The #5 Florida Gators open their 2020 season on the road at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi to take on the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at noon ET. The game will be shown on ESPN. The Gators are favored by 14.5 points at -110 with a 57-point over/under. Florida is coming off an 11-2 campaign in 2019 as the Orange Bowl victors while the Rebels will be fielding a completely overhauled team that went 4-8 last year.
This will be the 116th season for the mighty Gators and the 126th for the Rebels. Dan Mullen will be entering his third year as head coach for the Gators with a 21-5 record, and Lane Kiffin will be entering his first year. Florida is 11-12-1 against Ole Miss all-time, but is 5-2 in all games played in Oxford. The last time Florida and Ole Miss met in a season opener was in 1948, a 14-0 victory for the Rebels. This is the second time Lane Kiffin will face off against the Gators, with the last time being as Tennessee head coach in a 13-23 loss. The last few games have been split by both teams:
On defense, DE/LB Sam Williams (SR) is the leading hybrid edge rusher. LB Jacques Jones (JR), LB Lakia Henry (SR), DE Tariqious Tisdale (SR), and S John Haynes (SR) are the stars on a defense that can only improve under Chris Partridge and DJ Durkin. Both of the defensive coordinators are excellent recruiters, so expect plenty of freshmen to step up quickly.
The Gators return 11 Preseason All-SEC athletes:
This will be the 116th season for the mighty Gators and the 126th for the Rebels. Dan Mullen will be entering his third year as head coach for the Gators with a 21-5 record, and Lane Kiffin will be entering his first year. Florida is 11-12-1 against Ole Miss all-time, but is 5-2 in all games played in Oxford. The last time Florida and Ole Miss met in a season opener was in 1948, a 14-0 victory for the Rebels. This is the second time Lane Kiffin will face off against the Gators, with the last time being as Tennessee head coach in a 13-23 loss. The last few games have been split by both teams:
- 2015 Florida 38, Ole Miss 10
- 2008 Ole Miss 31, Florida 30
- 2007 Florida 30, Ole Miss 24
- Ben Brown: Preseason All-SEC (Third Team)
- Mac Brown: Wuerffel Trophy, Preseason All-SEC (Third Team)
- Jerrion Ealy: Doak Walker Award Watch List, Paul Hornung Award Watch List, Preseason All-SEC (First Team [All-Purpose]), Preseason All-SEC (Second Team [All-Purpose, KR]), Preseason All-SEC (Third Team [RB, All-Purpose])
- Lakia Henry: Butkus Award Watch List, Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250
- Elijah Moore: Biletnikoff Award Watch List, Preseason All-SEC (Second Team)
- Royce Newman: Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250
- Jack Propst: Preseason All-SEC (Second Team)
- MoMo Sanogo: Preseason All-SEC (Fourth Team)
- Tariqious Tisdale: Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250
- Sam Williams: Preseason All-SEC (Third Team)
On defense, DE/LB Sam Williams (SR) is the leading hybrid edge rusher. LB Jacques Jones (JR), LB Lakia Henry (SR), DE Tariqious Tisdale (SR), and S John Haynes (SR) are the stars on a defense that can only improve under Chris Partridge and DJ Durkin. Both of the defensive coordinators are excellent recruiters, so expect plenty of freshmen to step up quickly.
The Gators return 11 Preseason All-SEC athletes:
- TE Kyle Pitts, Florida (First Team)
- QB Kyle Trask, Florida (Second Team)
- AP Kadarius Toney, Florida (Second Team)
- CB Kaiir Elam, Florida (Second Team)
- DL Zachary Carter, Florida (Third Team)
- CB Marco Wilson, Florida (Third Team)
- S Shawn Davis, Florida (Third Team)
- K Evan McPherson, Florida (Third Team)
- WR Trevon Grimes, Florida (Third Team)
- OL Stewart Reese, Florida (Third Team, transfer from Mississippi State)
- DL TJ Slaton, Florida (Fourth Team)