Mizzou’s Gator Bowl Loss Caps Off 2025 With Frustration, Missed Opportunities
Missouri’s 2025 season came to a grinding halt under the lights in Jacksonville, as the Tigers fell 13-7 to Virginia in the Gator Bowl - a game that started with promise but quickly turned into a showcase of offensive struggles and missed chances.
Let’s be clear: this one stings. Not because the Tigers were outclassed - far from it.
In fact, Mizzou’s defense gave them every opportunity to win their third straight bowl game. But the offense, outside of one early spark, simply couldn’t get out of its own way.
A Hot Start That Fizzled Fast
Mizzou came out swinging. The opening drive was textbook - a 74-yard march that ended in the end zone and gave Tiger fans a reason to believe.
The offense looked sharp, balanced, and confident. But that was the high point.
From there, it was a long, frustrating night. Over their next 10 possessions, the Tigers managed just 186 total yards and zero points.
That’s not a typo. Ten drives, no scoring.
A mix of stalled drives, missed opportunities, and questionable decisions kept the Tigers stuck in neutral.
Quarterback Matt Zollers struggled to find rhythm, finishing 12-of-22 for 101 yards and an interception. That pick turned into three points for Virginia - and in a game this tight, that mattered.
Zollers did lead one final push in the closing minutes, trying to engineer a late comeback. But after taking a hard hit on a third-and-10 scramble, officials pulled him from the game out of concern for a potential head injury. That left walk-on backup Brett Brown to take over for the final play - a last-gasp Hail Mary that was actually well-thrown but knocked down in the end zone.
Hardy Makes History
The lone offensive bright spot? Ahmad Hardy.
The All-American running back and Doak Walker Award finalist added another chapter to his incredible season, rushing for 89 yards and breaking Missouri’s single-season rushing record. He finishes 2025 with 1,645 yards, surpassing Cody Schrader’s 2023 mark.
Hardy was as dependable as ever, but even he couldn’t carry the offense on his own - especially when he wasn’t on the field for key moments.
One of the most baffling decisions of the night came late in the fourth quarter, when Missouri faced a critical fourth-and-2. Hardy, the team’s best offensive weapon, was on the sideline. The Tigers failed to convert, and the drive - along with their hopes - fizzled out.
Eli Drinkwitz: “It’s on me”
After the game, head coach Eli Drinkwitz didn’t deflect. He owned the loss.
“Obviously very disappointed with the result,” Drinkwitz said. “Thought our guys had great resolve and fight throughout the game. Obviously gave us an opportunity right there at the end of the game.”
And then, the accountability: “It’s on me. I didn’t do a good enough job calling plays tonight or getting us into a rhythm or giving (us) things we could do and execute quick enough. Bottom line, it’s on me.”
That phrase - “It’s on me” - has become a familiar refrain from Drinkwitz after tough losses. But this time, it rang louder.
The offensive play-calling lacked flow, and the decision-making in crunch time raised eyebrows. With Hardy off the field on a pivotal fourth down and a final drive that lacked urgency, the questions write themselves.
Defensive Effort Wasted
Missouri’s defense, once again, did its job.
The Tigers held Virginia to just 13 points and kept Chandler Morris relatively in check. The Cavaliers quarterback went 25-of-38 for 198 yards - solid, but far from explosive. Mizzou’s defense bent but rarely broke, giving the offense chance after chance to take control of the game.
They never did.
This has been a familiar theme all season: the defense holds the line, but the offense can’t capitalize. And in a bowl game, that imbalance is even more glaring.
Grade: A
Special Teams: A Mixed Bag
Special teams didn’t swing the game, but they didn’t help either.
Missouri did recover a muffed punt late in the first half, but that opportunity turned into a missed 42-yard field goal by Oliver Robbins. Punter Connor Weselman had a decent night, averaging just over 40 yards per punt with a long of 52.
Still, in a game where every point mattered, the Tigers needed more from this unit.
Grade: C
Offense: Flat, Frustrating, and Out of Sync
There’s no sugarcoating it - the offense simply didn’t show up.
Missouri converted just 3-of-12 third-down attempts and went 0-for-3 on fourth downs. The Tigers were dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for just over 21 minutes compared to Virginia’s 38-plus. That kind of disparity makes it hard to win any game, let alone a bowl.
The play-calling lacked rhythm, the execution was off, and the decision-making - especially late - didn’t give the Tigers their best chance to win.
Grade: F
Player of the Game: Brett Brown
Yes, seriously.
Walk-on backup Brett Brown only threw one pass - but it might’ve been the best ball of the night. With Zollers sidelined, Brown stepped in cold and launched a well-placed Hail Mary that had a legitimate shot. It was batted down in the end zone, but the throw itself was impressive under the circumstances.
It won’t show up in the box score, but it was a moment that stood out in an otherwise forgettable offensive performance.
Final Thoughts
Missouri’s 2025 season ends not with a bang, but with a missed opportunity. The Tigers had the talent, the defense, and the star power in Hardy to win this game. But the offense couldn’t sustain drives, and the play-calling left too many questions unanswered.
There’s no shame in losing a tight bowl game - but the way this one slipped away will linger. For a program that’s taken big steps forward in recent years, this was a reminder that there’s still work to do.
And heading into 2026, that work starts with figuring out how to get the offense firing when it matters most.