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Ole Miss to play Duke in Gator Bowl as it heads back to Florida

11by:Jake Thompson•12/08/24•

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Gator Bowl
(© Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports)

The waiting and wondering is over as the bowl destination is official for No. 14 Ole Miss and it is a return trip to the Sunshine State.

The Rebels (9-3) are heading back to Florida and will play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Duke (9-3). The game will be played at Bill Gay Grounds at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville on January 2 at 6:30 p.m. CT

For Ole Miss it is a return to the Gator Bowl for the first time since 1991 and will be the fourth trip to the game in program history. The Rebels fell to Michigan, 35-3, when the two teams met 33 years ago.

Overall, Ole Miss is 1-3 in the game. It’s lone victory was a 7-3 win over Florida in 1958. It lost to Auburn, 35-28, in 1971.

After missing out on the College Football Playoffs as the third team out, Ole Miss will be looking for its third 10-win season in the last four years. The Rebels have made a bowl game in all five seasons under head coach Lane Kiffin.

This will be the first time Ole Miss and Duke have met on a football field in either team’s history. The Blue Devils finished up the regular season on a three-game winning streak, beating North Carolina State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

The Rebels finished the season with its loss at Florida then a bounce-back win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. The loss in Gainesville ultimately serves as the reason Kiffin and Ole Miss will be wrapping up its season an hour northeast of there in a few weeks.

The Ole Miss Spirit has reported there have not been any word about players opting out, though now that the bowl game is official that could change. More will be known this week.

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