COLUMBIA, MO. • The Florida team that wades into “The Swamp” on Saturday should look familiar to the visiting Missouri Tigers. The Gators started the season with 20 returning starters from last year’s four-win team — a team Mizzou thrashed 45-16 last November.
With most of the same personnel in place, the Gators are one of the nation’s most improved teams at 6-2 overall, 4-2 in Southeastern Conference play and back among the nationally ranked, No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and No. 11 in the first batch of College Football Playoff rankings.