Gators Defense Tasked with Stopping Dangerous Ole Miss Duo

Florida shut down LSU's offense consistently last week, but now the Gators are faced with slowing down one of the nation's top passing-receiving duo.

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) drops back to pass during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

It’s no surprise each year seeing the SEC lead the way in NFL draft picks. The conference is littered top to bottom with talent. It’s also why the Florida Gators schedule was seen as arguably the toughest in the nation. 

They’ve been tasked with playing against top quarterbacks Garret Nussmeier, Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers up to this point of the season while also facing top receivers such as Isaiah Bond and Kyren Lacy. 

However, the Gators defense’s toughest test yet might come this weekend when they take on the Ole Miss Rebels and star duo Jaxon Dart and Tre Harris. 

Dart has been unbelievable for the Rebels this season. He is third in the country in passing yards with 3,409. Additionally, he is third in passing yards per game (340.9), third in pass yards per completion (16.16) and tied for ninth in passing touchdowns (22). 

What makes these stats even better is his ability to not turn the ball over. He has only thrown four interceptions on the year. 

But he can be much more than a passer. He is actually second on the team in rushing yards with 304 and tied for second on the team in rushing touchdowns with three. The dual-threat label is definitely a fair assessment.  

Dart is only half the equation though. This Rebels offense is loaded with talent, especially at wide receiver. It has guys like Jordan Watkins, Antwane Wells Jr. and Cayden Lee, but none of these are the leader of the pack. That title goes to Harris. 

Harris has been a problem for opposing defenses all year long. In just seven games, he has 59 catches for 987 yards and six touchdowns. That comes out to be 16.7 yards per catch and an average of 141 yards per game. Simply video game like numbers. 

Moreover, even with missing the last three games, Harris’ 987 yards are good for fifth nationally in total receiving yards. Luckily for Rebels fans, head coach Lane Kiffin stated that Harris looks to be good to go for Saturday. 

In his opening statement, #OleMiss coach Lane Kiffin all but confirmed Tre Harris is back.

"Tre now looks like he's ready to go. Really excited to get the best receiver in the country back."

— Sam Hutchens (@Sam_Hutchens_) November 18, 2024

Unfortunately for the Gators, they can’t say the same about their secondary. Jason Marshall Jr., Ja’Keem Jackson, Devin Moore and Asa Turner were all listed as "out" on the availability report from Wednesday. Three of those were not a surprise as they’ve been on there most of the season, but many were hoping Moore would return for this matchup. However, that wasn’t the case. 

This doesn’t mean that others can’t step up in his absence. 

Trikweze Bridges put the nail in the coffin against LSU with his fourth down pass-breakup on the final drive of the game for the Tigers. Dijon Johnson was good against LSU as well and made an important tackle on fourth down early in the contest to give the Gators the ball in a favorable position. 

The Gators have also had consistent success at the STAR position with Aaron Gates and Sharif Denson.

Florida may be short on bodies and depth, but if last week was any indication of the current group's potential, the Gators could be in a position to pull off a second-straight upset.