Multiple Factors Sank Ole Miss Football's Playoff Hopes Against Florida on Saturday

From key mistakes to missed scoring opportunities, the Rebels were unable to secure a necessary win on Saturday for a variety of reasons.

Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Jordan Smart (89) gets a first down during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After the win over Georgia on Nov. 9, it was somewhat difficult to imagine a path where the Ole Miss Rebels did not reach the College Football Playoff.

On Saturday, however, that path came to fruition.

Ole Miss failed to capitalize on its opportunities and left points on the field in a 24-17 loss to the Florida Gators in Gainesville on Saturday, and the preseason playoff dreams of the Rebels likely went out the window with the final whistle.

Despite outgaining Florida 464-344 on the day, Ole Miss was simply not as opportune in its plays as the host Gators. The Rebels went 3-for-14 on third downs and 2-for-4 on fourth downs, and they were unable to score a red zone touchdown in the loss. There are a myriad of factors that were at play in this result.

First, Ole Miss' inability to find a consistent running game was a big blow on Saturday. Short-yardage situations have almost always dictated a JJ Pegues-led package for the Rebels this season, and while he has largely been effective in that role, at some point, the play calling becomes predictable. Those calls cost Ole Miss points down in the red zone in Gainesville.

Second, the Ole Miss wide receivers did not have a banner day, especially in the second half. On multiple occasions, Dart made a good throw that could have resulted in a touchdown only to have the ball go off or through the hands of his intended target. Sure, it didn't help that Tre Harris went down with a first half injury, but after the last three games, it appeared that the Rebel offense had figured out how to operate in his absence.

Finally, DJ Lagway simply played a tremendous game for a true freshman. The Florida quarterback was able to evade first half pressure from the Rebels long enough to find a receiver downfield and set up some key scoring opportunities, and even though he was sacked multiple times in the second half, he was still gritty enough to make plays when it mattered.

Lagway's performance paired with the final two Ole Miss possessions that ended in interceptions will hang over the minds of Rebel fans for quite a while.

It seemed that this head-scratching version of Ole Miss had fallen by the wayside following the loss to LSU, but it reared its head again against a dangerous Florida team, and the Gators made the Rebels pay.

At the end of the day, there are three games that Rebel fans will look back to that cost their team a chance at the College Football Playoff, and those are losses to Kentucky, LSU and Florida. After an offseason full of big moves that had the playoff in mind, that's a tough pill to swallow.

Now, Ole Miss will go into the Egg Bowl on Friday as a more talented team than the visiting Mississippi State Bulldogs, but how will the Rebels respond to their playoff hopes being dashed? A 10-win season is still on the table, if Ole Miss can beat State and win its bowl game, but is that enough to motivate what has to be a devastated locker room?

Here in the week of Thanksgiving, that's what the Rebels have to play for: simple pride.