Expert predictions for Florida football vs. Ole Miss Rebels in Week 13

Florida football will play in its penultimate 2024 regular season game this coming Saturday — which will also be its final home game and Senior Day — against the Ole Miss Rebels inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The Gators come in with a 5-5 overall record that includes three wins in seven tries against fellow Southeastern Conference schools. The Rebs are a robust 8-2 this fall with a 4-2 mark against fellow league peers; Ole Miss currently holds the ninth spot in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The two SEC rivals have split the all-time series at 12-12-1 coming into the weekend, with Florida winning the last two and three of the past four meetings. Take a look below at what the Gators Wire staff predicts in the Swamp’s final game this fall.

Ole Miss has the edge going into Saturday

Ole Miss has the edge going into Saturday, but Florida has a few strengths that could make this closer than expected. The Gators’ rushing attack, led by a very talented freshman in Jadan Baugh, could exploit an Ole Miss defense that’s struggled against the run at times. If DJ Lagway continues his efficient play and avoids turnovers, Florida’s offense can stay competitive.

Defensively, the Gators’ front seven has been solid, and if they can disrupt Jaxson Dart’s rhythm and contain their talented group of receivers, they’ll give themselves a chance. Still, Ole Miss’ explosive offense might be too much to handle, making the Rebels the likely winner in a tight battle. — Aidan Gallardo

Ole Miss 34, Florida 24

Let’s ride the high from last week’s upset win

Let’s ride the high last week’s upset win over LSU provided and go with another Gators win to set up a three-game streak at the end of the season. Ole Miss is a better team than Florida, but DJ Lagway is starting to give this team confidence, and the front seven on defense is beginning to turn things around.

Jaxson Dart is going to do more damage than Garrett Nussmeier did, but never doubt Lagway’s ability to match him, especially in the Swamp. — David Rosenberg

Florida 33, Ole Miss 30

Florida falls just short against Ole Miss

The Gators have had a couple of games this season where things looked to be clicking… before a critical injury derailed the team’s efforts. What we saw last weekend was a fairly complete performance against a top-25 squad where Florida did not lose their starting quarterback — and the results were clear.

Napier has the program’s vote of confidence, and along with last Saturday’s win, there were a pair of coups on the recruiting from this week. The Rebels are a better team than the Bayou Bengals, however, so this is a tough matchup for the Orange and Blue.

Despite the home-field advantage, Lane Kiffin’s boys will simply be a little too much for Napier and Co. But it will be close and it will be an exciting affair.  — Adam Dubbin

Ole Miss 30, Florida 27