GATORS TAMED BY TIGERS
UF struggles to find answers to its problems
COLUMBIA, MO. — Gators senior guard Jon Halapio never saw it coming — another lopsided loss with the offensive line’s fingerprints all over it.
Meanwhile, senior safety Jaylen Watkins never imagined anyone could go up and down the field all day on Florida’s vaunted defense, much less an offense with a quarterback making his first start.
But Saturday’s 36-17 loss at unbeaten Missouri exposed the reeling Florida Gators on both sides of the football in a way no opponent had in awhile.
“We’re all looking for answers right now,” Watkins said. “It’s a lot of different things. It’s on everybody.”
Gators coach Will Muschamp pointed the finger first at himself.
“We’re just not a good football team, certainly not today,” he said. “And it falls on my shoulders.”
Alook at the record books puts Florida’s loss in grim perspective.
The Gators’ 151 total yards were their fewest since 1999, when Florida gained 114 yards during a 34-7 loss to Alabama in the SECchampionship game.
Missouri, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Maty Mauk, finished with 500 yards to become the first team to gain 500 yards on Florida since Michigan in the 2008 Capital One Bowl — and the most in an SEC game since allowing 512 to Kentucky in 2007.
“I didn’t see this happening,” Halapio said. “Very frustrating. Back-to-back losses, especially because we had such a big part in it.”
Gators quarterback Tyler Murphy was under pressure all day and could not move the ball through the air for the Gators.
Missouri sacked Murphy six times, forcing two fumbles. He finished with just 92 passing yards and an interception on 29 attempts.
Toss out the six sacks and Florida’s running game still managed just 110 rushing yards.
“We’re inept offensively,” Muschamp said. “We have a hard time running it and certainly can’t protect very well. It showedtoday. I’mjust very disappointed that we haven’t made more positive strides offensively this season.
“We regressed again from last week.”
The Gators had a couple of flickers of hope against Missouri.
Solomon Patton returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to trim Missouri’s lead to 13-10. But the Tigers answered with a 75-yard drive, highlighted by a 52-yard pass from Mauk to Jimmie Hunt and capped by a 6-yard run by Henry Josey (18 carries, 136 yards).
A 20-yard run by freshman tailback Kelvin Taylor with 46 seconds remaining in the third quarter cut Missouri’s lead to 23-17. But Florida gained just16 yards in the fourth quarter as the Tigers ran away with the game.
“We’re very disappointed, probably more disappointed this week than last week,” Halapio said. “We’ve just got to fix our problems and go from there.”
Muschamp is not even sure there is a solution for the Gators (4-3, 3-2 SEC).
Florida has scored one offensive touchdown in two games and managed just two plays longer than 15 yards against Missouri (7-0, 3-0).
“We struggle to do anything we try to do,” Mushcamp said. “We try and spread it out and try and throwit, andwecan’tprotect the quarterback. When we try to grind it out, we’re not getting creating enough explosive runs.
“Weneedto find someanswers and right now we’re not finding any.”
Missouri, on the other hand, had its way with the SEC’s top-ranked defense.
With a sellout crowd of 67,124 on hand for Missouri’s biggest home game since it joined the SEC last season, Mauk hooked up with wide receiver L’Damian Washington for a 41-yard completion on the game’s first snap.
A 15-yard targeting penalty on Gators safety Cody Riggs, who was ejected, gave the Tigers the ball on Florida’s 20. On first- and-10, Mauk threw a perfect strike to receiver Bud Sasser, who had a few steps on Gators defensive back Brian Poole.
TheGators will have a bye week to try to find some answers. One thing is certain, Muschamp is not giving up.
“I’m a competitor,” he said. “I’m gonna fight my ass off. That’s what you do. You get your back against the wall and you fight your ass off. That’s what we’re gonna do.”