Missouri’s statement win over Florida brought more than a jump in the polls. It also put Eli Drinkwitz and two of his top players in the weekly spotlight.
After then-No. 25 Mizzou knocked off No.
8 Florida - the program’s first win over a top-10 regular season opponent in more than a decade - Drinkwitz picked up the Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Week honor. The award, presented by the American Heart Association, recognizes coaching excellence while also honoring Bryant’s legacy and supporting the group’s mission.
Drinkwitz also was named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week.
The Tigers’ offense and defense each had a player recognized by the SEC. Quarterback Austin Simmons earned SEC offensive player of the week, while linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez took home SEC defensive player of the week.
Simmons was sharp throughout the win, finishing 23 of 30 for 340 yards and two touchdowns. That yardage total was the most Florida has allowed since former Miami No. 1 pick Cam Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns in Aug.
- Simmons also landed a Manning Star of the Week honor and was named to the Davey O’Brien Great 8.
Through the season, Simmons has piled up 1,287 passing yards, which ranks 22nd in FBS and third in the SEC. His 13 touchdown passes are tied for ninth nationally and tied for second in the league. He hasn’t thrown an interception, and his 67.9% completion rate ranks 39th in FBS and sixth in the SEC.
Rodriguez was just as central to Missouri’s defensive control. He finished with 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, leading the Tigers in tackles for the second time this season. It was his fourth straight game with double-digit tackles, making him the first Tiger to do that in four straight games since 2018.
The junior captain helped hold Florida to 42 rushing yards and 325 total yards. Rodriguez now has 50 tackles, tied for second in FBS, while safety Santana Banner sits at 44 tackles, tied for 16th in FBS. Together, they lead the SEC in total tackles.
Now ranked No. 14, Missouri returns home to face Texas A&M on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Tigers then head to Ole Miss and Arkansas.
In Other News...
Missouris Offense Is Suddenly Passing An Early SEC Stress Test
Missouris offense has already been tested in a way that says plenty about where this team might be headed in SEC play. Even with injuries and a reshuffled cast around it, the Tigers have been moving the ball with real purpose, a notable development in a league where early defensive pressure tends to expose any weakness fast. The bigger picture around college football this fall has included all kinds of offensive identities, from old-school schemes winning at Northwestern to Texas leaning on defense, but Missouris improvement has stood out because it has come while the roster has been forced to adapt.
The challenge is still part performance, part personnel. Running back Ahmad Hardy has not played this season after a gunshot injury, which has pushed more responsibility onto transfer quarterback Austin Simmons and a group of new receivers. Even with that burden, Missouri has found ways to keep the attack on schedule and productive, a good sign for a team trying to prove its offense can hold up as SEC defenses get tougher and the season wears on. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Injury Update Could Matter More To Mizzou Fans Than Expected
Floridas receiving picture got a little clearer this week, and for Missouri fans, it is worth watching even though the Tigers are already past that matchup. Gators coach Jon Sumrall said Vernell Brown III, who hurt his knee in Week 4 and sat out the Week 5 game against Mizzou, has been cleared to practice and run after an MRI showed no long-term damage.
The part that still matters is what comes next. Browns status for Floridas Week 6 home game against South Carolina is still up in the air, and while he is moving around again, the final hurdle is whether he can do enough of the sharper work that comes with game action. Missouri got the version of Florida without him, but this update suggests the Gators may still be sorting out how soon he can return to a real role. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Defense Just Silenced A Major SEC Concern
Missouris 45-17 win over Florida was about more than another lopsided SEC result. It also came with a sharp answer to one of the leagues more persistent concerns, as the Tigers defense kept Floridas ground game from ever settling in and made the Gators play uphill for most of the afternoon. Missouri was cleaner at the point of attack, better on the perimeter and more reliable in space, the kind of performance that can change how a defense is viewed over the long haul.
Jadan Baughs early burst offered Florida a brief sense of possibility, but Missouri quickly took that away by closing off the outside-zone lanes and finishing tackles with much more authority than it had shown at times earlier this season. For a defense that had been waiting for a statement against the run, this was the kind of tape coaches can point to with real satisfaction, even if the bigger question now is whether it can stack another outing like it. [Read more 🡒]