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Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Homecoming Revenge’: Gators looking to avenge 2014 loss

<p>Missouri players celebrate after their 42-13 win against Florida on Oct. 18, 2014, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.</p>

Missouri players celebrate after their 42-13 win against Florida on Oct. 18, 2014, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Last year’s game against Missouri was an embarrassment for the Gators.

On its home field — and on homecoming no less — Florida was blown out by the Tigers 42-13 in what was the worst loss of the 2014 season for UF.

The Gators (5-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) and former coach Will Muschamp were booed off Florida Field. As this year’s version of the game gets underway in Columbia, Missouri on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., players on last season’s team remember just how bad of a loss it was.

"It was really a slap in the face," wide receiver Valdez Showers said. "I mean, on our home field so we’re definitely (looking) forward and giving everything we have this game."

Added redshirt junior defensive lineman Alex McCalister: "That was probably the lowest point of the year. That was homecoming. We came in and just let that team take everything from us."

However, this year’s Gators team is a bit different compared to last year’s heading into the Missouri game. Florida is ranked 11th in the country and is unblemished in the loss column, coming off an upset win against an Ole Miss team ranked No. 3 at the time.

Meanwhile, Missouri (4-1, 1-1 SEC) hasn’t looked impressive so far. Against Arkansas State — a 27-20 road win — the Tigers were only able to muster 288 yards of total offense. And in a 9-6 win at home against UCONN, Missouri only had 270 yards of total offense.

But the Tigers have been able to accomplish something the Gators haven’t the past two years: win back-to-back SEC East division titles.

"Those guys are the champs, man. Two years. They’re the champs of our side," senior linebacker Antonio Morrison said.

"Really we’re trying to knock them off. They’ve been to Atlanta twice. It should be a great game."

On paper, Florida has an advantage in almost every major statistical category. The Gators are tied for 41st in the country in scoring offense at 34.4 points per game, while the Tigers are tied for 113th (21.4).

While UF hasn’t set the world on fire in terms of total offense — averaging 394.2 yards per game, 75th in the country — they are much better than Missouri, which ranks 120th (322.4 yards per contest).

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However, Missouri does have the advantage in total defense. The Tigers are ranked eighth in the country, giving up just 263.6 yards per game. UF is not far behind, as it gives up only 304.2 yards per game — 23rd in the nation.

Even with all the advantages the Gators have in the stats department combined with the momentum of knocking off a highly ranked opponent last week in the Rebels, coach Jim McElwain has warned his team to not take the Tigers lightly.

"They’re a little bit under the radar. No one has knocked them off," McElwain said. "It’ll be really interesting to see how our guys approach this week, what they learned from the past, to see how we approach this opportunity on Saturday."

One thing the players on the team might look to for extra motivation is that Saturday’s game is the Tigers’ homecoming.

Some of the players didn’t realize it was Missouri’s homecoming game, but on Tuesday, McCalister found out.

Revenge is definitely on his mind.

"That’s even more perfect. I didn’t know that. That’s better. Now I know."

 Follow Luis Torres on Twitter @LFTorresIII

Missouri players celebrate after their 42-13 win against Florida on Oct. 18, 2014, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

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