Florida’s rough night at Missouri changed the conversation fast.
A week after looking like maybe the best team in the country against Ole Miss, the Gators walked into Columbia and turned in the kind of performance nobody in Gainesville wanted to see. The 45-17 loss didn’t just knock Florida down in ESPN’s rankings - it also exposed a glaring issue the team now has to sort out.
That issue starts with Jadan Baugh.
Baugh has been one of the biggest stories in college football this season, and there’s a case to be made that he’s the best running back in the sport. Against Missouri, though, the Tigers shut him down hard. He finished with 13 yards on 12 carries, which is as rough a day as he’s likely to have all year.
ESPN’s Andrea Adelson said the game showed Florida can’t lean on Baugh alone.
“The Gators learned they have to rely on much more than running back Jadan Baugh to win games this season in a 45-17 loss at Missouri. Winning in Columbia has proven to be challenging for Florida, and that was no different Saturday.
Baugh came into the game averaging 150 rushing yards. But after a 12-yard gain on his first carry, he had 1 yard on 11 rushes after that as the Tigers' defense swarmed to contain him.
“Without an effective run game, Aaron Philo struggled in the pass game. Playing without injured Vernell Brown III did not help, either.
Florida scored 17 points after averaging 53.5 points in its first four games. Meanwhile, Mizzou exposed the defense -- finishing with a 300-yard passer and 200-yard rusher,” Andrea Adelson wrote.
That’s the part Florida has to sit with. When the run game disappeared, Aaron Philo had a tough time getting anything going through the air, and the offense never found its footing. The absence of injured Vernell Brown III didn’t help matters, either.
Missouri deserves plenty of credit here. The Tigers handled business on both sides of the ball and came away with their biggest win in a long time.
Still, this isn’t the moment to hit the panic button on Florida. The loss was ugly, and the Gators have to answer it, but they remain a team capable of making a run. They’re still in that 10-to-20 range nationally, and they still have a path to the College Football Playoff and even a national title.
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Florida Fans Get Another Football Frustration As One Gators Team Heats Up
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For supporters looking for a brighter fall stretch, the volleyball team has provided it. Florida is 12-1 and riding a 10-game winning streak after taking down Tennessee and Kentucky, while the soccer team has had a tougher time finishing chances, falling 2-1 to LSU despite outshooting the Tigers and sitting at 5-4-3 overall. [Read more 🡒]