The Florida Gators are back in the Swamp after suffering their second loss of the season to the Georgia Bulldogs. The Gators will host the Missouri Tigers who are also coming off of a loss. The Tigers almost pulled off a big upset against the Kentucky Wildcats but lost on a walk-off touchdown pass. Both teams come into this game with a chip on their shoulders with tough losses to SEC East opponents. Last season, the Missouri Tigers blew out Florida 45-16 with Randy Shannon as the Gators interim head coach. The Florida Gators now led by Dan Mullen will look to rebound with a conference win versus Missouri. Today, we look at the Florida Gators vs Missouri Tigers preview.
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers come into this game with a disappointing loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in a game they had seemingly won. The Missouri offense will look to rebound led by their star quarterback, Drew Lock. The senior quarterback is one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC and is a potential first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Lock has a 60.6 completion percentage on the season with 2,144 passing yards, sixteen touchdowns, and six interceptions. Missouri’s leading rusher is Larry Roundtree III. The sophomore running back has 108 carries for 594 yards and eight touchdowns. Another offensive playmaker to watch out for is at the wide receiver position with Emanuel Hall. The senior receiver has 18 receptions for 430 yards and three touchdowns.
On defense, the Missouri Tigers have has their issues as they allow 414.8 yards per game. They have also allowed over 288 passing yards per game but only allowed 126.5 rushing yards per game. Senior defensive tackle Terry Becker Jr. will try to lead the defense against Florida. Becker leads the team in tackles for loss with 7.5. He also has nineteen tackles, a sack and three quarterback hurries. Junior linebacker Cale Garrett leads the Tigers in tackles with 75 tackles on the season. He also has three tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. Redshirt-sophomore Christian Holmes leads Missouri in interceptions with two picks on the year. Holmes also has fourteen tackles and seven pass breakups.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are happy to be back in the Swamp after being on the road for two straight games. The Florida offense will look to rebound after a poor performance against the Georgia Bulldogs. Redshirt-sophomore Feleipe Franks will look to bounce back after struggling against Georgia. Franks has a 57.1 completion percentage for 1,511 passing yards, sixteen touchdowns and six interceptions. The Gators will need to rely on their rushing attack as they have two very solid SEC running backs. Junior Lamical Perine leads the Gators in rushing with 83 carries for 438 yards and three touchdowns. Junior running back Jordan Scarlett has 78 carries for 437 yards and three scores. Florida’s top two receivers are Van Jefferson and Feddie Swain. Jefferson has nineteen receptions for 265 yards and four touchdowns. Swain has thirteen catches for 263 yards and a team-high five touchdowns.
The Florida defense will need to have a better game against Missouri than against Georgia. Junior linebacker Vosean Joseph leads the Gators in tackles with 57 tackles on the season. Joseph also has eight tackles for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble. Jachai Polite is a potential first-round pick as he has 28 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and four forced fumbles. Jabari Zuniga continues to have a big season with a team-high nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. C.J. Henderson should play against Missouri as he suffered a lower back injury against Georgia in the first quarter. Junior Chauncey Gardner is also having a breakout season with 53 tackles with six of those tackles going for a loss. He also has two sacks and an interception.
5 Players to Watch: Missouri Tigers
- QB Drew Lock
- DT Terry Beckner Jr.
- RB Larry Roundtree III
- LB Cale Garrett
- WR Emanuel Hill
5 Players to Watch: Florida Gators
- RB Lamical Perine
- DE Jachai Polite
- LB Vosean Joseph
- WR Feddie Swain
- CB Trey Dean
5 Predictions:
- Feleipe Franks passes for over 225 yards and at least two touchdowns passes.
- Drew Lock passes for 250 yards and a couple of scores.
- Florida’s defense forces two turnovers.
- Missouri’s secondary gets an INT on Franks.
- Florida defeats Missouri 34-24.
