The Tigers are 2-4 at home against ranked opponents since joining the SEC in 2012….
Advertisement
C- ACC: Clemson lifted the conference with a home win against Notre Dame, and Florida State is still undefeated with games against Miami, Louisville and Georgia Tech in the next three weeks.
The Gators, 5-0 and 3-0 in the SEC, would remain unbeaten and would effectively have a three-game lead on the Tigers, 4-1 and 1-1 in the SEC, with a win. Internally, Gators fans are excited and optimistic about the 5-0 start.
The Tigers are 6-23 under coach Gary Pinkel against top-15 opponents, including a 2-14 mark in those game when unranked themselves. But does Florida have to do more to earn the complete attention of the rest of the SEC? “We’re just clicking on all cylinders”.
So maybe Florida is as good as it seems to be so far, and maybe it isn’t. The keys to a Florida win will be not turn the ball over and ball control on the offense. With that being said, look for Ole Miss to capture their fifth win of the season Saturday against New Mexico State.
Not long after coach Jim McElwain took over at Florida, he turned a borrowed phrase into one of the Gators’ mantras. He has started the last four games and posted a Total Quarterback Rating of 67, which would be the best by a Florida quarterback since Tim Tebow in 2009 (75.8). “They always listen to everything people say and they go out there and try to prove everybody wrong”.
Grier, who was questionable to play in the game due to illness, went 24-of-29 for 271 yards and threw all of his career-high four touchdown passes in the first half as the Gators jump ahead early en route to shocking No. 3 Ole Miss, 38-10. But McElwain did not accept 2015 would be merely a rebuilding year and had a short-term plan in mind, too.
Missouri’s coaches seem most concerned with the defensive line. For the past four years, the Gators have had shaky quarterback play and virtually no playmakers. With injuries all along the offensive front, the Rebels must get healthy in order to properly protect quarterback Chad Kelly.
The growth of the offense has energized a defense accustomed to shouldering the entire load. The passing game was a mess under Maty Mauk. It is a lot to expect the Gators will keep pulling them out each week. The victor is not required to have won a weekly award during the season.
The Tigers have outscored the Gators by a combined score of 78-30 over the last two years. Lock has three touchdowns and no interceptions on such throws, good for a Total QBR of 88.
Just two players entered 2015 with a college start during the regular season – senior tackle Jon Bullard and redshirt junior end Bryan Cox Jr. Center Evan Boehm is just now playing like the 2014 version. Defensive line coach Chris Rumph called Cox, son of the former National Football League linebacker, “the hardest-working defensive linemen I have”.
Jefferson has lived up to his billing as a five-star recruit. Both teams have done a good job with turnovers – Florida is second in the SEC with a plus-6 turnover margin and Mizzou is fourth at plus-3 – but they have been below average in the return game.
Thompson: Grier has been as hot as any quarterback in the SEC during the past five quarters of football.
Interestingly, Will Grier had a trainer apply ointment to his lower back during the warm-up portion of practice today.
Wild swings of inconsistency are to be expected for a young quarterback.
Advertisement
Running back Jaylen Walton also will miss the game with an ankle injury.
