Football Heads to Florida for Saturday Matinee

first Southeastern Conference road game at Florida on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Mizzou (2-3, 0-2 SEC) and Florida (3-2, 0-2 SEC) kick off from Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 8 with the game airing on ESPNU and the Tiger Radio Network.

Saturday’s game marks the 12th meeting between the Tigers and the Gators. Mizzou leads the series, 6-5, winning the 2021 contest in OT. The Tigers last won in Gainesville in 2018 (MU, 38-17).

MISSOURI TIGERS
Head Coach: Eliah Drinkwitz (3rd)
Career/Mizzou Record: 25-16 (4th) • 13-15 (3rd)

FLORIDA GATORS
Head Coach: Billy Napier(1st)
Career/School Record: 3-2 (1st) • 42-14 (5th)

GAME INFORMATION
Facility Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548)
TV ESPNU (John Schriffen-pxp, Dustin Fox-ana, Lauren Sisler-sl)
Online WatchESPN.com / ESPN App
Live Stats StatBroadcast
Radio Tiger Radio Network: 1580 AM / 105.1 FM / XM 109 or 304
• Mike Kelly-pxp, Howard Richards-ana, Chris Gervino-sl

LAST TIME OUT: MIZZOU
• Mizzou had the college football world and the top-ranked and defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs onupset alert for much of the game Saturday, but Georgia wriggled off the hook in the second half and prevailed for a 26-22 victory.
• The Tigers started fast and held a 16-6 halftime lead, but the ‘Dawgs regained their footing and scored on their first four possessions of the second half. Mizzou’s defense held Georgia out of the end zone until 9:39 left in the game, when Kendall Milton plunged in from the one-yard line to draw Georgia to within 22-19.
• Missouri’s defense set the early tone, limiting Georgia to just nine plays in the first quarter, and forcing two first-half fumbles. It was the first time Georgia had failed to score on its first possession this season.
• The Tigers jumped out to a 13-0 lead with Harrison Mevis kicking 41- and 49-yard field goals wrapped around an 81-yard touchdown drive on which Cook hit a wide-open Tyler Stephens with a 10-yard TD pass.
• Georgia got on the board with a 40-yard field goal from Jack Podlesny with 6:36 remaining before halftime, but when Missouri got the ball back, Cody Schrader broke free up the middle and sprinted 63 yards down the field before Georgia’s Malaki Starks got him to the ground inside the one-yard line.
• Mizzou held a 194-182 advantage at the half in total offensive yardage, and the Tiger defenders had harassed Georgia QB Stetson Bennett into 10-of-24 passing. Mevis kicked field goals of 52 and 56 yards in the second half, and Podlesny added another of 29 yards.
• Missouri defenders had nine tackles for loss, two sacks, seven quarterback hurries, six passes broken up and one forced fumble. Jaylon Carlies was the top tackler with 13 (11 solo) and Joseph Charleston had 10.

LAST TIME OUT: FLORIDA
• Anthony Richardson threw a 75-yard touchdown pass on Florida’s first offensive play. In the second quarter, the Gators’ quarterback slow-jogged off the field after appearing to suffer some kind of lower-body injury. Six plays later, though, Richardson was back in the game and moving his team into the end zone, part of a run of a half-hundred-plus consecutive points and easy win over Eastern Washington for the home team.
• Richardson completed 8-of-10 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. His one rushing attempt went for 45 yards. The sophomore from Gainesville was sidelined for five plays in the second quarter, giving way to backup Jalen Kitna, who went 8 of 12 for 152 yards and a 62-yard score to true freshman Caleb Douglas in the third quarter. Together, they helped the Gators score 52 unanswered points and churn out 666 yards, equaling the seventh-most in program history, while winning a 15th consecutive regular-season game out of Southeastern Conference play, a streak that dates to the 2018 season opener.
• Justin Shorter was on the receiving end of the first UF scoring play. The Gators scored on a couple short runs by tailbacks Montrell Johnson Jr. and Nay’Quan Wright, while wideout Ricky Pearsall had a 76-yard touchdown run on an end-around play. Wideout Xzavier Henderson caught a 21-yard TD pass from Richardson that had the Gators coasting 35-3 at halftime. The score was 52-3, with Florida having banked the bulk of those 666 yards (392 passing, 274 rushing), with 17 different skill-position players touching the football along the way.
• EWU took the opening kickoff and went 49 yards in 13 plays, converting a pair of third downs, before settling for a 44-yard field goal from Seth Harrison to take a 3-0 lead almost seven minutes in. Eleven seconds later, the Eagles trailed. For good, as it turned out.

FEELS AT FAUROT
• 58,165 loud and proud Tiger fans filled Faurot Field on October 1, Missouri’s largest crowd since 2019 (vs. Ole Miss, Homecoming).

AROUND THE LEAGUE
• Dominic Lovett leads all receivers in total receiving yards (460), receiving yards per game (92.0) and total receptions (27).
• Linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper ranks second in tackles for loss (7.5) and TFL per game (1.5). Both marks are also top 20 among FBS players.
• Harrison Mevis’ 16 points scored against Georgia is the highest output by a player in the SEC this year.
• Jack Stonehouse’s 68-yard punt at Auburn is the longest in the league.
• Lovett’s 79-yard reception from Brady Cook vs. ACU is the longest completion to date.

FIRST TIMERS
• First-time starters in 2022 include: Kibet Chepyator (TE), Jayden Jernigan (DT), Tyler Stephens (TE), Connor Tollison (C), Mitchell Walters (RG), Kristian Williams (DT)
• First Division I snaps in 2022 include: Luther Burden III (WR), LJ Hewitt (DB), Tyler Jones (DB), Armand Membou (OL), Mekhi Miller (WR), Jack Stonehouse (P), Ja’Marion Wayne (DB)

MEVIS MAGIC
• After an uncharacteristic day at Auburn, Harrison Mevis displayed an exceptional comeback against then-No. 1 Georgia, hitting 5-of-5 field goals, including two from 40+ and two from 50+. His final make of the game was a 56-yarder – the new national leader – that matched his career long from the 2021 Boston College game.
• He is the only NCAA FBS kicker with three connections at 50+ yards this season (52, 52, 56). Nationally, he ranks tied for first in attempts per game (2.6) and tied for third in makes per game (2.0).
• He is the first Mizzou kicker to make four 40+-yard attempts in a single game.
• Mevis’ five field goals made ties a career high (Arkansas 2020). He’s the only Tiger to accomplish that feat twice, and one of four to do it at all.
• Against ACU, he nailed a 52 yarder in the fourth quarter vs. ACU, the seventh 50-yard field goal of his career. He surpassed Tom Whelihan (1984-87) for sole possession of the top spot on Mizzou’s all-time career 50-yard field goals list. Mevis has made 50 field goals in his career, good for fifth all-time.

JACK ATTACK
• Jack Stonehouse took over punt duties vs. ACU. He punted twice on the day, neither of which were returnable, including a 53 yarder and a touchback.
• At Auburn, he punted eight times for an average of 48 yards, booting three over 50 yards, including 60- and 68-yard punts while dropping five inside the 20.
• Stonehouse’s 68-yard punt – tied for No. 11 nationally – is the longest by a Tiger since Corey Fatoney booted a 69-yard punt in the 2018 Liberty Bowl against Oklahoma State.
• On the season, he totals 15 punts for 676 yards and an average of 45.1. He’s landed five inside the 20 and four have gone for 50+ yards.

LATEST FROM LOVETT
• Dominic Lovett has led the Tigers in receiving each of the first five games of the season, the only Tiger to accomplish that feat in the modern era (since 1958).
• He totals 460 receiving yards, 92.0 receiving yards per game and 27 total receptions – all SEC-leading marks.
• At Auburn, Dominic Lovett racked up 102 receiving yards on the Auburn defense. He is the first Mizzou player to have consecutive 100-yard receiving performances since Emanuel Hall in the first two games of 2018.
• Against Abilene Christian, Lovett hauled in his first career receiving touchdown on a 79-yard dot from Brady Cook, MU’s longest play from scrimmage since Drew Lock connected with Johnathon Johnson for an 85-yard score in the 2018 Liberty Bowl against Oklahoma State.
• Lovett finished his career day with seven receptions for 132 yards. He tacked on his second touchdown of the day on a 13-yard score in the waning moments of the third quarter.
• His 132 receiving yards are the most by a Mizzou receiver since Johnathon Johnson racked up 185 yards in the 2018 Liberty Bowl against Oklahoma State.

HOP TO IT
• Through five games, Ty’Ron Hopper totals 32 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss of 26 yards, including two sacks for 15 yards, and one interception for 15 yards.
• He leads the Tigers in total tackles in three of five games played. His 29 solo tackles leads the SEC defenders.
• Hopper has logged at least five tackles in all five games this season. Against LA Tech, ACU and Auburn, he had multi-TFL games, including a sack against LA Tech and at Auburn.
• Against LA Tech, he snagged the first interception of his career in his first game in Black and Gold.

AIR IT OUT
• Four Tigers have double digit receptions through five games: Dominic Lovett (27), Barrett Banister (13), Luther Burden III (13) and Mookie Cooper (11). Lovett (460), Banister (127) and Cooper (108) have reached the century mark in total yards.
• Mizzou has had at least six receivers haul in a reception  through five games:
vs. Georgia – seven different receivers
at Auburn – six different receivers
vs. ACU – seven different receivers
at K State – seven different receivers
vs. LA Tech – nine different receivers

WELCOME WILLIAMS
• A transfer from Oregon, Kristian Williams earned the first start of his career vs. Abilene Christian. He also got the nod at DT at Auburn and vs. Georgia.
• He has one tackle in each game this season, including tackles for loss in the last two games.
• Williams recorded his first career sack with a loss of two yards on Auburn’s Robby Ashford.

COOPER’S CATCHING UP
• Sophomore Mookie Cooper has turned it on in the last three games, totaling 10 receptions for 112 yards. He had just one catch in the first two games.
• His five receptions vs. Georgia is a new career best.
• Against the Bulldogs, he hauled in a 46-yard catch in traffic, extending a drive that led to a Harrison Mevis field goal.