over on downs. Ole Miss answered with a 36-yard Lucas Carneiro field goal, then added a 46-yarder with 1:11 left to make it 17-6.
The big hit. Heisman hopeful Trinidad Chambliss ran for 11 yards midway through the first quarter and went down at the end of it. He walked off under his own power, Ole Miss punted on the next play, and he was back for the Rebels’ next drive. He is 10-of-13 for 88 yards at the half.
Targeting ejection. Ole Miss lost safety Joenel Aguero late in the half. He was flagged for targeting on a third-down play that left Florida receiver Bailey Stockton down on the field, and he was disqualified, The Independent Florida Alligator reported. TJ Abrams’ 15-yard catch plus the penalty gave Florida first-and-goal at the 5, and Baugh scored two plays later.
Not all clean for the Gators. Vernell Brown III had a 67-yard touchdown catch wiped out by holding, and a delay of game on the same drive backed Florida up before a punt. Sumrall went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Ole Miss 19 in the first quarter, and Aaron Philo’s pass to Amir Jackson fell incomplete.
What’s next. Ole Miss gets the ball to open the second half. Florida is 30 minutes from 4-0 for the first time since 2019, and from announcing itself as a real playoff team.
First-half timeline
FIRST QUARTER
Kickoff: Ole Miss kicks off to open the game. J'Vari Flowers returns the opening kickoff 23 yards to the Florida 35.
10:53 — TOUCHDOWN FLORIDA: Baugh 4-yard run, Durkin kick. The 8-play, 65-yard drive included Baugh runs of 12 and 23 yards and a 13-yard Philo pass to Luke Harpring. Florida 7, Ole Miss 0.
9:16: Chiles stuffs Lindsey for a 4-yard loss on fourth-and-1 and forces a fumble that Lindsey recovers. Florida takes over on downs at the Ole Miss 31.
9:00 — FIELD GOAL FLORIDA: Durkin, 49 yards. Florida 10, Ole Miss 0.
6:51: Chambliss goes down at the end of an 11-yard run and walks off on his own. Ole Miss punts on the next play, and he is back for the Rebels’ next drive.
0:47: On fourth-and-2 from the Ole Miss 19, Philo’s pass to Amir Jackson falls incomplete. Turnover on downs.
SECOND QUARTER
12:50: Philo’s 67-yard touchdown pass to Brown is nullified by holding on Bailey Stockton. A delay of game follows, and Florida punts.
10:13 — FIELD GOAL OLE MISS: Carneiro, 36 yards. Kick-catch interference on Lagonza Hayward during a Florida punt gave Ole Miss the ball at the Florida 48, and a facemask penalty on Jeramiah McCloud added 15 yards. Florida 10, Ole Miss 3.
3:52: Philo's third-and-8 pass is tipped and caught by TJ Abrams for 15 yards. Aguero is flagged for targeting, and Stockton is shaken up on the play. First-and-goal Florida.
2:51 — TOUCHDOWN FLORIDA: Baugh 2-yard run, Durkin kick, capping a 15-play, 87-yard drive that took 7:17. Florida 17, Ole Miss 3.
1:11 — FIELD GOAL OLE MISS: Carneiro, 46 yards, after Trinidad Chambliss completions of 18 and 10 yards to Deuce Alexander. Florida 17, Ole Miss 6.
0:29: Clark punts 70 yards, out of bounds at the Ole Miss 2. Halftime: Florida 17, Ole Miss 6.
Editor's note: This story will be updated. Full postgame coverage from Buddy Martin and Franz Beard is coming.
Information from ESPN, The Independent Florida Alligator and Sports Illustrated was used in this report.
Correction: An earlier version of this story understated Trinidad Chambliss’ first-half passing yards; he was 10-of-13 for 88 yards.
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