Billy Napier and his Florida Gators finally earned their first Southeastern Conference win on Saturday against the Missouri Tigers. The illustrious achievement came on the school’s homecoming day after a pair of tough losses to the Kentucky Wildcats and Tennessee Volunteers earlier in the season.
Playing for pride on its home turf in front of an alumni-filled crowd, the Orange and Blue scored a 24-17 win over Mizzou in a game that once again left the Gator Nation feeling like there was still much to be desired. [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] put up another mixed performance while the defense played just well enough to hold its opponents short in the final score; at least, the continued emergence of the ground attack was one of the more positive takeaways.
Still, the product on the field has not inspired a ton of confidence as the team gets deeper into the SEC schedule. The lack of an outstanding aspect of gameplay leaves the squad mired in mediocrity as exemplified by Florida’s exclusion from both of the latest major polls. USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg also agrees in his latest 1-131 re-rankings in which the Gators landed at No. 31 – up four spots from last week.
The SEC holds three of the top six spots with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, while the Vols come in at No. 6. The two other conference schools in the top 25 are the Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs at Nos. 14 and 15, respectively.
[mm-video type=video id=01gf11z76wsn2vmxvk63 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gf11z76wsn2vmxvk63/01gf11z76wsn2vmxvk63-b322e3f76b47b99feddbab56202d8f50.jpg]
[lawrence-related id=93842,93814,93620,93570,93554,93542]
[listicle id=93742]
[listicle id=93796]
[listicle id=93804]
[listicle id=93817]
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!