This Saturday in Gainesville, Florida, the Missouri Tigers (4-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) will take on the Florida Gators (3-2, 2-2). The winner keep its division title hopes alive, while the loser will have dug itself into a deep hole. Here are five things to watch for in this ever-important week eight matchup.
**1. How Florida divides up the snaps at quarterback**
Junior Jeff Driskel has been Florida coach Will Muschamp’s man since 2012. Faith is a good thing, but not to the extent where it may cost you your job. Driskel’s struggles this season have fans calling for true freshman Treon Harris to take over the starting job. Harris replaced Driskel in a comeback road victory over Tennessee two weeks ago after Driskel had passed for just 59 yards and thrown three interceptions through three and a half quarters. In mop-up duty against Eastern Michigan, Harris completed two passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and compiled a passer rating of 1051.6. Muschamp said he plans to start Driskel against Mizzou, but will use Harris as well. It will be interesting to see the balance of who’s behind center for Florida.
**2. The play of Gator wide receiver Demarcus Robinson**
Despite a less than impressive passing game, Florida wide receiver Demarcus Robinson is a special talent. The Gators offense has struggled all season and ranks ninth in the SEC in passing and 11th in total offense and scoring. However, Robinson has been able to put up big numbers. The sophomore receiver has gone over 100 yards three times this season. Robinson has 31 receptions on the season – 18 more than any other Florida player.
**3. Florida return man Andre Debose’s special teams play**
Debose can change the momentum of a game with a single play. He leads the nation at 30.3 yards per punt return. He has already returned three punts for over 50 yards this season, including one last week in which he took back 62 yards for a touchdown against LSU. In what is expected to be a tight matchup, Debose could be the game-changer.
**4. Mizzou sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk’s ability to bounce back**
Last week, Missouri fans began to lose faith in Mauk, who was at one point a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate. The sophomore threw four interceptions last week in a 34-0 loss to Georgia and has been held under 150 yards passing in consecutive weeks. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel insisted that Mauk is still his man and said he never considered taking Mauk out of the Georgia game. If Mauk can’t get it going against the conference’s 10th-ranked passing defense, it will be interesting to see if Pinkel makes the switch for backup redshirt freshman quarterback Eddie Printz.
**5. The return of Tigers’ senior wide receiver Darius White**
Approaching game time last week, it seemed as if White was going to play after missing the South Carolina game with an injury. However, White did not appear on the field for warm-ups and was deemed to be out against Georgia. His absence had effect: Mizzou’s receivers had numerous drops, two of which led to interceptions. On the season, the senior has hauled in 15 receptions for 230 yards and three touchdowns. White is expected to be back on the field this week joining seniors Bud Sasser and Jimmie Hunt. With its stop three receivers back together again, the passing game, which has struggled in recent weeks, should improve.
Junior Jeff Driskel has been Florida coach Will Muschamp’s man since 2012. Dedication is a good thing, but not at the price of a job. Driskel’s struggles this season have fans calling for true freshman Treon Harris to take over the starting job.
