The Opening Kickoff: Gators vs. Missouri (Homecoming)

Scott Carter's Opening Kickoff powered by Ticketmaster

Graphic: Scott MacCord/UAA Communications

The Opening Kickoff: Gators vs. Missouri (Homecoming)

Friday, October 7, 2022 | Football, Scott Carter

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

Florida Notes | Missouri Notes | Florida-Missouri Game Day | Broadcast Info

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With the arrival of midseason for his team, Gators head coach Billy Napier knows what's ahead, starting with Saturday's UF Homecoming game against Missouri.

Florida (3-2, 0-2) opens a six-game stretch against Southeastern Conference opponents. The Tigers (2-3, 0-2) are in the same position as the Gators. Both teams are looking for their first conference win and momentum for the second half of the regular season.

"There's no easy outs here,'' Napier said this week. "Each team in our league, they got their own set of problems. Everybody's working hard to come up with solutions. They're trying to put the best product they can out there each week."

The Gators did a good job of that on Sunday, defeating Eastern Washington 52-17 in a game pushed back a day due to Hurricane Ian. Missouri put a scare into No. 1-ranked Georgia before losing at home.

Equipped for every opportunity.

🎥 #GatorMade Mixtape pic.twitter.com/zX14O6sHXX
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 7, 2022

While the Florida-Missouri game has become a staple on the schedule since 2012, this is the first matchup between the programs pitting former Sun Belt Conference coaches Napier (Louisiana) and Eli Drinkwitz (Appalachian State) against one another. Drinkwitz is in his third season at Missouri.

Napier encouraged the Gators to show up for the noon game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ready to play.

"I have a ton of respect for Missouri, relative to what I see on film," Napier said. "They've been very competitive against good Auburn and Georgia teams in the SEC. "An absolute fight, we all understand and know that."

The Gators have dropped six consecutive SEC games after losing to Kentucky and Tennessee last month. A win over Missouri would not only snap the streak, but provide a dose of confidence heading into next week's Saturday night showdown against LSU.

First, they have work to do.

"We can't go 0-3 in the SEC," cornerback Jaydon Hill said. "That's like bottom of the barrel. So, we gotta step it up and win, win on out. And I honestly believe in us."

For more on Saturday's game between the Gators and Tigers, here is The Opening Kickoff:

THREE STORYLINES

Florida and Missouri are both winless in conference play, so one will depart The Swamp on Saturday afternoon no longer in the basement of the Eastern Division. Beyond that, this is an important game for the Gators to build off the momentum of last week's 35-point win over Eastern Washington heading into six consecutive SEC games that will determine the fate of their season.
Florida's rushing attack is a three-headed monster with Montrell Johnson Jr., Nay'Quan Wright and Trevor Etienne. Oh, don't forget about quarterback Anthony Richardson's ability to run. Meanwhile, Missouri's defensive front is anchored by ends Isaiah McGuire and Trajan Jeffcoat. The unit stymied Georgia's running game for a large portion of last week's loss and provides a test for Florida's offensive line.
The status of Missouri receiver Dominic Lovett drew attention this week. Lovett reportedly suffered a lower leg injury against Georgia and is listed 50/50 against the Gators. He provides an important target for Tigers quarterback Brady Cook. Lovett leads the team with 27 catches and SEC-leading 460 yards receiving.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson is still in search of his first win against an SEC opponent. Richardson's play has trended in the right direction the past two games and the Gators need him to continue in that direction to avoid a seventh consecutive conference defeat dating to last season.
It will be difficult for Gators fans not to pay attention to Tigers linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper and wonder what might have been if Hopper had not decided to transfer following last season. Hopper is having a superb season for the Tigers and his loss has been felt on Florida's defense. He had 65 tackles a season ago for the Gators.
Fifth-year safety Trey Dean, who missed last week's game due to an injury, is expected to return to the rotation. Dean was victimized in coverage on two costly plays in the loss at Tennessee. He is second on the team with 36 tackles and has one pass breakup and one tackle for loss.

FIVE DIGITS

4-0 – Gators head coach Billy Napier's record in games with less than one week to prep.
693 – Passing yards for Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson in the last two games.
35:11 – Average time of possession for Missouri's offense, which ranks fifth among FBS programs.
91.1 – Grade for Gators offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence through five games, the top-rated guard in the country according to Pro Football Focus.
19.1 – Average margin of victory in 10 games since Florida-Missouri became SEC East rivals in 2012.

INJURY REPORT

GATORS — OUT: LB Diwun Black (lower body), OL Michael Tarquin (lower body), LS Marco Ortiz (upper body), TE Nick Elksnis (upper body), LB Kenny Anyaehie (lower body); QUESTIONABLE — QB Jack Miller III (thumb), TE Arlis Boardingham (upper body). MISSOURI — OUT: OL Hyrin White (leg), WR Demariyon Houston III (undisclosed), DL D.J. Wesolak (illness); OL Luke Griffin (undisclosed), WR Chance Luper (undisclosed); QUESTIONABLE: LB Chad Bailey (upper body), WR Barrett Banister (undisclosed), WR Dominic Lovett (leg), CB Kris Abrams-Draine (undisclosed), DL Ky Montgomery (knee); RB Elijah Young (undisclosed); PROBABLE: WR Luther Burden III (undisclosed).

NOTES FILE

This is the 12th all-time meeting between the schools and the 11th since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012. The Tigers lead 6-5.
Then-UF head coach Dan Mullen was dismissed following last season's 24-23 overtime loss at Missouri, leading to the eventual hire of Billy Napier.
Napier has faced Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz twice, losing a pair of games in the 2019 season when he was at Louisiana and Drinkwitz at Appalachian State.
Missouri has been outscored 49-26 in the fourth quarter, including 14-3 in last week's 26-22 home loss to No. 1-ranked Georgia.
Florida has lost six consecutive SEC games, its last conference victory a 42-0 romp over Vanderbilt on Oct. 9, 2021.
True freshman safety Kamari Wilson recorded six tackles in his first career start in last week's win over Eastern Washington.
The UF defense ranks 108th among FBS teams, surrendering 421.4 yards per game.
Bush Hamdan, a former UF receivers coach under Will Muschamp, is Missouri's quarterbacks coach.
Former Gators LB Ty'Ron Hopper, who transferred after last season, leads Missouri with 7.5 tackles for loss.
Tigers kicker Harrison Mevis is the only kicker in the FBS with three field goals from beyond 50 yards this season.

THEY SAID IT

"I've been a totally different player from high school to now. In high school I was kind of like a big guy, just taking people down. It was easy. But when I came here it was a reality moment, that I actually had to get better with my technique and fundamentals. Coach Sale [Rob Sale] and Coach Stape [Darnell Stapleton] have turned me into a new player." — UF redshirt offensive lineman Austin Barber, who has replaced injured starter Michael Tarquin at right tackle
"Coach Napier is a very good football coach and knows exactly how he's building his team each week and what they're trying to do offensively to win. And they put their quarterback in the right situation." — Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz on facing Florida
"That seems like a long time ago." — UF head coach Billy Napier on facing Missouri coach Drinkwitz when both were in the Sun Belt Conference in 2019
"When I first felt it, I was looking back at my last injury, thinking it was going to be a bigger deal than what it was. I was hard on myself. But my training staff did a great job of just keeping me calm, telling me it was going to be all right, getting my rehab in." -- Gators linebacker Ventrell Miller on the foot injury he suffered earlier this season
"Man, Coach Raymond is a true guru. You know, like, he not only coaches my position, but he makes you learn defense. He makes you learn football and actually know what's about to happen and why it's about to happen." — Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill on the impact secondary coach Corey Raymond has made on him

THEY WROTE IT

Linebacker Ventrell Miller, Gators defense get healthy for SEC push writes Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel.
Cornerback Jaydon Hill, who has been sidelined by injuries for much of his career, is grateful to still be playing writes Jacob Rudner of 247Sports.com.
How Ty'Ron Hopper's career led him to face the Gators as one of the SEC's top defenders writes Matt Stahl of the Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune.
Five random thoughts on Florida-Missouri, a quietly weird series writes Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.
Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook makes progress but Tigers' passing game remains under construction writes Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

BOTTOM LINE

What have we learned from a decade of Florida-Missouri games as SEC East rivals? To expect the unexpected. This rivalry is one of the wackiest in the conference since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012. As noted above, the winner in this series has averaged a 19.1-point margin. The games are rarely close. Last year was an outlier. So, what do I expect on Saturday at noon? The unexpected, of course. As for a winner, it has the feel of a coin-flip game despite the Gators being favored by 10.5 points. Maybe I'm suffering from recency bias. The bottom, bottom line: Being at home will provide the Gators a jolt that Missouri won't be able to match.