Florida @ Missouri preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 3, 2012 ) Missouri 7, Florida 14

Just when Missouri announced itself as a contender in the SEC, it lost its starting quarterback. The 14th-ranked Tigers will try to get by without James Franklin when they host No. 22 Florida on Saturday. Missouri picked up a signature win with a strong performance on both sides of the ball at Georgia last week but lost Franklin to a shoulder injury for at least three weeks, leaving the quarterback spot to Maty Mauk.

Mauk went 3-for-3 in backup duty in the 41-26 victory over Georgia but will be making his first start Saturday. The Gators own the fourth-ranked scoring defense in the nation but failed to get anything done on offense last week in a 17-6 setback at LSU. The Tigers are the lone team left in the SEC East still undefeated in the division, with Florida right behind them at 3-1 in conference play.

TV: 12:21 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Florida - 3.5.

ABOUT FLORIDA (4-2, 3-1 SEC): The Gators will not have much sympathy for the Tigers and their quarterback loss because of their own set of injuries that ravaged the offense. Running back Matt Jones is the latest to go down after suffering a season-ending knee injury against LSU and will take his place on the sideline next to quarterback Jeff Driskel, who went down for the season on Sept. 21. Tyler Murphy took over for Driskel and was solid in his first two starts before struggling to 15-for-27 for 115 yards last week.

ABOUT MISSOURI (6-0, 2-0): The Tigers put together one of the top offenses in the country behind Franklin, putting up an average of 45.7 points and failing to top 40 only once. Missouri shocked the Bulldogs last week defensively as well, forcing four turnovers, and needs one more interception to double its total from last season (seven). Mauk was an All-American in high school and also starred in track and field, which should allow the Tigers to keep the running packages that made Franklin dangerous in place.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Missouri has forced at least one turnover in 36 straight games, the longest active streak in the nation.

2. Florida leads the SEC in total defense, allowing an average of 235.3 yards.

3. The Tigers are looking for their first 7-0 start since 2010.

PREDICTION: Missouri 24, Florida 17