Dart, who entered the game with just one interception on the season, threw two picks in the first half alone. His third interception, coming with 2:30 remaining, sealed the victory for the Gators.

“Jaxson had a tough night,” said Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. “He’s a young quarterback, and he’s going to learn from this.”

The interceptions were particularly damaging because they came at crucial moments in the game. Dart’s first pick, which occurred on Ole Miss’ opening drive, gave Florida excellent field position. The Gators capitalized on the turnover with a touchdown less than two minutes later.

His second interception, late in the second quarter, came as Ole Miss was driving towards a potential score. The play resulted in a Florida field goal, which extended the Gators’ lead to 20-14 at halftime.

Dart’s third interception, thrown deep into Florida territory, effectively ended any chance of an Ole Miss comeback.

“We didn’t play our best game tonight,” said Ole Miss linebacker Troy Brown. “But we’re going to bounce back from this.”

The loss drops Ole Miss to 9-2 on the season and likely eliminates them from CFP contention. The Rebels, who were ranked as high as No. 7 earlier this year, have now lost two of their last three games.

Florida, meanwhile, improves to 6-5 on the season. The Gators, who fired head coach Dan Mullen after a loss to Missouri two weeks ago, are now 2-0 under interim coach Billy Napier.

“This is a big win for our program,” said Napier. “It’s a credit to the hard work and dedication of our players and staff.”

The loss is a major setback for Ole Miss, who entered the season with high expectations. The Rebels have a challenging remaining schedule, with games against No. 1 Alabama and No. 19 Mississippi State still to come.

“We’re not going to give up,” said Kiffin. “We’re going to keep fighting, and we’re going to try to finish the season strong.”