Florida vs. Missouri: Picks and Predictions for Gators vs. Tigers
Following a short week due to hosting the Eastern Washington Eagles this past Sunday, the Florida Gators are diving back into their conference schedule, hosting the Missouri Tigers this Saturday for the first of six SEC games in a row.
UF has lost its last six conference matchups dating back to the midway point of the 2021 season. Will that streak come to an end on Saturday?
Oddsmakers tend to think so. Florida is viewed as an 11-point favorite over Missouri, according to the Sports Illustrated Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 54 points.
You can find All Gators' picks and predictions below.
Zach Goodall (3-2): Florida 27, Missouri 20
Sure, Missouri just went toe to toe with the former No. 1 team in Georgia and that might seem daunting for an underwhelming Gators squad to take on one week later. But I'm not buying the hype. It felt much more like an off night for a typically dominant Bulldogs squad in a raucous Columbia, Mo. environment, in a game where the Tigers relied on five field goals to stand a chance.
This isn't to say I view this game as an easy win for UF, as Georgia is clearly a better team than Florida, I just view Florida as a clearly better team than Missouri, at least in terms of all-around talent and specifically when it comes down to offensive firepower.
Missouri owns a stout run defense that allows just 3.5 yards per carry, meaning UF's rushing attack will be tested and Anthony Richardson's arm will be relied upon if the Gators can't get it going on the ground. He's in a groove right now with seven total touchdowns, 693 passing yards and 107 rushing yards over the last two games, and unless the Tigers' pass rush can make a massive impact, I don't think Missouri has the stability in coverage to get him out of the groove.
As long as UF's offense doesn't fall back into a slump, the Gators should be able to handle their business on Saturday. I could see the Tigers' two-headed rushing attack of Nathaniel Peat and Cody Schrader producing enough to tighten the score before the fourth quarter closes, however.
Brandon Carroll (3-2): Florida 34, Missouri 22
The Florida Gators are in must-win mode on Saturday as they play host to a Missouri Tigers team that is one week removed from going toe-to-toe with the reigning national champion.
However, I don’t think Missouri’s ability to play up for a contest with the No. 1 team in the country at home at night will translate to their trip to The Swamp for what equates to an 11 a.m. CDT kickoff.
Starting to figure it out offensively over the last few weeks, Florida will get a litmus test regarding how dynamic the passing attack truly is against the former Gators linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper and the Tigers' stout defense.
The unit currently ranks No. 38 in total defense this season.
However, the contest will ultimately come down to which team’s weakness can step up the most to overcome the other. If the Gators' defense can find a way to stop the Tigers' offense, specifically in the rushing game, giving their own offense frequent opportunities to put points on the board, the game will be UF’s to lose.
Richardson will continue his hot streak over the past two weeks and elevate this Florida squad with over 350 yards and four total touchdowns accounted for on the day.
As a result, Florida will keep Missouri at an arm's length throughout the contest and picks up its first conference win of the season, effectively snapping its six-game losing streak against SEC opponents.
Conner Clarke (4-1): Florida, 31 Missouri 23
The Gators look to finally be back on track after an encouraging performance in Knoxville and then an easy victory at home against Eastern Washington. This weekend, they welcome conference rival Missouri to the Swamp for homecoming.
The Gators and Tigers rivalry is one that has been full of drama and quite frankly just flat-out weird games and outcomes. Regardless of how good Florida is, UF always seems to have trouble with Mizzou.
The Tigers gave Georgia all the former No. 1 Bulldogs could handle last week, barely losing to the defending National Champions, but could there be a letdown after such an impressive performance? Anthony Richardson seems to have gotten his groove back and the Gators' offense is picking things up, so it should be a good test against a Missouri defense that is good but not great.
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook did a good job of taking care of the ball last week, but does have four interceptions on the year to just five touchdown passes. Florida seems to play a bit of a bend but don’t break defense that has given up yards but stopped a number of teams from punching it in the end zone.
I am fully expecting another weird game because that seems to be the standard in the history of this matchup. However, I like what I have seen from UF offensively as of late and I think the Gators are adequate enough on the defensive end to walk away with a victory this weekend.
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