JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 Missouri and Virginia have a chance to make history in the Gator Bowl.<\/p>\n
The No. 25 Tigers (8-4) are trying to reach nine wins for the third consecutive season for the first time. The 20th-ranked Cavaliers (10-3) are looking for an 11th victory for the first time.<\/p>\n
One of them will reach their goal Saturday night at EverBank Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d be remembered forever around here, which would be awesome,\u201d Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris said. \u201cWe\u2019re chasing that each day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Missouri is a 4 1\/2-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, despite playing without starting quarterback Beau Pribula.<\/p>\n
Pribula announced plans last week to enter the transfer portal<\/a>, leaving freshman Matt Zollers to step in for the Tigers in Jacksonville.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the second time in as many years that Pribula is searching for a new school. He left Penn State after the 2024 season, landed in Missouri and led the Tigers to a 6-1 start before dislocating an ankle during a game at Vanderbilt in late October.<\/p>\n Zollers started the two games Pribula missed, throwing for 189 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.<\/p>\n If things go as planned, the Tigers won\u2019t need Zollers to do a lot. They plan to rely on All-American running back Ahmad Hardy, who needs 68 yards rushing to break Cody Schrader\u2019s single-season school record (1,627) set in 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully I get it,\u201d Hardy said.<\/p>\n Hardy will have most of his teammates in tow for the bowl. Linebacker and leading tackler Josiah Trotter (knee) and tight end Brett Norfleet (shoulder) won\u2019t play following surgery, and receiver Josh Manning and reserve running backs Marquise Davis and Brendon Haygood joined Pribula in announcing plans to transfer.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, finish what you started,\u201d Mizzou safety and graduate student Daylan Carnell said. \u201cThis is my team. We came into the season, we were all in this together, right or wrong, good or bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Cavaliers trying to flush ACC disappointment<\/p>\n Virginia was oh-so-close to making the College Football Playoff<\/a>. The Cavaliers scored the final 10 points in the fourth quarter against Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game<\/a> earlier this month and seemed to have all the momentum heading into overtime. But Duke scored a touchdown on its first possession in OT and then intercepted a pass to end the game.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to flush it down the drain and move on,\u201d senior safety Antonio Clary said. \u201cTo lose it the way we did was heartbreaking. Any athlete would say you would rather get your butt kicked than to lose that way, on a last-second play or something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n New play-caller for Missouri<\/p>\n The Tigers will have a new play-caller for the Gator Bowl after losing offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, who recently took the head coaching job at Washington State. Coach Eli Drinkwitz said Moore \u201ccan\u2019t serve two masters\u201d and has moved forward with his new gig.<\/p>\n Drinkwitz hired Michigan\u2019s Chip Lindsey to replace Moore<\/a>, but Lindsey will be a spectator at the bowl game. Drinkwitz said the team will use a collaborative effort while preparing for the Cavaliers.<\/p>\n Homecoming for Clary<\/p>\n The only player in Virginia coach Tony Elliott\u2019s program who has been to a bowl game with the Cavaliers is Clary, who grew up in Jacksonville. So the sixth-year senior will get a rare homecoming for his collegiate finale.<\/p>\n Clary shared a childhood photo his mom took of him in the stands at the home of the NFL\u2019s Jacksonville Jaguars.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing that, it\u2019s pretty cool being able to finish in Jacksonville, my last college game, especially after everything I\u2019ve been through.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here<\/a> and here<\/a> (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/ap-top-25-college-football-poll<\/a> and https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/college-football<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 Missouri and Virginia have a chance to make history in the Gator Bowl. 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