Florida’s undefeated run didn’t just end Saturday in Columbia. It got flattened.
Missouri rolled to a 45-17 win over the Gators, and for long stretches it looked less like a ranked showdown than a team with something to prove taking a swing at Florida from the opening bell. Outside of the first drive, the Gators spent the day chasing the game, and they never found a way to get back into it.
Austin Simmons did the damage through the air, throwing for more than 300 yards, while Jamal Roberts powered the ground game with over 200 rushing yards. By the time the Tigers were done, Florida had been exposed in all the ways a team hates to be exposed: in coverage, up front, and in the kind of game where the opponent starts dictating every snap.
The setting only made it sting more for Florida. Missouri has become a bad place for the Gators to visit, and Saturday added another ugly chapter.
Florida fell to 2-5 against the Tigers in Columbia and 6-8 overall in the series, with four losses in the last five games at Folsom Field. This one was supposed to be uncomfortable for the Tigers, given the talk around their No. 25 ranking and Florida’s hot start.
Instead, Missouri turned it into a blowout.
The biggest problem for Florida was the secondary, which had no answer for Simmons once Missouri’s passing game got rolling. Florida’s defense had been disruptive enough against Trinidad Chambliss in Week 4 to help contain a Heisman contender, but that edge never showed up here.
Simmons had time, and Missouri’s receivers made the Gators pay. Cayden Lee caught eight passes for 110 yards, Donovan Olugbode added six catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, and Caleb Goodie chipped in with two catches for 67 yards and a score.
Florida’s offense never got the game script it wanted, either. Missouri came out aggressive, loaded the box to stop Jadan Baugh, and forced Aaron Philo to try to beat the Tigers through the air.
That’s not the shape Florida wants this offense to take, and it showed. The group that had been the SEC’s best offense through September looked ordinary in the first week of October, and Buster Faulkner now has to prove his unit can shake off a rough outing.
Baugh’s night was especially rough. Just days after “Run the Baugh” was trademarked, the Florida running back had nowhere to go and no room to build momentum.
The game flow nearly erased the running attack altogether, and Baugh finished with 13 yards on 12 carries. He entered the game with 600 rushing yards through four games, but this performance all but shut the door on any real Heisman push.
Florida’s ranking is likely headed for a tumble, too. The Gators climbed from unranked to No. 8 in just two weeks, but this kind of loss is the sort that pollsters notice immediately. A drop of at least 10 spots seems likely, and while Florida probably won’t vanish from the AP Poll, the margin for error just got a lot smaller with Texas coming in two weeks and Georgia waiting in Atlanta on Halloween.
By the time Missouri eased off at 45-10, Jon Sumrall had turned to the second team, and that at least gave Florida a chance to string together a late scoring drive. Tramell Jones and the backups found a little success there, which may matter later even if the final score never changed. On a day when almost everything went wrong, that was about as close as Florida got to a silver lining.
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Greg McElroy Just Added To Floridas Misery After Mizzou Rout
Missouris 45-?? rout of Florida only deepened an already rough stretch for the Gators, and the Tigers left little doubt about where they belong in the national conversation. Missouri improved to 4-1 and was rewarded in the AP Poll, climbing from No. 25 to No. 14 after piling up 560 total yards and smothering Florida on the ground, where the Gators managed just 42 rushing yards.
The damage kept building as the game wore on, with Missouri outscoring Florida 25-7 in the second half. Austin Simmons carved up the Gators for nearly 240 passing yards in the first half, and Jamal Roberts punished them on the ground with 211 rushing yards and three touchdowns, the kind of performance that leaves Florida searching for answers long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Snap Count Shifts Raise Tough Questions After Missouri Loss
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Tramell Jones brief late appearance at quarterback added another wrinkle to a night full of questions about usage and rotation. For a team still trying to settle on dependable pieces, those snap-count shifts matter because they can hint at where the coaching staff is leaning next, and where it still isnt sure who fits best when the games get tight. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Got Another Harsh Reminder Of How Bad This Is
Floridas rough start got another jolt after Week 5, when ESPN refreshed its FPI rankings and the Gators slid five spots following Missouris 45-17 win in Columbia. The loss only deepened the sense that Florida is still searching for traction, while other contenders around the country kept stacking convincing results and moving up the board.
Ohio State took over the top spot in the updated rankings after a 31-14 win over Iowa, and Jeremiah Smiths record-setting night only underscored how sharply the hierarchy can shift. For Florida, the latest drop serves as another blunt reminder that the margin for error is already thin, and the climb back will not get any easier. [Read more 🡒]