Missouri trounces Florida
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Three weeks ago, Missouri coach Barry Odom set fire to game plans, scouting reports and negative articles from the first half of the season in a motivational ploy. The Tigers haven’t lost a game since.
Perhaps Florida interim coach Randy Shannon should gather flammable objects for his own bonfire.
In a game pitting two teams riding emotional waves in opposite directions, Missouri trounced Florida 45-16 on Saturday. The Tigers (4-5, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) have won three straight games, while the Gators (3-5, 3-4) have dropped four straight.
“You’re never as good as you think, and you’re never as bad as you think,” said Odom, whose job security was questioned after Missouri opened the season 1-5. “I’ll take the positive momentum, and we’ll use it.”
Missouri took control of the game with a 14-play, 98yard touchdown drive that spanned the first and second quarters. The key play was a 36-yard Drew Lock pass to Emanuel Hall on first-and-25. Larry Rountree III capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, giving the Tigers a 14-0 lead.
Tennessee 24, Southern Mississippi 10
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — John Kelly ran for two touchdowns and 79 yards as Tennessee withstood an injury to starting quarterback Jarrett Guarantano in a victory over Southern Mississippi that snapped the Volunteers’ four-game losing streak.
Tennessee (4-5) avoided its first five-game skid since 1988, when the Vols dropped their first six games of the season.
The victory proved costly. Guarantano’s injury resulted in the college debut of freshman Will McBride, who had been on track to redshirt this season.
Guarantano left the game for three plays in the second quarter after getting hurt. He then sat out the entire second half.
McBride went 1 of 8 for just 13 yards but avoided mistakes as Tennessee didn’t commit a single turnover. Guarantano was 9 of 13 for 102 yards.
Vanderbilt 31, Western Kentucky 17
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kyle Shurmur hit Trent Sherfield on a 4-yard scoring pass on Vanderbilt’s opening drive and the Commodores never trailed in a win over Western Kentucky.
Shurmur passed for two touchdowns and the Commodores rushed for two more, including Sherfield’s 45-yard run with 48 seconds left in the third quarter.
It was the final non-conference game of the season for both teams.
“We wanted to move forward this week,” Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said. “We played extremely hard. It wasn’t the prettiest thing early, but we started to move the needle a little bit.”
Vanderbilt (4-5) scored 14 points in the first quarter for the third time this season. Their 14-7 lead marked the first time since the Kansas State win Sept. 16 that the Commodores held a lead after the first quarter. Vanderbilt led 21-14 at halftime, their third halftime lead of the season.