No. 8 Gators come back to earth during no-show at No. 25 Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Florida’s Jon Sumrall was incensed, but not necessarily surprised.

Read more Frequent rain showers to continue across Central Florida, forecasters says

Amid the Gators’ meteoric rise into the top 10, their coach saw the potential for a fall.

During a 45-17 loss at No. 25 Missouri, the No. 8 Gators (4-1, 2-1 SEC) came crashing back to earth in a place where they’ve endured their share of stumbles.

Sumrall, though, also saw something he didn’t expect as Florida folded against an opponent that was more disciplined, physical and determined.

“The fact that we put less than our best out there absolutely makes me freaking sick,” he said. “I am freaking livid over the fact that we just did that. The score is the score, but it’s not just what we do; it’s how we do it.

“And how we just did what we did is not acceptable — and will not be acceptable.”

Sumrall entered the week aware his team was poised for a let-down after last weekend’s 52-28 rout of Ole Miss. On Saturday, he could do nothing to stop it against the Tigers (4-1, 1-1).

Coach Eli Drinkwitz’s team bottled up Jadan Baugh. Mizzou quarterback Austin Simmons outclassed Aaron Philo while shredding a banged-up Gators’ secondary. The ever-intense Sumrall and his players could not match the energy of a sold-out homecoming crowd at Faurot Field as Florida lost for the fourth time in five visits to Columbia.

The Gators entered the day averaging 53.5 points — second nationally — but scored their fewest points at Missouri since a 45-16 loss in 2017 under interim coach Randy Shannon. Florida’s 532.5 yards per game ranked fifth, but the Gators finished with just 325 yards — 94 of them on a late touchdown drive with the game out of reach.

Meanwhile, Simmons carved up Florida’s secondary, which was missing veteran safety Bryce Thornton and cornerback Dijon Johnson, for 340 yards and two scores. Missouri tailback Jamal Roberts ran wild. Roberts’ 80-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter — his third score of the day — pushed him over 200 rushing yards and extended the Tigers’ lead to 45-10.

Roberts finished with 211 yards on the ground and the Tigers ended the game with 560 overall.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” Florida linebacker Myles Graham said. “It’s extremely disappointing. As a defense, sometimes the offense needs to lean on us. We can’t always depend on them to put up 40, 50 points a game. Sometimes we got to keep us in the game. I take full accountability.

“I didn’t play my best game at all. Nobody did.”

Baugh never got going, even though Missouri was without starting ends Darris Smith nd Langden Kitchen.

Baugh ripped off a 12-yard run on the drive’s second play. But he lost yards on four of his next five attempts on a day the SEC’s leading rusher managed just 13 yards on 12 carries to end his streak of five games with at least 100 yards.

During the fourth quarter, Sumrall walked over to his shaken star tailback.

“I put my hand on his hat and just said, “Hey, man, this didn’t change how I feel about you. This didn’t change who you are,’” Sumrall said. “‘You’re a leader on this football team. It starts with how you handle your business.’

“It was frustrating for him. It was frustrating for all of our guys.”

Philo, who finished 21-of-34 for 197 yards and a score, struggled to pick up the slack.

Read more Port Canaveral-bound MSC World Atlantic touches water for the first time

After marching the Gators inside the Missouri 5 on the their first drive, Philo didn’t see tailback Duke Clark wide open in the flat on third-and-goal and threw an incompletion to tight end Lacota Dippre in the end zone.

Sullen and succinct during his post-game interview, Philo acknowledged his mis-read.

“You can’t miss those,” he said.

Following the play, a 20-yard field goal by Patrick Durkin gave Florida its only lead, at 3-0.

The Tigers immediately matched it with a 32-yarder by Blake Craig.

The teams soon traded punts. Following another Gators’ three-and-out, Simmons who went to work.

Florida was caught flat-footed on Simmons’ 47-yard hook-up with Donovan Olugbode. Defensive backs Ben Hanks Jr. and Drake Stubbs looked to the sideline for a play call as Olugbode sprinted past them for an easy touchdown catch.

Simmons’ picture-perfect 31-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Goodie Sr. behind sophomore cornerback J’Vari Flowers pushed Missouri’s lead to 17-10 and continued to expose Florida’s struggles in the secondary dating to the season opener against Florida Atlantic.

“We haven’t played for the standard we need to play at a lot this year,” Sumrall said. “It’s not just one guy. Sometimes it’s coverage, discipline, detail and leverage. They beat us on the out and up. They beat us on a go ball.

“Coach (Brad) White, he can’t protect everybody. We have to win some one-on-ones out there in the perimeter, which we’re not doing enough of right now.”

For the first time this season, Florida’s offense could not keep up, much less pull away.

After Simmons’ first touchdown pass, Sumrall made a bold move, looking to make something happen and keep the defense off the field. But a quick snap on a fourth-and-1 call at the Gators’ 34 backfired when Missouri stuffed Philo on a sneak.

The Tigers took over, but advanced the ball just two yards and walked away without any points after a missed a 49-yard field.

Florida responded with a seven-play, 68-yard drive ending with Philo’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Wilson to tie the game 10-10. It would be the last time the Gators drove inside Missouri territory until a late 94-yard drive ended with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Tramell Jones Jr. to TJ Abrams.

By then, the Gators had delivered another no-show in the Show-Me-State as Missouri picked up its first win against a Top 10 team at home since 2010.

The Gators now turn their attention to a homecoming matchup against South Carolina next week. The Gamecocks will be looking to salvage their season after losing in overtime Saturday to Kentucky to fall to 2-3, including 0-3 in conference play.

“We have to grow up,” Sumrall said. “We have got to be just a more mature outfit. You cannot play that way against anybody in this league and expect an outcome that’s going to be favorable because it ain’t getting any easier.”

Read more Amendment 3 divides Central Floridians as vote on property taxes looms

Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected].