The Gators receivers hit the field for warmups Saturday morning at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Game Day: Florida at Missouri (CBS, noon)
Saturday, November 16, 2019 | Football
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Florida first won 10 games in a football season in 1991, a milestone that was accompanied by the first Southeastern Conference championship in the program's history. It was a very big deal. The Gators, of course, inevitably posted 10-win campaigns in nine of 12 seasons under Coach Steve Spurrier, including a run of six straight from '93-98.
Seemed rather matter-of-fact and routine at the time, but since Spurrier left after the 2001 season — when UF went 10-2, won the Orange Bowl by 33 points and finished ranked third in the country — the Gators have won 10 games only six times over 18 seasons, and done so in back-to-back seasons just once (2008 and '09).
Regardless of what happens Saturday at Memorial Stadium, nothing about that statistic will change. But if 10th-ranked Florida (8-2, 5-2) is going to continue the program's across-the-board ascension in Coach Dan Mullen's second season, the obvious next step is taking care of business on the road at Missouri (5-4, 2-3), an opponent that has given the Gators fits since joining the Southeastern Conference in 2012, including back-to-back wins in the series. As Mullen has said since minutes after UF's loss to Georgia two weeks ago, the Gators have a bunch still to play for in 2019, with two precious carrots still out there dangling away, namely a shot at a New Year's Six bowl game and a chance at posting a second consecutive 10-win seasons for only the second time in the post-Spurrier era.
And they can't get to 10 without winning the ninth.
[Read senior writer Scott Carter's comprehensive "Opening Kickoff" setup here]
Missouri will have quarterback Kelly Bryant back (7) under center Saturday after the transfer from Clemson missed the previous two games with a hamstring injury.
Florida, which bounced back from the Bulldogs defeat with a 56-0 manhandling of Vanderbilt at home last weekend, has won just one of three meetings against the Tigers on the road. The sample size, however, comes with a disclaimer, as the last trip to Memorial — a 45-16 blowout loss in 2017 — came a six days after the firing of Jim McElwain when the Gators were very much still in shock and disarray with Interim Coach Randy Shannon on the sidelines.
Barely a month later, Mullen was plucked from Mississippi State and the transition, especially with the Florida offense, was underway. In going 18-5 in Mullen's nearly two seasons, the Gators have scored 93 touchdowns. That's the same number of TDs in the 38 games Florida played from 2015-17 under McElwain and Shannon, with backup quarterback Emory Jones' 3-yard scoring run with 1:06 remaining against the Commodores representing No. 93.
UF finished the Vandy game with 560 yards of total offense, including 410 through the air, courtesy of fourth-year junior quarterback Kyle Trask's career-best 363 yards. The Gators will go to Mizzou with the SEC's fifth-ranked offense (419.5 yards per game), but will be facing a defense that rates second in the league (287.8 yards per game), including No. 1 in both passing yards allowed (147.7) and pass efficiency (101.0).
The Tigers, meanwhile, get quarterback Kelly Bryant (62.2 percent, 1,845 yards, 14 TDs, 5 INTs), the transfer from Clemson, back after missing the previous two games with a hamstring injury. Missouri has been much better with Bryant under center, but the defining trait of the Tigers has been their Jekyll-and-Hyde personality playing at home versus on the road.
Mizzou is unbeaten in five games at home, with a 182-28 scoring advantage and 0-4 on the road, having been outscored 114-52. The Tigers average more than 140 more yards per game at home than on the road, and after losing back-to-back-to-back roadies at Vandy, at Kentucky and at Georgia, they're delighted to at home for the first time in more than a month.
The Gators, in turn, should be delighted with the opportunity before them.
Times 10.
Kickoff is set for noon on CBS, with the crew of Carter Blackburn on play-by-play, Rick Neuheisel and Aaron Taylor providing dual analysis, and John Scriffen working the sidelines.
Follow senior staff writers Scott Carter on Twitter (@GatorsScott) for commentary and analysis throughout the game. FloridaGators.com will have complete coverage content from the game Saturday night and fresh content Sunday, as well.
