The season is more than halfway over, and the Gators only have four more games remaining to prove themselves. The good news is that Florida “controls their own destiny.”
If UF wins the rest of its games, the Gators will have a chance to play for an SEC title in December. Here’s a look at the opponents Florida will face to close out their 2019 season.
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Georgia
Georgia is the only ranked opponent left on the slate for the Gators. The Bulldogs only have one loss this season to an unranked South Carolina in week six. Their run game has been impressive, rushing for 1,658 yards and eighteen touchdowns.
Expect UGA to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible, as pass rushers Jabari Zuniga and Jonathan Greenard are expected to be back on the field for the Gators. D’Andre Swift is the guy to look out for, as he leads the Bulldogs with 752 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Their defense has racked up sixteen sacks and linebacker Azeez Ojulari has accounted for 3.5 of those on his own.
Of the remaining games, this one will likely be the most challenging for the Gators and definitely carries the most weight. There’s a strong rivalry between the two schools and after losing to the Bulldogs last year, the Gators are looking to rewrite history and bring home the win.
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt doesn’t pose much of a threat to Florida, especially at home. Right now, they’re sitting at number five in the SEC East and have a 2-5 record.
Quarterback Riley Neal only has a 58.2 percent completion rate and five touchdown passes.
The Commodore’s defense has not forced any fumbles and really hasn’t been able to stop their opponents this year. They are an SEC team, and anything can happen on any given day. But based on the numbers, Florida should be able to skate past Vanderbilt fairly easily.
Missouri
Missouri started off the season pretty strong, holding a spot at the top of the SEC East for a period of time. But now, after a loss to the Commodores in week seven, they’ve dropped out of the AP rankings and sit at third in the East.
Before they host the Gators, they’ll be on the road facing Kentucky and Georgia. That means they’ll likely go into the Florida matchup a little beat up and exhausted. They’re another team that has an impressive run game, so look for them to utilize that against the Gators, whose run defense hasn’t been great in the past few games. As far as their defense goes, they’re pretty good. They’ve caught eight interceptions and have 13 sacks for eighty yards on the year. Again, they’re a pretty decent team this season. But with an SEC Championship game on the Gators’ minds, I expect them to the win.
Florida State
After another bye week, Florida will host in-state rival Florida State to wrap up their season. This game is always highly anticipated and with the way the Seminoles have been playing this season, it’s safe to say the Gators will likely close out the year with a win against the Noles. Their run game hasn’t been great this season, with only 878 rushing yards on the season. 773 of those yards are Cam Akers’. This means Florida State will likely have to rely on their passing game, which is easier said than done. Going into their last home game, the Gators defense will be hungry and likely won’t let that slide.
When it’s all said and done, if Florida can get the win in Jacksonville, they’ve got a really good shot at going back to Atlanta this year for the first time since the 2016 season.
