Third Quarter Predictions for Missouri Football
The Missouri Tigers are off to a great start. At the conclusion of the second quarter, the Tigers are 4-2 overall, and 2-1 in the SEC.
Doing my best to refrain from “homer-isms,” but I am having a difficult time convincing myself that the Tigers will fare worse than one loss in the third quarter, unless they go undefeated.
Over the next three weeks, Mizzou has two games at Faurot Field, bookending a road appearance at UConn. The conference game is against Florida, and the other non-conference opponent, a home tilt against Idaho.
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Idaho Vandals
Missouri will play host to Idaho, which outside of Moscow, Idaho and the Petrino connection, isn’t a well-known program. However, the vandals did complete the 2016 season with a 9-6 record.
The last time the Tigers played Idaho, was in 1963. Mizzou walked away with a 24-0 win. The Tigers are 2-0, all-time against Idaho. Unfortunately for Idaho, I don’ think they will break their losing streak, even after a 53-year hiatus.
Missouri with a convincing 28-10 win.
Connecticut (UConn) Huskies
UConn is traditionally a basketball school, and I don’t foresee that changing here, either. I know of at least one fan who is ready to represent hard for the Tigers at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field (say that three times fast).
The first, and only, time that the Tigers played the Huskies, Mizzou took the win, 9-6. Once again, the Tigers should have the upper hand in this matchup, as they travel back to Columbia with a 14-10 victory.
Florida Gators
This is the game to be concerned about. Fortunately, the Tigers could be 3-0 entering this game, as long as they beat Georgia at the end of the second quarter.
Even if they lose to Georgia, but pick-up the next two wins, Mizzou will enter this game with a full head of steam.
The Tigers and Gators split the all-time series, 3-3. Florida holds the lead in the recent series, 3-2. The Gators won the last two series by a total margin of 61-17.
This will be a difficult matchup to predict, but being that this series is merely a warmup, I won’t afford the Gators any bulletin board material just yet, and I will yield a narrow win to the Gators, 24-18.
At the end of the third quarter, Mizzou will carry an overall 6-3 record and an even record of 2-2 into the fourth quarter. The last quarter of the season is guaranteed to be interesting, and could find Mizzou in great position to take back the SEC East.