GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Coach Billy Napier and his football team did something no one at the University of Florida had done in nearly two decades.
It could be the turning point for a formerly proud program that had clearly slipped in recent years.
DJ Lagway threw two touchdown passes, Montrell Johnson ran for 127 yards and a score, and the Gators upset No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17 on Saturday to knock the Rebels out of legitimate College Football Playoff contention.
Florida (6-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference), which topped LSU a week earlier in the Swamp, beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2008.
“We’re just getting started,” said Napier, a Murray County (Georgia) High School graduate who is expected back for a fourth season with the Gators in 2025. “This is part of the big-picture journey. Belief is the most powerful thing in the world.”
Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3), which was a 10-point favorite, lost for the first time in four games and is all but certain to miss out on what would have been the program’s first appearance in the CFP, which was a four-team event from its inception in 2014 to last season but is expanding to 12 teams this year. The Rebels were ninth in the latest CFP rankings from the selection committee and seemingly needed only to avoid a letdown against Florida and lowly rival Mississippi State in Egg Bowl regular-season finale next week to clinch a spot in the playoff field.
“Obviously a lot was at stake, and we didn’t come through,” fifth-year head coach Lane Kiffin said. “A lot of missed opportunities.”
The Rebels failed to score in three trips inside the red zone and dropped countless passes in perfect weather, miscues Kiffin called “very unusual.”
The visitors still had chances late, but Jaxson Dart threw interceptions to end the Rebels’ last two possessions. Bryce Thornton, beaten for a touchdown in the first half, picked off both passes. The second one came with 17 seconds remaining and set up a raucous celebration by defenders in the end zone.
Dart completed 24 of 41 passes for 323 yards with two touchdowns and the two picks. He was sacked four times and also scrambled 14 times for a team-high 71 yards.
“You look at the way we played, we had a chip on our shoulder for sure,” Gators defensive tackle Cam Jackson said.
The Rebels probably would have had a comfortable lead had it not been for repeated failures inside the 20-yard line. Defensive tackle J.J. Pegues, a 325-pound wrecking ball out of the backfield, was stopped on two fourth-down runs in the red zone, and Caden Davis missed a 34-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter.
The drops by the Rebels were egregious, including at least three that probably would have been touchdowns. Jordan Watkins (twice), Wells (twice), Dae’Quan Wright and star receiver Tre Harris were among the droppers.
Florida was much more efficient. Lagway completed 10 of 17 passes for 180 yards with an interception. The star freshman made three throws with defenders draped all over him.
“Those were the plays of the game,” Napier said.
Johnson had a few of those, too. His 9-yard scoring run from the wildcat formation was huge and came after he missed most of the past four games.
“I focused on grinding and trying to work my way back,” Johnson said. “Last week I got a couple carries, and this week I shot to the moon.”
Days after Kiffin raved about the health of his team, the Rebels had three starters go down with injuries.
Harris, returning after missing the last three games with a strained groin, reinjured it the second quarter and did not return.
Ole Miss safety Yam Banks also was carted off the field after injuring his left knee, and center Reece McIntyre left the game. Right tackle Micah Pettus also was injured on a play but was able to return.
Injured quarterback Graham Mertz got the loudest ovation during Florida’s senior day celebration. Mertz’s college career ended when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 23-17 overtime loss last month at Tennessee, which was ranked eighth at the time.
The graduating class also includes Johnson, defensive tackle Desmond Watson and cornerback Jason Marshall, who also is out for the season.
The Rebels needed better offensive balance. Playing without running back Henry Parrish Jr. (knee) for the second consecutive game, they leaned on Dart to throw a lot and run a good bit, a strategy that worked at times against Florida’s depleted secondary but wasn’t a recipe for success.
The Gators visit struggling rival Florida State (2-9) of the Atlantic Coast Conference next week with a chance to close the regular season with three consecutive wins, more proof that Napier has the team on the right track.