CFB Bowl Preview 2025: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
By Rory Daniels
Bowl season is in full swing and we will be previewing some of the bigger matchups over the next couple of weeks. This year’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl will be contested between the Virginia Cavaliers and the Missouri Tigers. Rory-Joe Daniels takes a look at the key matchups.
Where and When
Location: Everbank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Date: Saturday December 27
Time: 7.30pm ET / 12.30AM GMT
Story So Far...
Virginia would have been a playoff team had it not been for a defeat in the ACC Championship game to Duke. It would have been a fine way to cap a 10-3 season. Tony Elliott, the former Clemson offensive coordinator, has transformed this program and helped it achieve its first double-digit win season since 1989. Although the ACC was weaker than usual and the Cavaliers’ schedule relatively soft, Virginia deserves plenty of plaudits for the strides it has taken.
Life was not quite as straightforward for Missouri; life never is in the SEC. That said, Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz enjoyed his third consecutive winning season and remains a name heavily linked to loftier programs. The Tigers lost all four matchups against top-10 teams but were clinical against the less-talented teams in the conference. They’d love to cap this year off with a third bowl win in as many years.
The Quarterbacks
Virginia has benefited from the experience 6th-year QB Chandler Morris brought to the position in 2025. He threw for over 2,800 yards and 16 touchdowns. While not having a huge arm, Morris is an intelligent signal-caller, no surprise given his family history (dad Chad is a highly-regarded coach), and finds a way to extend plays and drives without being a deep ball specialist. He threw two picks vs Duke last time out and will need to be on the money against SEC competition.
For Missouri, they will turn to backup QB Matt Zollers. Penn State transfer Beau Pribula had led the Tigers through the regular season, but as he once again enters the transfer portal, Zollers gets his chance to prove his worth. Zollers is a freshman who arrived with a 4-star billing. It was a baptism of fire when injury forced him to start, struggling against the likes of Vanderbilt and Texas A M. However, he enters this game with more preparation time and a clear run to be the starter in 2026.
Who to Watch
Virginia
Devin Neal, Safety – Virginia, will be missing a couple of key defensive pieces, so it will be even more important for Devin Neal to step up in this one. Now on his third team and in his sixth year, Neal had his best statistical season, earning a PFF defensive grade of 88.2. He led the team in tackles and had six pass deflections, playing nearly an equal split between box and free safety. His experience will be invaluable.
Missouri
Ahmad Hardy, Running Back – With the Beau Pribula opt-out, Missouri will need to lean even more heavily on the ground game, if that’s possible. Hardy had a standout 2025, running for 1,560 yards at 130 yards per game. He nearly averaged 12 yards per carry in a 298-yard performance against Mississippi State. If he finds his top gear here, it’s difficult to see how Virginia can keep a lid on him.
Prediction
This will be an interesting battle, with Virginia having the edge in QB experience, but the Cavaliers will need to find a way to slow down the Missouri running game. If they can keep Hardy under 100 yards, they might have a chance. Personally, I’ll side with the SEC in this one.
Virginia 14-29 Missouri
Rory-Joe Daniels
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.