Saturday in Missouri was ugly for Florida, and the box score only told part of the story. The snap counts did the real talking.
When a game tilts that hard that early, the numbers underneath it can reveal just how quickly roles are shifting. That was the case for the Gators on Saturday, where several workloads stood out for reasons that go beyond one bad afternoon.
Eric Singleton Jr. logged 22 snaps, and that number jumps off the page because he wasn’t on the injury report all week and Jon Sumrall had said he was healthy and ready to go. Still, in a game where Missouri challenged Florida to beat it through the air, Singleton finished with just one catch. The question now is whether he can get back above 30 snaps this week against South Carolina or whether the ankle remains a factor.
Jadan Baugh’s day was also telling. He played 31 snaps, his second-lowest total of the season, as Missouri loaded up against the run and gave him little room to operate.
He had 52 snaps against Auburn and 48 against Ole Miss, but Saturday looked like a game in which Florida was willing to wave the white flag. Behind him, Duke Clark was on the field for 20 snaps and Evan Pryor for 17, which was Pryor’s highest total of the year.
At quarterback, Tramell Jones got 7 snaps, and while this is not the time to dive headfirst into a controversy, it was notable that Sumrall pulled Aaron Philo for the final offensive drive and gave Jones a series. Jones’ touchdown drive came in garbage time, so it’s not something to overstate, but it does suggest Philo’s grip on the job is not locked down.
LJ McCray’s 14 snaps also stood out. On a night when Florida’s defense got hit hard, McCray posted his lowest snap total of the season and was credited with two assisted tackles. The bigger takeaway is that he appears to have slid down the depth chart in the defensive line rotation.
And then there was J’Vari Flowers, whose situation has changed fast. After looking like he might carve out a role in the first two games, he was back to the bench in short order. He played 26 snaps last week, but on Saturday he was beaten on a 31-yard touchdown while lined up eight yards off the ball, and his total dropped all the way to 5 snaps.
In Other News...
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 Just Got Another Harsh Reminder Of How Bad This Is
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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 🡒]
Florida Injury Update Could Matter More To Mizzou Fans Than Expected
Floridas receiver room got a bit of encouraging news this week when Vernell Brown III was cleared to participate in practice and ran on Monday after injuring his knee in Week 4. The update matters beyond Gainesville, too, because Brown sat out Floridas Week 5 game against Missouri, and the Gators are still trying to sort out what theyll have available on offense as they prepare for South Carolina.
Even with the positive signs, Jon Sumrall said Browns status for the next game remains uncertain, and there is still no firm timeline for his return. The MRI brought relief in that it did not reveal a long-term injury, but for now Florida is left waiting on how much he can do and when he can get back into game shape. [Read more 🡒]