COLUMBIA - No. 25 Missouri gets another big test Saturday, and this one comes with a Homecoming streak on the line.
The Tigers, 3-1 overall and 0-1 in Southeastern Conference play, host No. 8 Florida at 2:30 p.m. in their fourth game of the season and second SEC matchup. Missouri is in its 115th year of Homecoming, and under coach Eli Drinkwitz, the Tigers have not lost a Homecoming game.
Florida arrives with real momentum after rolling past then-No. 4 Ole Miss, 52-28, and the Gators bring a run game that has given opponents plenty to think about. Jadan Baugh leads the SEC with 600 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, and Florida has topped 44 points in every game so far.
The Gators’ offense also has gotten steady play from transfer quarterback Aaron Philo, who has thrown for 917 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions in his first four starts at Florida.
Missouri, though, may have the quarterback edge. First-year Tiger Austin Simmons is set for his fifth start and has been sharp, with 947 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s completing 65.4% of his throws and has repeatedly delivered in tight windows.
The Tigers have protected him well, too, even with some issues elsewhere up front. Missouri’s offensive line has dealt with penalties and uneven run blocking, but it has allowed only four sacks. Jamal Roberts continues to handle the backfield work, with 395 yards, three touchdowns and a 4.4-yard average per carry.
Missouri is still missing Ahmad Hardy, the star running back who suffered a gunshot wound May 10 and has not played this season. Backup Malae Fonoti is also out after a season-ending injury in Week 1.
On defense, the Tigers will be without starting edge rushers Darris Smith and Langden Kitchen, both top-5 on the team in pressures. Reserve tight end Gavin Hoffman and safety JaDon Blair are out as well.
Florida wideout Vernell Brown III will not play.
Missouri is coming off its first SEC loss, a 31-24 defeat at then-No. 24 Mississippi State, and will try to reset against a Florida team that has looked dangerous on both sides of the ball.
In Other News...
Missouris Offense Is Suddenly Passing An Early SEC Stress Test
Missouris offense has already been tested in a way that says plenty about where this team might be headed in SEC play. Even with injuries and a reshuffled cast around it, the Tigers have been moving the ball with real purpose, a notable development in a league where early defensive pressure tends to expose any weakness fast. The bigger picture around college football this fall has included all kinds of offensive identities, from old-school schemes winning at Northwestern to Texas leaning on defense, but Missouris improvement has stood out because it has come while the roster has been forced to adapt.
The challenge is still part performance, part personnel. Running back Ahmad Hardy has not played this season after a gunshot injury, which has pushed more responsibility onto transfer quarterback Austin Simmons and a group of new receivers. Even with that burden, Missouri has found ways to keep the attack on schedule and productive, a good sign for a team trying to prove its offense can hold up as SEC defenses get tougher and the season wears on. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Injury Update Could Matter More To Mizzou Fans Than Expected
Floridas receiving picture got a little clearer this week, and for Missouri fans, it is worth watching even though the Tigers are already past that matchup. Gators coach Jon Sumrall said Vernell Brown III, who hurt his knee in Week 4 and sat out the Week 5 game against Mizzou, has been cleared to practice and run after an MRI showed no long-term damage.
The part that still matters is what comes next. Browns status for Floridas Week 6 home game against South Carolina is still up in the air, and while he is moving around again, the final hurdle is whether he can do enough of the sharper work that comes with game action. Missouri got the version of Florida without him, but this update suggests the Gators may still be sorting out how soon he can return to a real role. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Defense Just Silenced A Major SEC Concern
Missouris 45-17 win over Florida was about more than another lopsided SEC result. It also came with a sharp answer to one of the leagues more persistent concerns, as the Tigers defense kept Floridas ground game from ever settling in and made the Gators play uphill for most of the afternoon. Missouri was cleaner at the point of attack, better on the perimeter and more reliable in space, the kind of performance that can change how a defense is viewed over the long haul.
Jadan Baughs early burst offered Florida a brief sense of possibility, but Missouri quickly took that away by closing off the outside-zone lanes and finishing tackles with much more authority than it had shown at times earlier this season. For a defense that had been waiting for a statement against the run, this was the kind of tape coaches can point to with real satisfaction, even if the bigger question now is whether it can stack another outing like it. [Read more 🡒]