Florida @ Missouri preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 18, 2014 ) Missouri 42, Florida 13

Florida is back on the national scene after managing only 11 wins combined over the previous two seasons, and first-year coach Jim McElwain recently told reporters, “We’ll see how our guys handle success.” The 12th-ranked Gators will test their staying power when they visit stingy Missouri on Saturday night for a key SEC East battle.

Quarterback Will Grier threw four touchdown passes as Florida routed then-No. 5 Ole Miss 38-10 last week to start 5-0 for the first time since 2012. The Gators will test their improving offense against the Tigers, who lead the SEC in scoring defense (12 points per game) and total defense (263.6 yards). Freshman Drew Lock will start for the second straight week in place of suspended quarterback Maty Mauk after completing 21-of-28 passes with two TD strikes in a 24-10 victory over South Carolina last Saturday. Still, the Tigers will need a solid effort on both sides of the ball to beat Florida for the third straight year after outscoring the Gators by a combined 78-30 to win the last two.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: Florida -5

ABOUT FLORIDA (5-0, 3-0 SEC): Grier has seized the quarterback job by completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 996 yards with 10 touchdown passes and three interceptions. Demarcus Robinson (28 catches, 251 yards), who has been Grier’s top target, became a career 1,000-yard receiver last week, and Kelvin Taylor (339 yards, five scores) leads the rushing attack. Gators linebacker Antonio Morrison had 16 tackles against Ole Miss and was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week while cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III has three interceptions on the season.

ABOUT MISSOURI (4-1, 1-1): Linebacker Kentrell Brothers leads the SEC with 59 tackles, and lineman Walter Brady has five sacks for a unit that ranks eighth in the nation in total defense. The Tigers need more from their offense if they are to get on a run, and Lock owns the helm with Mauk (654 yards passing, 135 rushing) suspended indefinitely. Coach Gary Pinkel said senior running back Russell Hansbrough, who became the 14th player in team history to reach 2,000 rushing yards last week, is close to 100 percent after being hampered by a sore ankle most of the season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Florida K Jorge Powell took over the job two weeks ago and went 2-for-2 in field-goal attempts against Ole Miss.

2. Missouri’s sophomore WR Nate Brown had a career-best six catches – two of them for touchdowns – last week.

3. The Gators have recorded at least three sacks in all five games and 10 tackles for loss in each of the last four games.

PREDICTION: Florida 24, Missouri 14