The Florida Gators are traveling for the second week in a row to take on the Missouri Tigers for the final road game of the season.
The teams will battle on primetime television and the Gators are fighting against the ropes, hoping to win a game before the conclusion of the regular season and gain bowl eligibility.
Senior columnist and editor-and-chief of The Athletic Stewart Mandel made his selections for Saturday’s slate of games. Mandel is picking the Tigers to win in Columbia, Missouri by a double-digit margin, 42-24.
“The Tigers are finally getting the respect they deserve after giving Georgia a scare in Athens, then thumping Tennessee the following week,” Mandel said. “Now, QB Brady Cook, RB Cody Schrader and WR Luther Burden get to face a Florida defense that just allowed a program-record 701 yards to LSU and is on its heels as the Gators must turn around and play another primetime SEC road game.”
Mandel makes a good point about the Florida defense needing a dire turnaround after its lackluster performances the last two weeks against LSU and Arkansas. Gators QB Graham Mertz is capable of utilizing the weapons around him and keeping his team close, but the defense has given up more than 39 points in the last four contests.
The Gators and Tigers will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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