Sports Illustrated breaks down Gators-Beavers matchup in Las Vegas Bowl

High. Gators quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] has turned pro and will miss the bowl game, and he has company from offensive lineman [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag]. Backup QB [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] was dismissed from the team after being arrested on child pornography charges. [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag], a former Ohio State transfer who has not thrown a pass this season, is the next man up. But keep this in mind: Last year Oregon State faced a backup QB in a bowl game who had never thrown a collegiate pass and wound up losing.

Oregon State. Florida’s refusal to put an actual alligator on its helmet remains an abiding disappointment. OSU’s beaver has appropriately prominent buck teeth.

If you take the College Football Playoff and BCS championship games out of the mix, this is the first SEC vs. Pac-12 bowl game since the 1989 Freedom Bowl, in which Washington routed Florida 34–7. The two leagues are tied 7-7-1 against each other in bowls, with the first meeting in the ’35 Rose Bowl (Alabama 29, Stanford 13).

Oregon State 30, Florida 17. The Beavers are a productive running team that ended the season on a three-game winning streak, including an upset of Oregon. The Gators lost their last two games and have been vulnerable against the run. Combine that matchup with Florida’s current quarterback desert, and this sets up extremely well for Oregon State to get a 10th win for just the third time in program history.