Kickoff time announced for Florida Gators homecoming vs. Missouri
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators and Missouri Tigers will meet at high noon on October 8 for Florida’s homecoming game. The game will air on ESPNU.
Florida last hosted Missouri in 2020 and defeated the Tigers 41-17. The Gators own the all-time record at home 3-2, while the Tigers have a 6-5 advantage in the overall series.
October 8 includes the annual CBS doubleheader that features a primetime game with Auburn at Georgia scheduled for 3:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm CT and Texas A&M at Alabama beginning at 8 pm ET / 7 pm CT.
The Saturday SEC Network triple-header on October 8 will feature Arkansas at Mississippi State in the first game of the day, Ole Miss at Vanderbilt in the afternoon window, and South Carolina at Kentucky in primetime.
The 2021 Missouri game served as Dan Mullen’s final game in 2021. The Gators traveled to Columbia with a 5-5 record. A 24-23 overtime loss was enough for Scott Stricklin to sever ties with Mullen. That paved the way for Billy Napier to take over the program.
The Napier era started hot with a win over then No. 7 Utah. Florida has gone 1-2 since that season-opening win. Florida is looking to bounce back from a loss on the road to No. 8 Tennessee. The Gators will host Eastern Washington this Saturday at noon.
Gators game this weekend in jeopardy
Florida was previously scheduled to host Eastern Washington on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2020, but the game was canceled due to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Florida will pay EWU a $750,000 guarantee for the contest, according to the terms of the original contract.
The game this Saturday, however, is in question with Hurricane Ian barreling towards the west coast of the state. While Gainesville is inland enough that it doesn’t typically receive the brunt of hurricanes, the west coast could be receiving a category 4 hurricane. Post-hurricane aid is an all-hands-on-deck situation. Emergency units and first responders from across the state are called on to assist the areas that are most affected. That could very likely include first responders from Alachua County that would be needed to safely proceed with a game in Gainesville.
As of Monday afternoon, the game is still going forward as scheduled.
Full SEC schedule for October 8
| Game | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee @ LSU | Noon | ESPN |
| Arkansas @ Mississippi State | Noon | SEC Network |
| Missouri @ Florida | Noon | ESPNU |
| Auburn @ Georgia | 3:30 pm | CBS |
| Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt | 4:00 pm | SEC Network |
| South Carolina @ Alabama | 7:30 pm | SEC Network |
| Texas A&M @ Alabama | 8:00 pm | CBS |
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier celebrates with Florida Gators wide receiver Aidan Mizell (11) after a touchdown during the first half at the Orange and Blue spring football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 13, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=215,width=393,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/04/13155133/Untitled-design-65-2.png)
