Who saw this coming? Florida’s upcoming game at Missouri will be a battle for first place in the SEC Eastern Division.
After a stunning 41-26 victory at Georgia on Saturday, Missouri stands as the only undefeated team in the division ahead of the Bulldogs, Gators and South Carolina at 3-1 each. The Tigers skyrocketed from No. 25 to 14 in the Associated Press poll Sunday, making this the highest they have been ranked since 2010.
They can keep climbing with a victory over No. 22 Florida at Faurot Field on Saturday (12:21 p.m., WTCN-15). The Gators are looking to snap back from a 17-6 loss at LSU on Saturday and realize that Missouri (6-0, 2-0 SEC) has developed into a legitimate contender in the division.
“That’s not going to be easy at all,” UF quarterback Tyler Murphy said. “Things don’t get easier from here. We just have to keep getting better.”
He is correct. The Gators have a bye week after their trip to Missouri, then face a November schedule that includes No. 15 Georgia, No. 11 South Carolina and No. 5 Florida State. They also have a home game against Vanderbilt, which stayed with them deep into the fourth quarter each of the past two years.
This week’s game is surrounded by unusual circumstances. It will be Florida’s first visit to Missouri, which joined the SEC last season, and the farthest north it has traveled for a game since going to Syracuse in 1991. It will be a morning kickoff (local time) with a projected low of 41 degrees.
Each team will play with a backup quarterback. The Tigers underwent a cruel twist after pulling off their enormous win over Georgia when they learned that starter James Franklin is out at least six weeks with a separated shoulder.
For Florida, Murphy will make his fourth start since replacing Jeff Driskel. The LSU game was Murphy’s first loss, and he completed 15 of 27 passes for 115 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers.
The Gators deflected some of the frustration from that defeat by pointing out that they can still win the division and go to the SEC championship game if they win their remaining four conference contests. It was the same message they stuck to after losing to Miami in Week 2.
“Everything’s sitting on the table as far as Atlanta is concerned,” coach Will Muschamp said. “We need to take care of the SEC East. It’s wide open. It’s all in our hands.”
