Is Florida this year's surprise contender in the SEC?

The No. 21 Gators were unstoppable in the second half of a 52-28 win over No. 4 Ole Miss. And no, before you think the win is an upset, it isn't. Florida closed as a 4-point favorite.

And if you had any questions about that line, you now know why the Gators were favored. After Ole Miss cut the Gators' lead to 17-14 to start the second half, Florida scored touchdowns on its next five possessions to turn what could have been a Rebels comeback attempt into a rout.

The exclamation point came with 4:35 to go, following an Ole Miss timeout ahead of second down. Not content to sit on a 17-point lead, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner called a play-action pass for Aaron Philo to hit Eric Singleton Jr. for 37 yards to the 2-yard line. A play later, Jadan Baugh made it a blowout with his third rushing touchdown of the day and his 11th of the season.

Florida finished the game with 52 carries for 302 yards and six touchdowns. Philo, Duke Clark and Dallas Wilson each scored rushing TDs in addition to Baugh, as the Gators pushed Ole Miss around.

The Rebels entered the game allowing 159 yards a game on the ground. It was a clear early weakness and Florida exploited it. Faulkner, who came to Florida from Georgia Tech, is at his play-calling best when an effective rushing attack allows him to dial some creative play-action pass attempts. And with Florida getting whatever it wanted on the ground, Philo was 16-of-23 passing for 196 yards and a touchdown.

Ole Miss didn't have Kewan Lacy

The star running back missed the game after suffering a left shoulder injury in the Rebels' Week 3 win over LSU. Given how Florida's offense did what it wanted, his absence was far from the reason Ole Miss lost. But the Rebels certainly missed his presence.

QB Trinidad Chambliss was the team's leading rusher with seven carries for 44 yards and two rushing TDs. Outside of Chambliss, the team's leading rusher was Makhi Frazier and his eight carries for 42 yards, while JT Lindsey had 11 carries for 31 yards.

Ole Miss failed to convert a third down for the entire first half, and Lindsey's first-drive fumble set Florida up for an early 10-0 lead.

Chambliss finished the game 25-of-34 passing for 298 yards and a TD along with an interception. After he became the Heisman favorite following the Rebels' win over LSU, that status is going to take a hit. But it could be a momentary one. Especially if Ole Miss' defense can get its act together. Chambliss is one of the most dynamic players in college football.

Is Florida for real?

After the game, Gators coach Jon Sumrall told ESPN that the Gators were "still not a finished product." That's a scary thought. And we'll find out soon enough if Florida is a legitimate contender.

The Gators were picked ninth in the SEC's preseason media poll, behind two teams that will already have two losses through the first four weeks of the season. They're going to be in the top 15 of Sunday's AP poll. And they'll have plenty of chances to climb higher in October.

Florida heads to No. 19 Missouri in Week 5, before games against South Carolina, at No. 1 Texas and against No. 2 Georgia in Atlanta on Halloween. Florida looks the part of a threat to be back in Atlanta in December right now. A win or two over Texas and Georgia will go a long way to validating that.

Source: Yahoo Sports