Week 5 Preview: Florida Gators (4-0, 2-0) v. Missouri Tigers (3-1, 0-1)
A trip to Columbia can be tough but the Gators are equipped to travel and travel well.
By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst, Host of the Gator Lowdown with Loren Meadows
Second early road test for Sumrall and the Gators (Chris Spears photo)
Missouri Offense
Key Players: #13 QB Austin Simmons (6-4, 220, Sr./Missouri), #20 RB Jamal Roberts (6-0, 216, Sr.), #19 WR Cayden Lee (5-11, 180, Sr./Ole Miss), #1 WR Donovan Olugbude (6-2, 210, So.) #70 LT Cayden Green (6-5, 324, Sr.), #56 C Dominic Giuduce (6-3, 305, 5th Yr.)
Matchups to Watch: Missouri Receivers v. Florida Secondary, Florida Pass Rush v. Missouri Offensive Line
The Florida Gators will certainly have their hands full when the Missouri offense takes the field. This a unit that is averages 263 yards per game through the air and 156 on the ground and has turned the ball over just two times this season with Simmons yet to throw an interception. To remind folks, Simmons was the starting quarterback at Ole Miss before an injury thrust Trinidad Chambliss in to the national spotlight. The big, physical lefty has found a happy home in the Missouri offense and despite the loss last week at Mississippi State threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns to continue his hot start.
Simmons has two of the SEC’s best at his disposal at wide receiver as well. Missouri has always had receivers that don’t always get the hype but do their job well. They have that again in the duo of Cayden Lee, and Donovan Olugbude. Lee leads the team in receptions (27) while Olugbude leads the SEC in receiving touchdowns (5). Simmons and Lee have history from their Ole Miss days but the relationship with Olugbude has flourished quickly as well. Simmons is completing over 60% of his passes to both and will play a major role in attacking a Florida secondary that ranks 15th in the SEC against the pass yielding 248 yards per game.
In the run game Missouri is still without All-American candidate Ahmad Hardy so they continue to lean on Jamal Roberts to keep teams honest. Missouri has one of the best left tackles in the game in Cayden Green and Center Dominic Giuduce was Preseason All-SEC pick as well. Florida has found success getting to the quarterback with three sacks per game and creating negative plays with close to seven tackles for loss. Brad White’s unit has come under fire for their lack of pass defense but many of the pass yards have come from the fact that they have been very stout against the run and with an offense that scores at a high clip have forced teams to throw it more than they may want to.
Florida will look to force Simmons into uncanny turnovers and give its high-powered offense more opportunities to make plays and quiet Missouri’s homecoming crowd. Stops on defense have also allowed the Florida special teams to become an added weapons in the arsenal as the Gators continue to flip field position in the run game as well.
Missouri Defense
Key Players: #10 Edge Daedon Hopkins (6-6, 250, So.), #5 LB Nicholas Rodriguez (6-0, 225, Jr.), #15 Safety Santana Banner (6-3, 215, Sr.), #0 LB Robert Woodyard Jr. (6-0, 233, Jr./Auburn)
Matchups to Watch: Florida Offensive Line v. Missouri Defensive Line, Baugh/Clark v. Missouri 8-Man Fronts
The Missouri defense has been one of the SEC’s best through the first four weeks giving up just over 100 yards per game on the ground and just 19.3 points per contest. They have also forced six takeaways which ranks in the top half of the SEC. The pass rush has started to come on with Daedon Hopkins having a great start to his sophomore campaign with six sacks including 3.5 in Starkville last week. The reigning SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week has also registered six tackles for loss.
At linebacker Missouri has two of the SEC’s best in Nicholas Rodriguez and Robert Woodyard Jr. Florida native Rodriguez leads the team in tackles and is the first Missouri player since 2019 to record 10-plus tackles in three straight games. Woodyard was a PFF All-SEC performer in 2026 at Auburn and has continued his continued to shine at his new local. With the Gators looking to impose their will on the ground Missouri will certainly stack the box early and lean on the two linebackers to clean up the mess and get Jaden Baugh and company on the ground.
The question is if the Gators are forced to throw it at a high clip can Aaron Philo get the job done with 30-plus attempts but also can a shaky Missouri secondary hold up? The Gators are stocked with pass catchers but have yet to put that on full display. Kamario Taylor carved up Missouri for 308 yards last week and the defense is giving up 218 yards per game. They do have four interceptions with Woodyard grabbing one of those himself. Safety Santana Banner is a big physical hitter that also plays the ball well in the air. While the Gators could be without Vernell Brown III, receiver and former teammate of Woodyard at Auburn Eric Singleton was a full participant in practice this week and should be full go on Saturday. Singleton’s return could be key in the Florida passing game showing up big if Missouri is able to stifle Jaden Baugh with a heavy box.
The Skinny: I will get straight to the point. Florida is a better football team than Missouri. Missouri while a tough place to play is not nearly as hostile as Auburn and certainly not at 2:30 pm local time. Florida is scoring 53.5 points per game and while the running game has been prominent, they have the ability to attack the defense with a varied number of personnel groupings and formations that challenge the eye discipline of the defense. It is not as simple as lining up eight in the box, you have to be aligned correctly and not allow your eyes to go hunting and fishing. Missouri is a physical football team on offense that will do it’s best to impose their will on the Florida defense. While there have been cracks, the Florida defense has stifled teams in the red zone forcing field goals and at times turnovers. While pundits may look for kinks in the entire rope, the revolution is real and the beast is waking up. Many will say that Florida never plays well at Missouri, my guess is Jon Sumrall could care less. Aaron Philo hasn’t had to carry the team through the air. Again he may never have to. What is certain is that unlike other coaches Sumrall has found a way to get his team up no matter where the battlefield lay, and Aaron Philo is as good a quarterback as Florida has seen since 2020. Throw in the best running back in the country and the return of its most accomplished pass catcher and you have the recipe to go 5-0. This team is great on offense, great on special teams, and good enough on defense. A shoot out favors the Gators and a slugfest does as well. The truth lies somewhere in between. Philo throws for three, Simmons throws it to the Gators once, and Baugh’s Heisman candidacy continues.
Prediction: Florida 41 Missouri 27
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