Florida has found a little extra fuel for Missouri, and it comes straight from a painful memory.
On Monday, offensive lineman Bryce Lovett said the Gators are using a photo from their 2023 loss at Mizzou as motivation inside the locker room. The image, which shows Tyreak Sapp sitting on the ground after the game, has been posted around the team room.
“There’s a picture of Tyreak Sapp sitting on the ground [after the Mizzou game],” Lovett said. “Had that up in the team room today, and it’s all over [the place].”
Lovett said the Gators have a photo of Sapp after UF’s loss to Missouri posted in the locker room:
“There's a picture of Tyreak Sapp sitting on the ground [after the Mizzou game]. He had that up in the team room today, and it's all over.” pic.twitter.com/2CP5iXFFWZ
- Curan Ahern (@CuranAhern) September 28, 2026
That scene came after Missouri’s 33-31 win over Florida in 2023, when Sapp was photographed on the ground while Tigers players taunted him. Florida also let the then-No. 9 Tigers convert a 4th-and-17 in the final minute, a play that set up Missouri’s game-winning field goal.
Missouri finished that season 11-2 and closed it out with a 14-3 win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Florida, meanwhile, has spent the last several seasons trying to climb back toward the standard the program expects. Since the end of the 2020 COVID season, the Gators have topped six wins only once over the previous five seasons.
Now they’re looking to push forward in 2026, and Missouri is part of that path. A win Saturday would give Florida a shot at exactly the kind of result it’s chasing.
The Gators and Tigers kick off at 3:30 p.m. E.T. on ABC.
In Other News...
Daeden Hopkins Is Becoming Missouris One Sure Defensive Difference-Maker
Daeden Hopkins keeps turning himself into the kind of edge rusher Missouri can build a defense around. The sophomore defensive end just picked up his second SEC defensive lineman of the week honor after a breakout showing against Mississippi State, where he finished with 3.5 sacks. Through four games, Hopkins already leads the Tigers in sacks with six, a sign that his impact is growing fast and that opposing offenses have to account for him on every snap.
For Missouri, that kind of presence changes the shape of a game plan. The Tigers have been waiting for a true difference-maker up front, and Hopkins is starting to look like the most reliable one they have. Around the program, there was also a lighter bit of news as Missouri athletics announced an NIL partnership with Friskies involving Truman the Tiger and a charitable donation program for shelter cats, a reminder that the off-field branding piece is humming too even as Hopkins keeps supplying the on-field headlines. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Faces A Huge Bounce-Back Test Against Unbeaten Florida
After a frustrating 31-24 loss to Mississippi State, Missouri gets a chance to reset quickly with a top-10 opponent coming to Columbia. The Tigers, ranked No. 25, will have their hands full with No. 8 Florida, a team that has opened unbeaten under new coach Jon Sumrall and brings a much bigger spotlight into Memorial Stadium.
The stakes are obvious for Missouri, which needs a bounce-back performance to keep its momentum from slipping further after the setback. Florida arrives with the cleaner resume, and the matchup gives the Tigers an immediate measuring stick against one of the SECs early front-runners, with national attention following along on ABC and FUBO. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Top 25 Standing Is About To Face Its Biggest Test
Missouris spot at No. 25 in the AP Top 25 has come with a little extra scrutiny, the kind that follows a team sitting on the edge of the poll and drawing skepticism from outside the program. The Tigers have managed to hang around the rankings, but the conversation around them has turned as much toward perception as performance, with some wondering whether their presence is helping the broader SEC picture more than their own rsum.
Now comes the kind of game that can settle plenty of arguments. Florida arrives as the next heavyweight on Missouris schedule, and the Tigers standing figures to be on the line in a way that goes beyond one weeks ranking. A strong showing would give Missouri a real case to stay put, while anything less could make the rest of the season a much tougher climb in the eyes of the voters. [Read more 🡒]