Take Five Breakdown: Taking on Kiffin

Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators

• Take Five: The Next Steps
• Take Five: The Napier Era Ends

The Florida Gators (3-6, 2-4 SEC) are on the road facing the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (9-1, 5-1 SEC) on Saturday. The Gators aim to blemish the Rebels’ potential playoff resume as Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin’s future is in question. To learn about the Gators’ opponent, Inside the Gators spoke with Tyler Komis, writer for Rebels247.

Five Ole Miss Rebels to Know

Trinidad Chambliss, Quarterback, Redshirt Senior

• Austin Simmons, who was once committed to play baseball and football at Florida, was expected to be the Rebels’ starting quarterback for the 2025 season. In the first game of the year, Simmons had a rocky performance in a blowout win over Georgia State. He led the team to a win over Kentucky the following week but suffered a foot injury. With Simmons banged up, Chambliss received the start against Arkansas. The transfer from Division II Ferris State was brilliant, passing for 353 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Chambliss has now started the last eight games for Ole Miss. On the season, he’s thrown 13 touchdowns to just two interceptions and ran for 434 yards and six scores. Even with Simmons regaining his health, Chambliss has solidified his spot as the Rebels’ quarterback. “This was completely a surprise,” said Komis. “Once it was announced he was going to start, people thought he was going to be a game manager. The offensive coaching staff has done a great job forming a game plan around him. He’s fit Kiffin’s offense like a glove. Once he gets his legs going, he becomes an unstoppable player.”

Kewan Lacy, Running back, Sophomore

• Lacy and Chambliss power a potent ground attack that rushes for almost 185 yards per game. On the season, Lacy is second in the SEC in rushing yards with 912 and first in rushing touchdowns with 16. “His physicality and shiftiness make him really hard to bring down,” says Komis of the Missouri transfer. “He’s a clear NFL player if he keeps going on this trajectory. He’s really good at picking up first downs. He’s a really good pass blocker as well.”

Harrison Wallace III, Wide Receiver, Redshirt Senior

• Wallace joined Ole Miss after four seasons with Penn State. The veteran had an explosive start to his Rebels career, totaling 247 receiving yards in the team’s first two games. He’s cooled off, yet he’s still been a quality weapon for Ole Miss, leading the team in catches and receiving yards. Komis thinks the Rebels have a deep receiving room, but Wallace is the premier target. “Since the beginning of the year, he’s been getting all the targets,” said Komis. “He can pretty much do it all. He can make the contested catches; he can take a slant for a touchdown. Physical receiver, consistent, patient.”

Suntarine Perkins, Linebacker, Junior

• Perkins had a monstrous 2024 season, tallying 10.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles-for-loss, earning All-SEC third team honors. As a junior, he’s only sacked the quarterback twice but has still made a strong impact. Komis believes a weaker defensive line has changed his role with the team. “They sent him into the quarterback last year,” said Komis. “I expect him to be the quarterback spy.”

Princewill Umanmielen, Edge, Junior

• His older brother, Princely, had a tumultuous exit from the Gators program after their mediocre 5-7 finish to the 2023 season. Princely transferred to Ole Miss, where he had a stellar 2024 campaign, collecting 10.5 sacks that led to the Carolina Panthers drafting him in the third round. Princewill joins Ole Miss after two seasons with Nebraska. “He’s been making a lot more plays in the backfield than at the start of the year,” says Komis. “He’s really heating up.”

Five Fast Facts

• No. 6 Ole Miss is Florida’s sixth top-10 opponent.
• Gators quarterback DJ Lagway’s 12 interceptions are the most in the FBS.
• Florida interim coaches are 14-11 after Billy Gonzalez lost to Georgia and Kentucky.
• Lane Kiffin is 0-3 against Florida.
• Ole Miss is 7-0 at home for the third time in program history; they have never been 8-0.

Five Game Day Storylines

Kiffin’s Future

• 2025 has seen unprecedented college football coaching turnover. Along with Florida’s firing of Billy Napier on Oct. 19, Penn State, LSU, Auburn, and multiple other prominent programs have terminated their head coach. Lane Kiffin has always been a polarizing figure in college football, known for his abrupt departure from Tennessee, his brash attitude during press conferences, and his frequent use of social media. He’s rubbed many the wrong way, but the results speak for themselves. Ole Miss is 48-14 in their last five seasons, a consistent top 10 team. “As far as we know, there is an extension on the table,” said Komis. “I don’t think Kiffin knows yet what he’s doing. The thing that drives him the most is competition. I think it would be hard for Kiffin to step away from a playoff team. At this point, it might be a coin flip. Anything he says, you have to take with a grain of salt; it’s very calculated.”

All-time Series

• The Gators and Rebels meet for the 27th time on Saturday. Florida leads the all-time series 13-12-1, winning the previous three meetings. The Gators beat the then-No. 9 Rebels 24-17 in Gainesville, Fla. in 2024. Lagway completed 10-of-17 passes for 180 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win. Florida is 6-2 at Ole Miss all-time.

College Football Playoffs for Ole Miss?

• Last year’s loss to Florida gave Ole Miss its third loss, a costly defeat that gutted its CFP hopes. The Gators have another opportunity to damage the Rebels’ playoff aspirations. “It would definitely hurt their resume,” said Komis. “I don’t think it would completely wipe them out. It would make things a lot more complicated. They want to host a playoff game; if they lose, they definitely won’t. I think it would unravel things, more so with the Kiffin thing. Kiffin is emotional with wins and losses.”

10 wins for Ole Miss?

• The Rebels are one win away from their third consecutive 10-win season, which would be a first in program history. After the Florida game, Ole Miss has a bye before facing rival Mississippi State on Nov. 28. Komis believes the streak shows the success that Kiffin and the Rebels have been able to cultivate. “You have to draw that up to Kiffin and Ole Miss’s willingness to adapt to NIL and the transfer portal,” said Komis. “It speaks to why Lane Kiffin is the hottest name in the coaching cycle right now. The synergy in the athletic department and NIL collective is at the top of the country.”

Another Low for Lagway

• The sophomore quarterback struggled against a subpar Kentucky team last week, completing 11-of-19 attempts for just 83 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. It was the second time this season where Lagway’s thrown three picks in the first half. He got benched for freshman Tramell Jones in the third quarter. On the season, the former five-star has thrown for 1762 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Score Prediction

• Williams: 35-14 Ole Miss
• Komis: 31-17 Ole Miss

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