No. 25 Missouri absolutely WRECKED No. 8 Florida 45-17 on Saturday, snapping a brutal nine-game losing streak against ranked opponents. This wasn’t just a win, fam, this was a statement that coach Eli Drinkwitz has been trying to make for ages, marking his first regular-season win over a top-10 team in 11 tries.
Missouri’s Offense Came to Play (and Play Hard)
Missouri’s O-line and skill guys came out swinging, piling up a ridiculous 560 total yards. Austin Simmons was slinging it like a madman, finishing with 340 yards and two touchdowns. Think about that, two TDs to Caleb Goodie Jr. for his FIRST career score and Donovan Olugbode on a 47-yard bomb. Cayden Lee snagged 8 catches for 110 yards, just everywhere on the field. And Jamal Roberts? Dude went for 211 yards and THREE touchdowns. Three! That includes an 80-yard sprint that just put the cherry on top. They were absolutely relentless and Florida had zero answers.
Heisman Hype Train Derailed by the Tigers’ D
But listen, the REAL story might be what happened to Florida’s “top offense.” These guys were averaging almost 533 yards per game, but Missouri shut them down to a paltry 325. Quarterback Aaron Philo threw for 197 yards and a touchdown, but much of that happened as they were playing from behind. And Jadan Baugh, the guy with all the early Heisman Trophy hype, 11 touchdowns in his first four games? Yeah, he got 13 yards on 12 carries. THIRTEEN. After a 12-yard gain on his first touch, he ran 11 more times for exactly ONE yard. Missouri made it their mission to bottle him up, especially after that first run, and they EXECUTED. Florida, meanwhile, seemed like they forgot to prioritize stopping anything Missouri did.
The Collapse That Changed Everything
The game shifted hardcore right around halftime. Florida goes three-and-out late in the first half, giving the Tigers the ball with 1:33 left, and Blake Craig bangs a 50-yard field goal as the clock hit zeros to make it 20-10. Not done yet! Missouri gets the kickoff to start the second half, Roberts punches in a short TD run. Another quick punt forced. Craig then hits a 52-yarder to make it 30-10 late in the third. Then Roberts busts out a 76-yard run, practically untouched, getting pushed out at the Florida 2. He slams it in on the next play, and a 2-point conversion makes it 38-10. As if the Tigers needed an exclamation mark, Roberts added it with an 80-yard touchdown run a couple of minutes later. Absolute domination.
Florida, man. That’s the second-most lopsided SEC loss in their school history, only behind a 63-14 defeat way back in 1970 against Auburn. They’ve now lost four of their last five games at Faurot Field. Ouch. And they were missing wide receiver Vernell Brown III, who led them in receiving, which definitely didn’t help. Gotta wonder how they bounce back after getting absolutely rocked like that. Big questions coming for the Gators after this one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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