Taking a position-by-position look at Florida vs. Missouri, here’s what to watch for in Saturday’s showdown between the No. 11 Gators and the Tigers:

QUARTERBACK – Florida: Will Grier has put on a show in his last five quarters: 35-of-47, 412 yards, 6 TDs and no turnovers. Grier’s week-to-week growth is a big reason the Gators have gone from unranked and on the verge of losing to Tennessee, to No. 11 and atop the SEC East. The redshirt freshman signal caller has one road start under his belt (Kentucky on Sept. 19), but it wasn’t his best night (13-of-22, 125 yards, INT; 12 rushes, 61 yards, TD).

Missouri freshman QB Drew Lock will be getting his second start due to Maty Mauk’s suspension. Lock wasn’t asked to do too much against South Carolina, but was accurate (21-of-28 for 136 yards) and effective (2 TDs).

RUNNING BACKS – Push: In his third year at Florida, Kelvin Taylor is finally the Gators’ primary running back. Taylor doesn’t have the lengthy highlight reel of some of the conference’s other backs, but he’s dependable for a 20-plus carry game as evidenced by last weekend’s performance against Ole Miss (27 attempts, 83 yards). UF’s freshmen ball carriers Jordan Cronkrite and Jordan Scarlett have seen limited roles in SEC play.

The Tigers’ best returning RB, Russell Hansbrough (2014: 205 rushes, 1084 yards, 10 TDs), has been battling a sprained ankle. If he were 100-percent healthy, he’d tip this category in UM’s favor. But against South Carolina, his backup, Ish Witter, was the primary runner (17 rushes, 98 yards).

WIDE RECEIVERS, TIGHT ENDS – Florida: As the passing game continues to develop, the Gators are finding out they have an above-average receiving corps. UF currently has three wideouts in the top-18 receiving yards in the SEC: No. 14 Demarcus Robinson (251 yards), No. 16 Brandon Powell (239 yards) and No. 18 Antonio Callaway (202 yards). Sixth-year TE Jake McGee (16 catches, 134 yards) is also becoming a favorite target of Grier.

UM had the tough task of replacing its top three receivers from last season. Shaky quarterback play from Mauk hasn’t helped. The Tigers’ top receiver in yardage this season is Nate Brown (17 catches, 192 yards), No. 23 in the SEC. In the individual receiving yardage leaders, Missouri is one of the last teams (12/14) to be represented.

OFFENSIVE LINE – Missouri: UF’s offensive line has exceeded expectations all year, especially while playing three freshmen together. Against Ole Miss’ Landshark defense, Florida only allowed two sacks. Position coach Mike Summers is setting himself up for a handsome payday in the offseason.

Florida may be overachieving, but the Missouri depth chart of five senior starters across the line cannot be ignored. In the SEC trenches, experience trumps all, and learning on the job is bound to eventually catch up to the young Gators.

DEFENSIVE LINE – Florida: The Gators have three defensive linemen currently in the conference’s top six sack leaders: No. 3 Jonathan Bullard (5), No. 4 Alex McCalister (4) and No. 6 Joey Ivie (3). If Florida can get consistent pressure on Lock, it could be a long night for Missouri. Five-star freshman CeCe Jefferson has the typical inconsistency of a rookie, but has shown the ability to push past SEC offensive linemen.

The Tigers had to replace four of their five top tacklers on the defensive line from last year, but are similarly well represented in the individual sack numbers this season. DE Walter Brady is tied with Bullard at No. 3 with five sacks. DE Charles Harris is not far behind with three sacks of his own, tied with Ivie at No. 6. Getting to Grier on the road could give Missouri’s upset bid a serious boost.

LINEBACKERS – Missouri: When starter Alex Anzalone went down, UF LB Jarrad Davis stepped up in a big way. Davis is currently tied for No. 10 in tackles in the conference with 35. Not far behind him is Antonio Morrison at No. 13 with 32 tackles. Morrison was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his 16 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, against Ole Miss.

UF may have the more interesting storylines, but statistical production favors UM. Kentrell Brothers is the current tackling leader in the SEC with 59 tackles. Michael Scherer is also off to a productive start with 33 tackles (No. 12 in the conference).

SECONDARY – Florida: Talk about a tough draw for Lock – in his second start, the freshman quarterback will have to face Florida defensive backs already responsible for five interceptions (and that’s with early injury and suspension issues). Three of those picks belong to one of the top cornerbacks in the NCAA, Vernon Hargreaves III. Cornerbacks Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson also have one interception each.

Missouri leads the SEC in interceptions with seven, but two of those belongs to a linebacker (Brothers) and another to a defensive lineman (Brady). In the secondary, Ian Simon, John Gibson, Anthony Sherrils and Kenya Dennis all have one interception each.