Today at 12:21 p.m. ET, No. 22 Florida (4-2, 3-1 SEC) takes on No. 14 Missouri (6-0, 2-0 SEC) live from Faurot Field in Missouri. The game can be live streamed here. Florida fans can hear all of the action on WRUF-AM 850, while Missouri fans can do the same on KMBZ 980 AM.
Missouri looks to match its best start in the past 53 seasons while Florida will try to replicate last year's performance where it won 14-7 over Missouri.
Missouri will be without quarterback James Franklin, who hurt his right shoulder in the fourth quarter of the teams upset victory over then-No.7 Georgia in a 41-26 win last week, and will likely be going with Maty Mauk under center. Mauk has thrown just seven times this season, completing six passes for 42 yards. Franklin, who was third in the conference in total offense, is expected to miss three-to-five weeks.
"It's a good thing it's a team sport," Franklin told ESPN. "It stinks that I went down but we still have a lot of talent. I know that we can do it."
The challenge now falls on the shoulders of Mauk, who looks to get Missouri off to a 7-0 start for the third time in history. Mauk, a freshman, left high school as the nation's all-time leading passer.
"(I've told him) just to trust your preparation, that you have good people around you and to just go play," coach Gary Pinkel said, according to ESPN. "In high school, he was the guy that played at the really high level for a lot of people and had lots of success."
Florida's defense will provide a true test, as it enters the contest in the top five among FBS teams with averages of 235.3 yards, 13.0 points and 152.0 passing yards allowed.
Florida, meanwhile, is coming off of a 17-6 road loss to then-No. 10 LSU, and will be without second-leading rusher Matt Jones who is gone for the season after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee. Jones had rushed for 339 yards on 79 carries with two touchdowns.
"To have this setback is disheartening for all of us," coach Will Muschamp said via ESPN. "We'll get the next guy up. We've recruited well at the position, so those guys will get their opportunity and they need to be ready to go in all situations."
The Gators defeated the Tigers 14-7 at home last November, and will hope to repeat that feat this season.
Missouri looks to stay undefeated while Florida will look to defeat them for the second time in as many seasons when the two teams take the field this afternoon.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
