Oct 3, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) gets tackled by Florida Gators linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida has dealt with some ups and downs in its transition under first-year head coach Jim McElwain.
But following a stunning 38-10 upset win over No. 3 Ole Miss at The Swamp, the Gators (5-0. 3-0 SEC) will learn to deal with something new — success.
No doubt, Florida will take some swagger into its game Saturday at Missouri. The Gators jumped 14 spots to No. 11 in this week’s AP poll and are the only undefeated team left atop the SEC East division.
But there’s a difference between confidence and overconfidence. McElwain even referenced the 1960s hit “Red Rubber Ball” by the band The Cyrkle to wonder whether his team will be a one-hit wonder or will maintain its edge.
“I don’t think we are, but we’ll find out this week,” McElwain said.
Missouri, the two-time defending SEC East champs, improved to 4-1 (1-1 SEC) following a 24-10 win last week over South Carolina. The Tigers will start true freshman quarterback Drew Lock for the second straight week due to a suspension to starting QB Maty Mauk. Missouri has struggled offensively this season, but ranks first in the SEC in passing defense (154.2 yards allowed per game) and first in total defense (263.6 yards allowed per game).
“They’re a little bit under the radar,” McElwain said. “No one has knocked them off. 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.”
Florida has played four of its first five at home. In their lone road win, Florida’s offense struggled, but came away with a 14-9 win at Kentucky. But senior tight end Jake McGee said Florida’s confidence is growing on offense behind redshirt freshman QB Will Grier, who threw for four TDs in the Ole Miss win.
“We know what we’ve got in this locker room,” McGee said. “And there’s a lot of talent in this building. And it’s one of those things where we keep it, build on it, hear the noise but (we’re trying to) get this Florida brand where it’s supposed to be.”
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Will Grier threw four TD passes, all in the first half, to help Florida pull off the stunning upset against Ole Miss. For the game, Grier went 24-of-29 for 271 yards with five TDs and no interceptions to improve his TD to interception ratio to 10-to-3 for the season. Grier’s four TDs in the first half were the most for a Gator QB in the first 30 minutes since Chris Leak threw four TDs in the first half against Kentucky in 2005. The redshirt freshman from Davidson, N.C., appears to be gaining confidence each week and should play a key role in UF’s game Saturday against Missouri.
–WR Demarcus Robinson had eight catches for 98 yards and a TD, helping lead Florida to the win over Ole Miss. Robinson caught a 36-yard TD in the first quarter to help give the Gators an early 7-0 lead. For the season, the junior from Fort Valley, Ga., has a team-high 251 yards receiving on 28 catches with two TDs.
–WR Brandon Powell is emerging as a quality slot receiver for the Gators. Powell’s 77-yard TD catch against Ole Miss was the longest for a Gator receiver in an SEC game since Quinton Dunbar’s 82-yard TD catch against Georgia on Nov. 2, 2013. Powell caught a 7-yard route over the middle from Will Grier and gained 70 yards after the catch on a TD that beat an Ole Miss blitz. For the season, Powell has 13 catches for 239 yards and a team-high three TDs.
–S Marcus Maye has played strong in the secondary all season for the Gators. Maye had five tackles and one of three UF forced fumbles against Ole Miss. For the season, the 6-foot, 207-pound Maye has been strong in run support with 31 tackles and a team-high three forced fumbles.
SERIES HISTORY: Missouri leads Florida 3-1 (Last meeting, 2014, Missouri 42-13)
QUOTE TO NOTE: “That’s what he’s supposed to do. I don’t really care if he’s sick or not. He’s in there his job is to throw the ball, hand the ball off. He can cough when he gets home.” — Florida tight end Jake McGee, on starting QB Will Grier overcoming the flu to throw four TDs against Ole Miss.
