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No. 25 Florida rolls past No 3 Ole Miss

 
Florida Gators defensive lineman Bryan Cox (94) celebrates recovering a fumble with linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) in the first quarter of a game between the Florida Gators and Ole Miss Rebels at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015.
Florida Gators defensive lineman Bryan Cox (94) celebrates recovering a fumble with linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) in the first quarter of a game between the Florida Gators and Ole Miss Rebels at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015.
Published Oct. 4, 2015

GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Jim McElwain spent all week talking up No. 3 Ole Miss and what a tough challenge the conference's top team would pose for his rebuilding Gators.

What McElwain and the rest of the SEC learned Saturday night was that UF's dormant days seem over.

In the first top-25 showdown at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since October 2012, No. 25 UF dominated early and rolled late to a 38-10 victory.

With their first win over a top-three program since beating Oklahoma for the 2008 national title, the Gators (5-0, 3-0 SEC) moved into sole possession of first place in the SEC East and set off upcoming chatter over whether UF has reestablished itself as a national power.

"Here's what's going to be next: 'Are these guys for real?' " McElwain said. "We'll find out."

If the Gators played as they did Saturday, in front of an announced crowd of 90,585, the answers will be obvious.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Will Grier starred with the best performance of his four college starts, despite being one of 22 Gators battling the flu.

He was 24-of-29 (with two drops) for 271 yards. After McElwain challenged him to have four complete quarters, Grier became the first UF quarterback since Chris Leak in 2005 to throw four touchdowns in one half.

"He seems a lot more comfortable back there this week," tight end Jake McGee said. "…It really shows."

Six minutes into the game, Grier showed some comfort in a tough situation — being chased by monstrous lineman Robert Nkemdiche, ESPN's No. 1 NFL draft prospect.

"You've got to stand there, make a throw," Grier said.

That throw was a 36-yard toss to receiver Demarcus Robinson for the game's first score.

On the ensuing drive, Mississippi running back Jaylen Walton bobbled the handoff and the ball popped to defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr. Five plays later, Grier faked a handoff to Kelvin Taylor and lobbed a 2-yard touchdown to McGee.

Grier's receivers did the work on his other two first-half scores. Brandon Powell turned a 7-yard pass over the middle into a 77-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and freshman Antonio Callaway sped to the corner for a 15-yard touchdown for a 25-0 halftime lead.

Perhaps the only thing more surprising than UF's early offensive fireworks was how its defense smothered high-powered Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1).

"Our defense played their tails off," McElwain said.

The Rebels entered the Swamp averaging 54.8 points, second in the country, and had torched mighty Alabama for 433 yards and 43 points on Sept. 19 in Tuscaloosa. The Gators held them to a season-low 328 yards.

Linebacker Jarrad Davis had one of UF's four sacks on the Rebels' second play of the game. Ole Miss' second drive ended in Cox's fumble recovery, and a bad snap doomed the third possession.

But UF's biggest statement came on the opening drive of the third quarter. Ole Miss had five plays inside the 6-yard line. The Rebels gained yards on only one of them and settled for a 22-yard field goal.

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The Rebels had six turnovers in the first four games but four Saturday night, including a late interception by cornerback Vernon Hargreaves and a fumble that freshman end CeCe Jefferson took to the 1.

UF's second 5-0 start since 2009 set off chants of "overrated" throughout the stadium. And after spending most of five seasons trying to overcome mediocrity, the Gators will soon learn whether they can handle heightened success.

"I'm kind of excited about it," McElwain said. "Aren't you?"

Contact Matt Baker at mbaker@tampabay.com. Follow @MBakerTBTimes.