Baby Chomp, Big Grudge: Florida Goes to Columbia With a Photo to Settle

Florida and Missouri have met only 13 times, and nobody mistakes this for Florida-Georgia. One photograph changed the mood.

The Associated Press reports that the image, from Florida’s most recent loss in Columbia, shows former Gators defensive end Tyreak Sapp sitting on the sideline, legs splayed out, while Missouri players stood in front of him and one mocked him with a baby Gator chomp. Missouri won that game 33-31 on Nov. 18, 2023. Florida has lost three of its last four at Faurot Field.

First-year coach Jon Sumrall made sure this team knows about it. Safety DJ Coleman told it this way, as quoted by the AP: “He brought that up today to us, and I feel like it’s going to be motivation, because we’re trying to make history this season, and I feel like this is a small piece of history that we can control right now.”

The Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) arrive at No. 25 Missouri (3-1, 0-1) after a 52-28 rout of then-No. 4 Ole Miss. The AP notes Florida’s 28 touchdowns are one fewer than the team scored all of last season, and the offense ranks fifth nationally at 532.8 yards a game. Jadan Baugh has 600 rushing yards and a nation-leading 11 rushing touchdowns through four games.

Missouri is coming off a 31-24 loss at Mississippi State in which it gave up a fourth-quarter lead, and the AP says the Tigers allowed five plays of at least 20 yards in that game. Quarterback Austin Simmons has 947 passing yards and 11 touchdowns, Jamal Roberts leads the ground game with 395 yards and three scores, and Cayden Lee leads the receivers with 412 yards and four touchdowns, according to ESPN.

Florida listed leading receiver Vernell Brown III (17 catches, 271 yards) as doubtful on Friday’s SEC availability report, and Bailey Stockton was upgraded. Our full game day story has the rest.

ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gave Florida a 70.1% chance of winning heading into kickoff. That is the number our Chomp Meter on the homepage opened with, and it will move with the game.

Kickoff is set for 3:50 p.m. ET on ABC, per ESPN’s schedule. After a photo like that, the Gators say they have something to settle.

Editor’s note: Follow the live score and win probability on the GatorBait homepage. Full postgame coverage to come. Sources: The Associated Press, ESPN.

Photo: Chris Spears/GatorBait Media