No. 11 UF heads to struggling Mizzou with SEC hopes alive
No. 11 Florida (8-2, 5-2 SEC, No. 11 CFP) at Missouri (5-4, 2-3), Saturday at 12 p.m. EST (CBS).
Line: Florida by 7.
Series record: Missouri leads 5-3.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Florida trails Georgia by a half-game in the SEC East and the Bulldogs hold the tiebreaker. So, the Gators need to beat the Tigers just to keep pace in the race for the league title game. Missouri has lost three straight to Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Georgia and needs to beat the Gators, Tennessee or Arkansas to become bowl eligible.
KEY MATCHUP
Florida quarterback Kyle Trask against the Missouri pass defense. The former backup threw for 363 yards in last week’s blowout of Vanderbilt, and he even added a touchdown on the ground. Trask will face a stingy Missouri defense that allows just 288 yards total offense per game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Florida: TE Kyle Pitts has caught 18 passes over the past three games, highlighted by his 108-yard performance in the Gators’ 42-28 loss to LSU. Pitts has 42 catches for 528 yards and five scores this season.
Missouri: QB Kelly Bryant missed last week’s shutout loss to Georgia because of an ailing hamstring, and he was sorely missed. Taylor Powell struggled in his place in the 27-0 loss between the hedges.
FACTS & FIGURES
Florida is seeking a sixth SEC win for the first time in three years. … Trask is completing 66.7% of his passes since becoming the starter. He has two 300-yard passing game. … The Gators are one of six teams nationally with at least four receivers with at least 25 catches, 375 yards and three TDs. … Ten different Gators have a TD catch. … Florida is outscoring opponents 113-29 in the fourth quarter. … The Gators lead the SEC and are third nationally with 21 takeaways. … Florida is second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (15 points per game) … Missouri leads the SEC and is fourth nationally in pass defense (147.7 yards). … The Tigers are playing a home game for the first time since Oct. 12. They are 5-0 at Faurot Field. … The Tigers were held to 198 yards by Georgia, their worst offensive output since 2015. They failed to score for the first time since 2014.
