Florida found itself on the wrong end of a blowout in Week 5, as Missouri overwhelmed the Gators en route to a 45-17 victory. The Gators dropped to (4-1 (2-1 SEC) on the 2026 season.
Here are my five early takeaways from the game.
Missouri takes Jadan Baugh out of the game
Perhaps the most shocking storyline of the game was Missouri completely shutting down Jadan Baugh, who entered the game with the most rushing touchdowns in the country (11) and the second-most rushing yards (600). After a 12-yard carry to open the game, Baugh totaled just 11 carries for one yard the rest of the way.
Missouri won the line of scrimmage and consistently played with great leverage, preventing Baugh from generating much of anything after contact. The Tigers forced Florida to win the game through the air, and the Gators couldn’t get it done.
Florida’s secondary gets exposed again
The Gators have a defensive back problem. It’s been a recurring trend this season, and it showed again against Missouri. Florida’s defensive backs once again allowed too many explosive plays. Poor technique in man coverage, not playing the ball in zone, blown coverages — you name it, the Gators showed it.
Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons was on his A-game as well. Even when Florida played tight coverage on the back end, his ball placement was nearly perfect. He completed 23 of 30 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns.
Missouri was the more physical team
The Tigers were the more physical team in every phase of the game. The SEC is won at the line of scrimmage, and Florida was obliterated on both sides of the ball.
Florida’s offensive line had played well through the first four games of the season, but it got punched in the mouth against Missouri and never responded. The pass protection was the worst it had been all season, and the Gators generated virtually no push in the run game.
Missouri running back Jamal Roberts might have shown more heart than anyone on the football field, running for 211 yards and three touchdowns, with most of his production coming after contact.
Florida completely checked out
What could be more disappointing than the loss was the way it happened. The Gators completely checked out of the game when Missouri started to pull away in the second half. Missed tackles that we hadn’t seen all season, not getting enough players on the field after a quarter change, dropped passes and frustration-fueled personal fouls — it all added up.
It’s hard to even evaluate much of what we watched in the second half because the effort simply wasn’t there. The Gators weren’t focused, and they looked defeated.
Jon Sumrall said if you don’t humble yourself, someone will do it for you.
Boy, did Missouri ever.
Back to the drawing board
This game was as bad as it gets for the Gators. But it’s over now. There’s nothing Florida can do to change what happened.
Now, it’s about the response.
Every team faces adversity, especially in this NIL / portal era where the playing field has been leveled. Florida just got humbled in a way it hadn’t experienced all season. How the Gators respond to this loss will say a lot about this team — and ultimately determine how they finish the season.