University of Missouri
#11 Florida
@MizzouFootball Hosts No. 11/12 Florida in 104th Homecoming Game
10/5/2015 11:09:00 AM | Football
| Opponent | Location | Day/Time | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| #11/12 Florida Buy Tickets | Memorial Stadium | Saturday, Oct. 10 6:30 p.m. | TV: SEC Network |
• The Missouri Tigers (4-1 overall, 1-1 in SEC play) wrap up a brief two-game homestand this Saturday as they play host to the upstart Florida Gators (5-0, 3-0) in Mizzou's 104th Homecoming game. Kickoff for the game is set for 6:30 p.m. (central time), with the game televised on the SEC Network.
•Mizzou is coming off of a solid 24-10 home win over South Carolina last Saturday, as the Tigers got outstanding play on both sides of the ball which allowed them to bounce back from a loss the previous week at Kentucky. True freshman QB Drew Lock got his first collegiate start and didn't disappoint, as he completed 21-of-28 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, without an interception, while the running game posted a season-high 163 yards on the ground to complement his play. The Tiger defense was up to its old tricks, limiting South Carolina to just 298 yards of offense while grabbing three interceptions to win the turnover battle, 3-0.
• Florida comes into Saturday's game riding a five-game winning streak that has seen the Gators climb to #11 in the national polls. The Gators are fresh off of a very impressive 38-10 home win over then-3rd ranked and previously undefeated Ole Miss. Florida had four first-half TD passes from redshirt freshman QB Will Grier as they sped to a 25-0 halftime lead, and never looked back.
104th Mizzou Homecoming - The Birthplace of a Tradition
Legend says that the Homecoming tradition got its start at the University of Missouri in 1911, thanks to the vision and efforts of Chester L. Brewer, MU's Director of Athletics at the time. Although Illinois staged a similar celebration in 1910, Missouri claims its 1911 effort as one of the first formal Homecoming celebrations surrounding a football game.
- That year, the Missouri-Kansas game was to be played on a college campus for the first time ever. Previously, the game had been played in either Kansas City or St. Joseph, and Missouri trailed in the series by a 12-5-3 count at the time.
- Brewer wanted to add some spice to the season-ending game in Columbia, so he issued a plea to Mizzou alumni and especially to former Tiger football players to "Come Home" for the game. They did just that, with a record crowd of 9,000 overflowing old Rollins Field.
- With four minutes to play, and MU trailing by three, Tiger captain Glen Shuck booted a tying field goal from a difficult angle. Then, little Billy Blees caught a rampaging KU fullback in the open field in the final seconds to preserve the tie, and was carried off the field a hero. Hence, "Homecoming" was born.
MU has a 60-38-5 record in Homecoming games over the years. Not surprisingly, former rival Kansas has been its most common opponent for the game - with MU holding an 18-7-2 edge in 27 such meetings - although the two did not meet on Homecoming from 1960 until 2000 in Columbia.
Mizzou has won 10 of its last 13 Homecoming games, including a landmark 36-27 win over BCS #1-ranked Oklahoma in 2010 (36-27). The Tigers also got their first-ever SEC win in the 2012 Homecoming tilt against Kentucky (a 33-10 Tiger victory). Mizzou's last loss on Homecoming was a 27-24 double overtime defeat in 2013 at the hands of South Carolina.
Last year, Mizzou used a pair of Bud Sasser TD grabs to run away from Vanderbilt, 24-10.
