Florida’s passing game could be a little thinner than usual when the Gators head to No. 25 Missouri.
In the first availability report for Saturday’s Week 5 matchup, released late Wednesday night, wide receivers Vernel Brown III and Bailey Stockton were both listed as questionable. Florida has been piling up points all season - 214 through four games - and quarterback Aaron Philo may have to navigate this one without two of his more important targets.
Brown, a sophomore from Gainesville, has been one of the most productive pieces in the offense so far. He leads the Gators with 17 catches and 271 receiving yards, and he’s tied with Dallas Wilson for the team lead with two touchdown receptions. Stockton, a senior from Bogart, GA, sits third on the team with 13 receptions, trailing Brown and Wilson, who has 14.
If either receiver can’t go, Wilson would be asked to carry even more of the load, with Eric Singleton Jr. right there beside him. Singleton, the Auburn transfer, is back on the report after missing most of the season opener and all of Weeks 2 and 3 because of injury. He did play against Ole Miss, though only in a limited role.
Florida would also lean more on tight ends Luke Harpring and Amir Jackson, along with wide receiver TJ Abrams, if Brown and Stockton are unavailable. Still, the passing game likely remains secondary to running back Jaden Baugh in Buster Faulkner’s offense.
Florida and Missouri are set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC.
In Other News...
Missouri Gets An Early Read On Key Defensive Help Vs Florida
Missouri got its first injury snapshot ahead of Homecoming against Florida, and the initial SEC availability report immediately put some focus on the defensive front. The Tigers listed eight players in varying statuses, with EDGE Darris Smith and DE Langden Kitchen both tagged questionable as they work back from ailments that affected their availability last week.
Smith sat out the previous game with an ankle injury, while Kitchen left early with a lower-body injury, leaving Missouri to monitor two important pieces as the Florida matchup approaches. The Gators own report was lighter, with two questionable wideouts in Vernell Brown III and Bailey Stockton, but for Missouri the bigger question is how much of its defensive line rotation it can count on when the conference deadline forces the first public update before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Florida's Breakout Season Faces A Huge Test At Missouri
Floridas visit to Columbia arrives with both teams trying to sort out what kind of October run they can make, and college football analyst Greg McElroy sees the matchup tilting toward the visitors. He pointed to Floridas running game as the most reliable edge in the game, with Jadan Baugh powering a ground attack that has helped shape the Gators breakout start.
Missouri, meanwhile, is being pressed by issues that have shown up in the margins, especially in finishing drives and keeping opponents from turning limited chances into points. The Tigers also face a Florida team whose defensive tendencies could create a tougher day for Missouris passing game, which makes the October 3 meeting feel like more than just another conference game for a team trying to keep its league standing from slipping. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Suddenly Has A Defensive Concern Heading Into Florida
Missouris trip to No. 8 Florida picked up an extra layer of uncertainty Wednesday night when the injury report listed several key defenders as questionable, including edge rushers Langden Kitchen and Darris Smith and linebacker Bobby Washington Jr. For a Tigers defense that will need to bring pressure and stay sturdy in the middle against a ranked opponent on the road, those names jumping onto the report immediately changed the look of the matchup.
Eli Drinkwitz had already acknowledged Kitchen and Smiths status during his Tuesday media session, so the situation was not a complete surprise, but it still leaves Missouri waiting on important pieces at a critical spot on the field. Florida has injury questions of its own, with leading receiver Vernel Brown III and third receiver Bailey Stockton also listed as questionable, but Missouris bigger concern is whether it can get enough speed and depth back on defense before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]