GAINESVILLE (Interstat) — Aaron Philo threw for one touchdown and ran for another, Jadan Baugh scored multiple times and Florida defeated Ole Miss 52-28 in a Bowl Division game Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Gators stayed unbeaten at 4-0, while the Rebels dropped to 3-1. A crowd of 90,683 attended the game at Florida’s home stadium. Florida used a balanced offense and a strong second half to pull away from an Ole Miss team that had won three straight games entering the matchup. The Rebels had beaten Louisville, Charlotte and LSU earlier in the season, while the Gators had topped Florida Atlantic, Campbell and Auburn.

Ole Miss scored 6 points in the first quarter and 15 in the second. Florida scored 7 in the first and 14 in the second, leaving the score tied at halftime. The Rebels got field goals from Lucas Carneiro, including a 36-yard kick and a 46-yard kick, to stay close. Florida opened the scoring with Baugh’s 4-yard touchdown run up the middle, and Patrick Durkin added a 49-yard field goal. Durkin’s extra points and field goals helped the Gators maintain pressure. The second quarter featured a Philo touchdown pass to Vernell Brown III that was nullified by a holding penalty, but Florida still found ways to score. Baugh added a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and the Gators carried momentum into the locker room.

Trinidad Chambliss led Ole Miss with 25 completions on 34 attempts for 298 yards and one passing touchdown. He also ran seven times for 44 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Chambliss, a quarterback from Grand Rapids, Michigan, kept the Rebels in the game with his arm and legs. Deuce Alexander was his favorite target, finishing with seven receptions for 134 yards and one touchdown. Caleb Odom caught five passes for 47 yards, Johntay Cook II had four receptions for 35 yards, and Caleb Cunningham added three catches for 28 yards. Traylon Ray caught two passes for 17 yards and returned four kickoffs for 76 yards. Makhi Frazier rushed eight times for 42 yards and caught one pass for 3 yards. JT Lindsey carried 11 times for 31 yards, and Joshua Dye had an 11-yard run. Luke Hasz caught one pass for 8 yards, and Horatio Fields had one reception for 5 yards. Samari Reed recorded one reception for 21 yards and one tackle.

Aaron Philo was Florida’s top performer. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown and ran six times for 14 yards and one touchdown. Philo, a quarterback from Bogart, Georgia, helped the Gators answer Ole Miss after halftime. His 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and his 5-yard scoring pass to Amir Jackson in the fourth were key plays. Jackson finished with two receptions for 28 yards and one touchdown. Luke Harpring caught two passes for 34 yards. Bailey Stockton had four receptions for 33 yards and returned one punt for 16 yards. TJ Abrams caught one pass for 15 yards. Florida’s offense also got touchdown runs from Baugh, D.Clark and Dallas Wilson. Baugh scored on runs of 4 yards and 2 yards, while Clark broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown and Wilson added a 6-yard scoring run.

Ole Miss’s defense was led by Keaton Thomas, who recorded 11 tackles. Luke Ferrelli added eight tackles. Blake Purchase, Antonio Kite, Edwin Joseph and Sharif Denson each made five tackles. Jehiem Oatis, Michai Boireau and Tah’j Butler each had four tackles. Will Echoles, Andy Jaffe, Kam Franklin, Jaylon Braxton, Suntarine Perkins, Joenel Aguero and Jordan Renaud each recorded three tackles. Braxton also had one quarterback hurry. Anthony Robinson III, Jamarious Brown, Iverson McCoy, Isreal Solomon, Raymond Collins and Ladarian Clardy also contributed tackles. Jonathan Maldonado had two tackles, and Raymond Collins returned one kickoff for 9 yards to go with his tackle. Oscar Bird punted three times for 161 yards. Lucas Carneiro handled kicking duties for the Rebels.

Florida’s defense made stops when needed. Myles Graham led the Gators with eight tackles, and Aaron Chiles added seven. Dijon Johnson, Bryce Thornton, Kanye Clark and Alfonzo Allen Jr. each finished with four tackles. Jayden Woods had four tackles and one sack. The Gators pressured Chambliss throughout the second half and forced Ole Miss to settle for field goals on some drives. Florida’s special teams also helped, with Durkin converting kicks and Stockton contributing in the return game. The Gators’ ability to finish drives on offense and limit big plays on defense proved decisive.

The third quarter changed the game. Florida scored 21 points in the period while Ole Miss scored 7. Florida answered with Clark’s 45-yard touchdown run, Philo’s 1-yard touchdown run and another scoring drive that ended with a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Florida added 10 points. Philo connected with Jackson for a 5-yard score, and Baugh added a 2-yard touchdown run. Ole Miss got a late touchdown when Chambliss found Alexander for a 2-yard score, but the Rebels could not mount a comeback. Florida’s defense closed the door in the final minutes.

The win kept Florida perfect on the season and gave the Gators a strong start in Bowl Division play. Ole Miss fell despite a productive day from Chambliss and Alexander. The Rebels moved the ball through the air and got contributions from several receivers, but Florida’s offense was too efficient in the second half. The Gators scored 52 points and controlled the clock when it mattered. Ole Miss finished with 28 points and will look to regroup in its next game. Florida will carry momentum into its next matchup after another home victory. The game drew a large crowd and featured several standout individual performances on both sides.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Florida 29, Ole Miss 20. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Ole Miss with an 84 percent probability to win. Ole Miss had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +3.5. The total score of 80 went under the over/under line of 58.5.