The Florida Gators travel to Missouri this weekend to take on the Tigers in the Gators' conference finale. Both teams are looking for bowl eligibility this week, while Florida is also looking to avoid its worst conference record since the SEC expanded in 1992.
The Gators and Tigers have played 10 times in school history with the series evenly knotted at five games apiece.
Gators Territory spoke with Power Mizzou publisher, Gabe DeArmond to get an inside look on the matchup prior to the game this weekend.
Eli Drinkwitz has stuck by Connor Bazelak through thick and thin until last week late against South Carolina. Are you expecting both quarterbacks to play this week and what would Florida see from each? How are they similar/different as players?
It's my guess--and really just a guess--that Bazelak will start. Drinkwitz has stood by him despite the fanbase wanting a change for about a month now. I don't see that changing now that he's probably closer to healthy than he was when he got the start against South Carolina last week. Bazelak is experienced and he's a gut that has been the unquestioned leader of this team all year. But he doesn't push the ball down the field a ton, he's no threat to run and in recent weeks he's started turning the ball over a lot (nine picks in his last five games against Power Five teams). Cook is more mobile, but he's taken less than 100 snaps in his career and we honestly don't have any real idea what his game is like. He's looked capable when we've seen him but it has been in very limited time against either Georgia or bad competition and neither of those is really a fair situation on which to judge him.
Missouri's rushing defense has struggled all year but had a better showing against Georgia and really stopped South Carolina on the ground last week? Has something changed scheme wise or are the Tigers better than what they showed in the first eight games?
Steve Wilks (Missouri defensive coordinator) told us it's the exact same scheme, the players are just executing it better. They have made some personnel changes at linebacker, putting Chad Bailey and Blaze Alldredge on the field more and Devin Nicholson less, but mostly they've filled gaps and won one on one matchups more in the last two weeks than they did in the first ten. Fans and media get tired of "we just have to execute" as an answer but it's usually the truth.
How good is Tyler Badie? He's having a season to remember, has he always had this potential but was just stuck behind another really good running back Larry Roundtree?
He's having one of the best seasons by a running back in school history. Coming into this year he was viewed as a third down back, a guy that was a good receiver and a serviceable runner. Many fans wondered if he could be an every down back. It was just accepted (even by the coaches) that he wouldn't average the 22 touches a game that Rountree did. Now he's averaged 25. He's the only guy in school history with 1000 yards rushing and receiving. He's within 330 yards of the single season school rushing record. There are probably better players than Badie in the country but there can't be many who are more valuable. Without him, I don't think Missouri has more than two wins. Everything they do on offense goes through him.
Missouri was 5-5 last year. They have a chance to gain bowl eligibility this week and finish ahead of Florida in the SEC. How much would that mean to their program and to the fans that want to see Drinkwitz's program continue to progress?
It's important. Most Missouri fans expected at least 7 wins and hoped for more this season. So just beating Florida and going to the Birmingham Bowl or the Mayo Bowl won't salvage everything. But it will indicate a little bit of progress and show that Drinkwitz is on the right path. He's on the verge of his second consecutive top 20 recruiting class, which is territory Missouri hasn't been in before. So the excitement is mostly about what lies ahead, but a second straight bowl bid to start would be a good foundation before that talent infusion starts.
Dan Mullen and Eli Drinkzwitz have traded barbs and it looked like Dan Mullen wanted to trade hands before halftime last year. This year both coaches have avoided that talk, do you think there's an actual rift there, or was it just the heat of the moment in 2020 and a couple of guys who like making jokes at press conferences?
I can't really speak for Mullen, but Drinkwitz likes to talk. He doesn't shy away from anyone and isn't going to be the guy that just accepts that the Missouri coach should shut up and take his place at the back of the class. He'll talk. If Missouri starts to win, he'll probably talk a lot more. Missouri fans love him. I have a feeling fans of other schools won't like him a lot, especially if he starts to win at Missouri. I don't think there's probably any real "rift" between the two but especially after last year, I don't think either would hesitate to maybe put an extra touchdown on the board this weekend.
