Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
Missouri and Virginia head to Jacksonville to play in the fifth longest running bowl game in college football, The Gator Bowl. Missouri finished the season 8-4 and eighth in the SEC, Virginia finished the year 10-3 and regular season ACC champions. Here’s our full bowl preview.
Missouri will win IF…
They can get pressure on Chandler Morris and force him into turnovers. In Virginia’s three losses this season, the Cavaliers have been -5 in turnovers in those three games. Virginia matches up well with Missouri, particularly in areas where the Tigers have held an edge for much of the season. The offensive line has allowed only 17 sacks all year, but will face a ferocious tandem of the edge in Zion Young and Damon Wilson II.
Virginia will win IF…
They can stop the run. The Hoos have the No. 20 ranked defense nationally when it comes to stopping the run, allowing 111.1 yards on the ground per game. They’re also ranked top 20 nationally in yards per carry allowed at 3.33.
Missouri has one of the best running backs in the country in Ahmad Hardy. Missouri’s offense may be pretty one dimensional without Beau Pribula at quarterback, and they’ll need to make sure that’s the case if they want to win.
WK 4 vs Stanford
The direct snap is not just effective inside the 10 yard line!
In an off the wall play, J’Mari Taylor hands off to Chandler Morris who sees an ocean of green grass in front of him takes what the Stanford defense gives him pic.twitter.com/WsqjOftsKz
— 4-3-4 Defense w/ Deuce Prince (@434DefensePod) December 24, 2025
Missouri X-Factor – Zion Young
The combination of Young and Wilson off the edge for Missouri has been tremendous. The two combined for 15.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss. As previously mentioned, the Virginia offensive line has been really good this year at protecting Morris.
Missouri has been successful at getting to the quarterback, finishing fifth in the SEC with 35 sacks, but they have been really bad at forcing interceptions and turnovers, finishing 13th in the league in both categories.
Yes, #Mizzou lost, but the atmosphere at Faurot was incredible against #Alabama
Here’s what a top-15 game in #CollegeFootball is supposed to feel like. This Zion Young strip sack out of half had one of the loudest reactions I’ve ever heard.
Make no mistake. Missouri belongs.… pic.twitter.com/G0GzcRQqjj
— Tyson Ellison (@TysonEllison51) October 12, 2025
Virginia X-Factor…MLB Kam Robinson
Robinson has done everything for Virginia’s defense this year. He finished the season with 64 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions and two touchdowns. He can fill up a stat sheet like few in the country. He will be key in stopping Hardy, but could also be very dangerous at baiting true freshman QB Matt Zollers from Missouri into a potentially huge mistake.
KAM. ROBINSON.
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/Opa5lAagD2
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) November 1, 2025
Prediction
There are few bowl games where I’ll root harder for the SEC than this one. Missouri’s eighth-place finisher faces the ACC regular-season champs in one of the last bowls that still carries real weight. Ultimately, it’s tough to beat almost any Power Four opponent with a true freshman at quarterback.
Virginia 27, Missouri 20
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