[ad_1]
Virginia and Missouri will meet for less than the second time ever in soccer when the 2 sides sq. off within the Gator Bowl on Saturday night time in Jacksonville. Although the SEC and ACC have a number of bowl ties and continuously meet up in nonconference common season video games, the one different time the Cavaliers and Tigers performed was in 1973 in Columbia, a 31-7 win for Missouri.
Although the 2 applications haven’t got loads in widespread when it comes to collection historical past, the 2 groups have related profiles in 2025 that make for an excellent matchup on the sphere. Each groups are within the AP Prime 25 ballot with Virginia at No. 20 and Missouri at No. 25, and each offenses are powered by a characteristic again that has led the best way of their respective conferences. Missouri operating again Ahmad Hardy leads the nation averaging 130.0 yards per sport on the season and his efficiency this yr resulted in widespread All-American honors, together with right here at CBS Sports activities.
Virginia has its personal star within the backfield with J’Mari Taylor, who leads the ACC with 1,062 speeding yards on the season and leads all ACC operating backs with 14 speeding touchdowns. Taylor, predictably, was a First Workforce All-ACC choice and now he’ll attempt to assist Virginia cap a historic season with a win within the bowl sport.
With two good floor video games and an general top-25 high quality on each sidelines, the Gator Bowl units as much as be one of the crucial entertaining video games outdoors of the Faculty Soccer Playoff bracket. Let’s get into some extra issues to learn about each Virginia and Missouri, beginning with the Wahoos’ pursuit of program historical past.
Missouri vs. Virginia: Must know
Virginia pursuing the winningest season at school historical past: Virginia has been enjoying soccer for 136 years, and never as soon as has it received 11 video games in a single season. With a 10-3 document heading into the Gator Bowl, Tony Elliott and this yr’s crew have an opportunity to just do that and solidify their spot as one of the crucial profitable groups at school historical past. There’s already been a little bit of historical past made with Virginia successful 10 video games, one thing that has occurred just one different time at school historical past (1989), and the Wahoos are even bowl eligible for the primary time since 2021. In actual fact, solely 11 gamers on Virginia’s roster have even performed in a bowl sport, and all of these situations have been for different groups.
The Matt Zollers period has begun: Missouri beginning quarterback Beau Pribula suffered a midseason damage that prompted him to overlook most of three video games earlier than returning to motion, so the Tigers obtained a glimpse of the long run with freshman Matt Zollers thrust into motion towards Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Pribula has entered the switch portal and is out of the lineup. Zollers was a four-star prospect popping out of highschool in Pennsylvania, the place 247Sports had him rated because the No. 2 participant within the state. And although his official document as a starter this yr was 1-1, Zollers confirmed promise with three touchdowns to only one interception in these three video games towards SEC competitors.
Missouri locked up Drinkwitz as teaching rumors swirled: Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz was talked about as a attainable candidate of curiosity for a number of energy convention opponents, starting from Penn State to Auburn, Florida and extra. Drinkwitz took some gentle amusement from seeing his title listed in connection to these jobs when he was in the midst of a turbulent marketing campaign main the Tigers, and he actually didn’t do a lot to recommend he was ever seeking to go away Columbia. However after all followers wish to see motion in relation to dedication from their coach, and so that is what Missouri and Drinkwitz did after they agreed to a brand new six-year contract with a median annual compensation of $10.75 million. Locking up Drinkwitz then allowed Missouri soccer to pivot its efforts to locking up the important thing gamers for 2026, and that began with re-signing SEC Newcomer of the 12 months Ahmad Hardy. With Drinkwitz and Hardy each inking new offers, there’ll loads of ideas about 2026 on this closing sport of 2025 for Missouri.
The place to look at Missouri vs. Virginia dwell
Date: Saturday, Dec. 27 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: EverBank Stadium — Jacksonville, Florida
TV: ABC | Dwell stream: Fubo (Attempt free of charge)
Missouri vs. Virginia prediction, picks
Although Virginia received two extra video games within the common season than Missouri, I do assume the Tigers’ ceiling is greater particularly given its potential to take over a sport with the speeding assault. The truth that Ahmad Hardy has already re-signed for 2026 and will not be eyeing the switch portal builds the case for Missouri to go all out and produce its finest effort on an enormous stage, and if each groups have their finest effort this can be a Missouri win by a landing or extra. Decide: Missouri -6.5
Who will win and canopy in every faculty soccer bowl and playoff sport? SportsLine’s pc mannequin simply simulated every matchup 10,000 occasions and has revealed its picks. Go to SportsLine now to see all its faculty soccer picks.
require.config({"baseUrl":"https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-373/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build","config":{"version":{"fly/components/accordion":"1.0","fly/components/alert":"1.0","fly/components/base":"1.0","fly/components/carousel":"1.0","fly/components/dropdown":"1.0","fly/components/fixate":"1.0","fly/components/form-validate":"1.0","fly/components/image-gallery":"1.0","fly/components/iframe-messenger":"1.0","fly/components/load-more":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-article":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-scroll":"1.0","fly/components/loading":"1.0","fly/components/modal":"1.0","fly/components/modal-iframe":"1.0","fly/components/network-bar":"1.0","fly/components/poll":"1.0","fly/components/search-player":"1.0","fly/components/social-button":"1.0","fly/components/social-counts":"1.0","fly/components/social-links":"1.0","fly/components/tabs":"1.0","fly/components/video":"1.0","fly/libs/easy-xdm":"2.4.17.1","fly/libs/jquery.cookie":"1.2","fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce":"1.1","fly/libs/jquery.widget":"1.9.2","fly/libs/omniture.s-code":"1.0","fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init":"1.0","fly/libs/jquery.mobile":"1.3.2","fly/libs/backbone":"1.0.0","fly/libs/underscore":"1.5.1","fly/libs/jquery.easing":"1.3","fly/managers/ad":"2.0","fly/managers/components":"1.0","fly/managers/cookie":"1.0","fly/managers/debug":"1.0","fly/managers/geo":"1.0","fly/managers/gpt":"4.3","fly/managers/history":"2.0","fly/managers/madison":"1.0","fly/managers/social-authentication":"1.0","fly/utils/data-prefix":"1.0","fly/utils/data-selector":"1.0","fly/utils/function-natives":"1.0","fly/utils/guid":"1.0","fly/utils/log":"1.0","fly/utils/object-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-vars":"1.0","fly/utils/url-helper":"1.0","libs/jshashtable":"2.1","libs/select2":"3.5.1","libs/jsonp":"2.4.0","libs/jquery/mobile":"1.4.5","libs/modernizr.custom":"2.6.2","libs/velocity":"1.2.2","libs/dataTables":"1.10.6","libs/dataTables.fixedColumns":"3.0.4","libs/dataTables.fixedHeader":"2.1.2","libs/dateformat":"1.0.3","libs/waypoints/infinite":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/inview":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/sticky":"3.1.1","libs/jquery/dotdotdot":"1.6.1","libs/jquery/flexslider":"2.1","libs/jquery/lazyload":"1.9.3","libs/jquery/maskedinput":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/marquee":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/numberformatter":"1.2.3","libs/jquery/placeholder":"0.2.4","libs/jquery/scrollbar":"0.1.6","libs/jquery/tablesorter":"2.0.5","libs/jquery/touchswipe":"1.6.18","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch":"0.2.3","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker":"1.11.4"}},"shim":{"liveconnection/managers/connection":{"deps":["liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4"]},"liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4":{"exports":"SockJS"},"libs/setValueFromArray":{"exports":"set"},"libs/getValueFromArray":{"exports":"get"},"fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2":["version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init"],"libs/backbone.marionette":{"deps":["jquery","version!fly/libs/underscore","version!fly/libs/backbone"],"exports":"Marionette"},"fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1":{"exports":"_"},"fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0":{"deps":["version!fly/libs/underscore","jquery"],"exports":"Backbone"},"libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4":["jquery","version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core","version!fly/libs/jquery.widget"],"libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1":["jquery"],"libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js":["https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"]},"map":{"*":{"adobe-pass":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js","facebook":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js","facebook-debug":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js","google":"https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js","google-csa":"https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js","google-javascript-api":"https://www.google.com/jsapi","google-client-api":"https://accounts.google.com/gsi/client","gpt":"https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js","hlsjs":"https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/hls.js/1.0.7/hls.js","recaptcha":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit","recaptcha_ajax":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js","supreme-golf":"https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js","taboola":"https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js","twitter":"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js","video-avia":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/fly/js/avia-js/2.48.0/player/avia.min.js","video-avia-ui":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/fly/js/avia-js/2.48.0/plugins/ui/avia.ui.min.js","video-avia-gam":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/fly/js/avia-js/2.48.0/plugins/gam/avia.gam.min.js","video-avia-hls":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/fly/js/avia-js/2.48.0/plugins/hls/avia.hls.min.js","video-avia-playlist":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/fly/js/avia-js/2.48.0/plugins/playlist/avia.playlist.min.js","video-ima3":"https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3.js","video-ima3-dai":"https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/sdkloader/ima3_dai.js","video-utils":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js","video-vast-tracking":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/fly/js/sb55/vast-js/vtg-vast-client.js"}},"waitSeconds":300});
[ad_2]
