Florida steamrolls Mizzou as Tigers continue to plummet

If you thought Mizzou getting a healthy Kelly Bryant back would be a cure all for the offensive woes that plagued them against Georgia last week, I’m sorry to tell you that you were incorrect.

One week after being shutout by the Bulldogs, the reeling Tigers returned home, where they had attained all five of their victories this season, and promptly continued their tailspin, falling 23-6 to #11 Florida.

It was a particularly ugly game, and that has to sting even more for Mizzou. Florida didn’t play as well as we’ve seen them play other times this season, but they still scored three and a half times as many points as the Tigers.

Missouri’s last 30 drives have seen the Tigers come again with six total points, and they’ve punted 20 times. Offensive Coordinator Derek Dooley is the highest paid assistant coach in school history.

Back to the game, the Tigers looked apt defensively early on, holding Florida to field goals in the first two quarters and nothing more, even adding a field goal of their own to go into the half down 6-3.

The bend but don’t break defense only works for so long, though. In the second half, it broke. After Mizzou’s first drive of the second half ended in a punt that only went 27 yards, Kyle Trask and the Gators went 60 yards in three plays, ending in a 34 yard touchdown pass to Josh Hammond for what would wind up being the game-winning touchdown, putting Florida up 13-3.

Mizzou would add a field goal, but Trask would find Lamical Perine for a 15 yard score near the end of the third, and Florida would add a fourth quarter field goal for the blowout win.

There’s only so long we can keep seeing the same thing happen at Missouri and expecting different results. This is now four straight losses for the Tigers, taking the once-promising season from 5-1 to 5-5. With Tennessee and Arkansas remaining on the schedule, you would think Mizzou could rebound and finish 7-5, but who knows at this point.

For Florida, they keep doing what they need to do and keeping themselves in the race for the SEC East. The Gators are 8-2 and have a bye week next week before wrapping up the regular season against Florida State.