The Missouri Tigers will head into the college football bowl season with an 8-4 record and will face Virginia in the Gator Bowl on December 27. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
The No. 25-ranked University of Missouri football team will meet No. 20 Virginia in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Saturday, December 27, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
Opening kickoff between the Tigers and Cavaliers is slated for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on ABC.
It will be just the second ever meeting between Missouri and Virginia. The only other meeting came in 1973, when the Tigers defeated the Cavs, 31-7, in a game at Mizzou’s Faurot Field.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to be part of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and look forward to playing an outstanding Virginia team on ABC,” Mizzou head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “Jacksonville is the perfect bowl game for our team to finish the season against one of the best teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“This is a special team that has worked very hard to put themselves in this position and we look forward to ending the season on a high note.”
Mizzou RB Ahmad Hardy led the SEC in rushing with 1,560 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
Mizzou was led by Doak Walker Award finalist Ahmad Hardy whose 130.0 YPG leads the nation and is just 68 yards from breaking the Tigers’ school record. Defensively, the Tigers rank 10th in total defense (274.8 YPG) and 11th in sacks (2.92 PG) while allowing just 19.4 PPG.
“There is nothing better than college football on a Saturday in primetime! We are honored to celebrate the 81st playing of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl,” Gator Bowl Chairman Sara Pomposo said, in a statement released on Sunday. “This game carries tremendous pride and reverence for our membership and our community. The opportunity to host two top-tier teams in Virginia and Missouri as well as their players, coaches and fans to our city for a great week of activities celebrating both programs’ successful seasons.”
Virginia is coming off an overtime loss to Duke in the ACC Championship game on Saturday. Head coach Tony Elliott’s team is 10-3 on the year and went 7-1 in league play this season to earn a berth in the conference title game.
RB J’Mari Taylor and QB Chandler Morris were Virginia’s top performers this season. Morris led the Cavaliers’ ground game, with 1,062 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, while Morris threw for 2,802 yards and accounted for 21 scores of his own (16 passing, five rushing).
LB Josiah Trotter led Mizzou and is tied for fourth-most in the SEC this season with 84 total tackles. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
Mizzou holds a program record of 17-20 in bowl games, which includes wins in its last two postseason appearances.
Last year, the Tigers defeated Iowa, 27-24, in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, and two seasons ago, Mizzou knocked off No. 7-ranked Ohio State, 14-3, in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
The Tigers will head into the Gator Bowl with an 8-4 record, following a 31-17 win in the regular season finale over Arkansas last week.
2025 MIZZOU TIGERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 28, 2025 (Thursday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Central Arkansas | Faurot Field |  | W, 61-6 (1-0) |
| September 6, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 pm | Home | Kansas | Faurot Field |  | W, 42-31 (2-0) |
| September 13, 2025 (Saturday) | 12 pm | Home | Louisiana | Faurot Field |  | W, 52-10 (3-0) |
| September 20, 2025 (Saturday) | 6 pm | Home | South Carolina | Faurot Field |  | W, 29-20 (4-0) |
| September 27, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Home | Massachusetts | Faurot Field |  | W, 42-6 (5-0) |
| October 11, 2025 (Saturday) | 11 am | Home | #8 Alabama | Faurot Field |  | L, 27-24 (5-1) |
| October 18, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:45 pm | Away | Auburn | Auburn, Ala. / Jordan-Hare Stadium | | W, 23-17 2OT (6-1) |
| October 25, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 pm | Away | #14 Vanderbilt | Nashville, Tenn. / FirstBank Stadium | | L, 17-19 (6-2) |
| November 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 pm | Home | #3 Texas A&M | Faurot Field | | L, 38-17 (6-3) |
| November 15, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:45 pm | Home | Mississippi State | Faurot Field | | W, 49-27 (7-3) |
| November 22, 2025 (Saturday) | 11 am | Away | #8 Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. / Memorial Stadium | | L, 17-6 (7-4) |
| November 29, 2025 (Saturday) | 2:30 pm | Away | Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. / Razorback Stadium | | W, 31-17 (8-4) |
| December 27, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Neutral | #20 Virginia | Jacksonville, Fla. / EverBank Stadium | |