The Quick Slant: Florida 38, Ole Miss 10 (Instant Analysis)
Sunday, October 4, 2015 | Football, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It was a two-touchdown lead before the student section's customary late arrival. It was a blowout by halftime.
And, for the second week in a row, The Swamp rocked like it hadn't in a long, long time.
The 25th-ranked Florida Gators hammered No. 3 Ole Miss, 38-10, Saturday night in a battle of undefeated teams. The Gators, who found lightning in a bottle to defeat Tennessee in the final two mintues last week, absolutely destroyed a Rebels team that just two weeks ago went into Tuscaloosa and beat Alabama.
The Gators are good, folks, and they're very much in the Southeastern Conference conversation now.
Maybe more.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Gators, picked to finish fifth in the SEC East by the league's media, sit atop the division alone after their victory over the Rebels. Florida (5-0, 3-0) moved ahead of Georgia (4-1, 2-1) after the Bulldogs suffered a 38-10 home loss to Alabama. How far Florida jumps in the polls this week could determine how relevant the Gators are in the national conversation -- but let's not get too ahead of ourselves. The Gators, for the second straight week, also rolled out an offense the likes of which has been missing from the program for five years.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Redshirt freshman Will Grier was spectacular, throwing all four of his touchdown passes in the first half. He had help from receivers (Brandon Powell and Antonio Callaway, specifically), who pitched in some nice yards after the catch, but Grier was on point, poised and very much in charge. He finished 24-of-29 for 271 yards, the four TDs and no interceptions. Remember, he was near-flawless in the fourth quarter last week against Tennessee. The kid is coming into his own.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: How 'bout 5-0? Seriously, who saw this coming? The Gators are 5-0 for the first time since 2012 when they had that great defense. They did not, however, have an offense like this.
SUBPLOT: The defense took some much-warranted criticism last week for missing an estimated 25 tackles against Tennessee and giving up 254 rushing yards. The tackling was much crisper against the Rebels, who came into the game averaging 543 yards and 54 points per game; they finished with 328 and 10, respectively. The Gators also sacked Chad Kelly, the SEC's top-rated passer, four times and forced three turnovers.
UP NEXT: The Gators spend the next month away from the friendly confines of The Swamp, starting with a road game at Missouri next weekend. The Tigers (4-1, 1-1) defeated South Carolina, 24-10, on Saturday behind true freshman starting quarterback Drew Lock, who replaced suspended Maty Mauck. Lock went 21-of-28 for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
