One week after jumping headlong into the national college football conversation, the No. 11 Florida Gators have to travel up to Missouri to take on the Tigers. Florida dismantled then-No. 3 Ole Miss 38-10 in the Swamp, and are staring down a trip to LSU next week, so this could be a prime example of the let-down-look-ahead-sandwich.
How to watch Florida vs. Missouri on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
The Gator hype train takes a dangerous road trip to Columbia where they face Missouri. Here’s how to tune in, and what to watch for.
Everything finally clicked for Florida last week. They jumped out to an early lead over Ole Miss and then let the Rebels fall apart. They’re now 5-0, and farther ahead of schedule than many would have predicted for Jim McElwain’s first year in charge in Gainesville. This game will not be easy, though, as Missouri can bring down even the highest flyers.
Things are in a state of flux for Missouri. They won last week over South Carolina, but the biggest news is that Drew Lock is now the quarterback after Maty Mauk’s suspension. The true freshman showed promise, but the Tigers’ stuttering offense will need to hit another gear if they want to beat Florida, not just depend on their defense to carry them to another win.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network (Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer, Maria Taylor)
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Florida is favored by five points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Alligator Army for Florida fans and Rock M Nation for Missouri fans.
Three big things to know
1. Will the Gators keep it rolling? Expectations were modest coming into the 2015 season for Florida, but after whipping Ole Miss last week, the Gators have been shoved into the national spotlight, whether they’re ready for it or not. Missouri is not the most glamorous team in the world, but they have a good defense and have won two in a row over Florida. This is far from a gimmie, and will be very instructive as to just how big of a jump the Gators will make this year.
2. Is Drew Lock ready to take the wheel? With Maty Mauk now suspended indefinitely, it looks like this really is Drew Lock’s job moving forward. Lock went 21-of-28 passing for 136 yards and two touchdowns against South Carolina last week, but the Florida defense will be a substantial step up in quality. We’ll find out if the true freshman is ready for it.
3. Time for Will Grier’s star turn? Grier entered the season in a close competition with Treon Harris. He got the nod over Harris to start the season and played alright, but he exploded against Ole Miss, going 24-of-29 passing for 271 yards and four touchdowns. If he can play more along those lines every week, the Florida offense will be much, much better than we anticipated.
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