GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If you like your college football games with a chip on the shoulder pads, this one is for you.
A quick review: No. 11-ranked Florida (6-2, 4-2) is coming off a deflating loss to hated Southeastern Conference rival Georgia that essentially knocked Florida from its surprising bid at an SEC East title in head coach Dan Mullen's first season. Meanwhile, Missouri (4-4, 0-4) lost a heartbreaker to Kentucky when the Wildcats won on an untimed play after a pass interference call on the final snap of regulation.
These are two teams ready to get back on the field Saturday afternoon at the Swamp. The matchup offers extra motivation for the Gators considering last season at Missouri, the Tigers spanked the Gators 45-16 in their first game after the departure of former head coach Jim McElwain.
Mullen reminded the Gators of that loss this week – a day he spent leading his Mississippi State team to a victory over UMass last season – to make sure they shook any cobwebs remaining from what transpired in Jacksonville last Saturday.
"Our guys know what happened," Mullen said Wednesday. "I imagine the guys that played will use it as motivation."
This is a classic "response game" for both teams.
"The way we handle this loss is going to determine the rest of the season." -- @CampbellKyree13
Missouri coach Barry Odom showed up for work on Sunday with an eye for detail. He wanted to see his team's body language following the 15-14 loss to Kentucky that set up Saturday's SEC East showdown in Lexington between the Wildcats and Georgia. The winner has a tight grip on the steering wheel toward Atlanta.
"I'll be very honest: It was a very hard Sunday," Odom told reporters. "Not just for one guy. It was hard for a group of 115 (players) who were still stung by coming up short."
Florida players spoke this week about turning the page. They say there's too much to play for to let the Georgia loss linger.
Coming off a 4-7 season, Mullen has Florida back in the polls and the national conversation. The Gators led the Bulldogs 14-13 early in the third quarter but a costly fumble by quarterback Feleipe Franks -- softened by a tremendous goal-line stand that forced the Bulldogs to settle for a field goal -- and a lack of execution late in the game sealed their fate.
However, the Gators are in good position to finish the season strong with three of their final four games at home and then a trip to Tallahassee to face a fading Florida State team.
"Our goal is to win the rest of the season,'' defensive tackle Kyree Campbell said. "Our goal is to get to a New Year's Six bowl game, just to show that we are one of the best teams in the nation."
Worthwhile – and realistic – goals.
But first, Missouri comes to town on Homecoming.
In this week's edition of The Opening Kickoff, here is a closer look at the Florida-Missouri matchup:
THREE QUESTIONS WITH … RECEIVER JOSH HAMMOND
Q: What was the bus ride back from Jacksonville like? Hammond A: Umm, quiet. A lot of guys were upset from the loss. Some guys, you know, watched the film and went over it ... see the mistakes we made and kind of get over it and put it in the past. Other guys just kind of stayed to themselves. After a loss, nobody's going to be happy or ecstatic.
Q: What is the anticipation level of playing at home for only the second time in more than a month?
A: I think home games are a big advantage for us. It is definitely a good feeling to come out in the Swamp and play. We're a lot more comfortable playing at home. We have that mentality to never lose at home, so you know that'll be our mentality moving forward.
Q: Do you think it's difficult for fans to understand there needs to be patience in building a program?
A: I think so. But at the end of the day, I think it still comes down to execution. The two games that we did lose, it just came down to poor execution. We could've won both games if we just executed the right way. I don't think we really look at it too much as a rebuilding year.
THREE STORYLINES
The Gators are back in the Swamp for the first time in three weeks and only the second time since Sept. 15. Florida's bid for an SEC East title was spoiled by last week's loss to Georgia in Jacksonville, but the Gators opened at No. 11 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season. With four regular-season games remaining, the Gators are likely to be favored in each and have a chance at a 10-win season.
Quarterback Feleipe Franks attempts to rebound from a subpar performance (13 of 21, season-low 105 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, lost fumble) in the loss to the Bulldogs. After throwing 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions in the first four games, Franks has thrown four touchdowns and four picks in the last four games.
The Gators' thin secondary is certain to be tested by Missouri senior quarterback Drew Lock, who averages 268 yards passing per game. Cornerback CJ Henderson (bruised back) is expected to play after getting injured early in the Georgia game. However, safety Brad StewartJr. did not play against Georgia and Brian Edwards played only on special teams, so what their roles will be Saturday remains unclear.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tigers senior quarterback Drew Lock (6-4, 225) has thrown for 2,144 yards and 16 touchdowns through eight games. If the Tigers are going to pull the upset Saturday, Lock will likely lead the way. He is averaging 34.9 pass attempts per game and threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns in Missouri's biggest win of the season, a 40-37 road win at Purdue. In three career games against the Gators, Lock is 35 of 77 (45.6 percent) for 418 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.
Senior defensive end/linebacker Cece Jefferson is tied for 20th on the team with 10 tackles. Few could have imagined the Gators having the season they are with Jefferson having such a quiet year. However, the emergence of Jabari Zuniga and Jachai Polite has covered Jefferson's lack of production. Jefferson was more active against Georgia and is due for his first sack. Perhaps playing in his final Homecoming game at UF -- and the likelihood of Lock dropping back to pass more than 30 times -- inspires Jefferson to turn in his best performance of the season.
Lamical Perine led the Gators with 62 yards rushing last week and now owns a slight edge over Jordan Scarlett (438-437) as the team's leading rusher. Perine has gotten better as the season has progressed and at this point has a strong case as Florida's offensive MVP.
THREE DIGITS
3 –Years since Florida has been ranked in the top 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for four consecutive weeks prior to this week. The Gators only dropped four spots, from ninth to 13th, following their loss to Georgia. 6 -- Touchdown passes this season for the Gators of 30 or more yards, surpassing the combined total from the past two seasons. 18.20 –Missouri quarterback Drew Lock's quarterback rating the last time he played in the Swamp, a 40-14 loss to the Gators in 2016. In 45 career games, it stands as the lowest QB rating of Lock's career.
"We all know how good of a team we are at every position. We have a chance to have a really good, a really good record." -- Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks
"The switch comes on as soon as that clock hits zero-zero. Once that game was over, then we know what we got to do. Something has to click." -- Florida defensive tackle Kyree Campbell on shaking off Georgia loss
"Probably one of the most competitive guys I've ever been around. Has a passion to play the game. We're gonna continue to work to develop him and you know, make sue he continues to be productive for us." -- Gators defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on freshman cornerback Trey Dean
"We're a good team. If you let some of the disappointments of last-second losses and a couple errors here and there take over your mindset, then the rest of the season goes to trash." -- Missouri quarterback Drew Lock on last-second loss to Kentucky
"I mean, Mookie [Betts] and J.D. [Martinez] weren't going to just go 0-for-the-whole-World-Series. They were eventually going to get some hits, which they got. You've got a great player like Drew Lock, similar things are probably going to happen." -- Gators head coach Dan Mullen on Lock, who is far of his pace of last season when he threw an SEC-record 44 touchdowns
This is the eighth meeting between Florida and Missouri, six of those coming since 2012 when the Tigers joined the SEC. The schools have split the past six meetings, with Missouri owning a 4-3 advantage overall. A glace at the past games as Florida tries to even the series on Saturday:
Gators head coach Dan Mullen is the only first-year coach at an FBS school (21 coaches overall) with a win this season against a top-five opponent (LSU) and two wins over teams ranked in the AP Top 25 (LSU, Mississippi State).
The No. 11-ranked Gators, expected to be favored in their final four regular-season games, are vying for their first undefeated November since 2012.
UF linebacker Vosean Joseph has a team-high 57 tackles, already two more than his career high from a season ago.
Tigers quarterback Drew Lock needs 37 yards passing to surpass former Gators quarterback Danny Wuerffel (10,875) and move into sixth place on the SECs career passing yardage list.
Missouri senior receiver Emanuel Hall has been out with a groin injury after catching three touchdowns and averaging 107.5 yards during the season's first four games. Hall returned to practice Tuesday and his status for Saturday's game remains uncertain.
Missouri is ranked last in the SEC in pass defense, surrendering 288.3 yards per game. That is 123rd among the 130 FBS teams. On the flip side, Florida is ranked second in the SEC in pass defense (170.1) and 12th nationally.
Former Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley, after five seasons as receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys, is in his first season at offensive coordinator at Missouri. Dooley replaced Josh Heupel, who left to become head coach at UCF.
Junior defensive end Jabari Zuniga leads the Gators with nine tackles for loss, which is a new career high.
The Gators are 4-4 in Homecoming games this decade. They had won 21 consecutive Homecoming games until losing to Mullen's Mississippi State team in 2010. And for the third time in four all-time visits to the Swamp, Missouri is in town for UF Homecoming. The Tigers beat UF in 2014 and lost in 2016.
Tigers linebacker Cale Garrett had a career-high 14 tackles in the loss to Kentucky last week and ranks fifth in the SEC with 69 stops.
THE OTHER SIDE
Missouri entered the season with high hopes considering the return of senior quarterback Drew Lock, who threw for an SEC-record 44 touchdown passes as a junior and was named All-SEC First Team by the league's media at SEC Football Media Days. Ranked as one of the top quarterbacks available in next spring's NFL Draft, Lock is having a solid season but not a great one.
Still, Lock's presence hasn't prevented Missouri from entering Saturday's showdown at the Swamp winless in the conference and losers of four of its past five games. The Tigers started 3-0 but their only win since September came two weeks ago in a 65-33 win over Memphis on Homecoming at Faurot Field. That's a disappointing stretch for a team that won its final six regular-season games in 2017 before losing to Texas in the Texas Bowl.
In fact, Faurot Field appears to be the main attraction for Tigers fans in 2018. The stadium is undergoing a South End Zone expansion that is scheduled to be completed by the start of next season when the Gators visit.
If you've watched the Tigers at home on TV, you've seen the large cranes hovering above the stadium. Here is a look at what the Tigers' home stadium will look like once the work is completed:
BOTTOM LINE
Florida's disappointment over the Georgia loss carried into Monday's practice, one of the most intense of the season according to players. UF coach Dan Mullen said the Gators responded with the right mindset after the loss to Kentucky, winning five in a row before the Bulldogs beat them. He wants to see the same response on Saturday. Look for that to happen. The Gators don't want the Georgia loss to define their season and by coming back strong with a win over Missouri, they can prove their mental toughness. After what happened at Missouri last season, don't be surprised if the Gators run away with this one.
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