UF Football: #22 Florida vs #14 Missouri

On a weekend where four SEC teams were upset, I figured the Florida Gators would play well against the Missouri Tigers. Unfortunately, the Gators' offense had another lackluster performance and the Gators lost by a score of 36-17. The Gators' only offensive touchdown came behind the legs of freshman running back Kelvin Taylor. Tyler Murphy completed 15 passes for less than 100 yards on the day and he was sacked six times. Solomon Patton, who ran a kickoff back to start the second half, had just six receptions for 44 yards. Murphy's longest pass was 14 yards to both Patton and Tre Burton. It was a hideous game offensively as the Gators were held to 151 total yards and turned the ball over three times.

Defensively, the Gators gave up the most points all season (36). Sophomore Brian Poole had one interception and the Gator defense recovered one fumble. He and Jalen Watkins led the way with eight tackles. It is also worth nothing that junior Cody Riggs was ejected after the first play of the game for "targeting."

Upon further review, I and many other people saw no foul on the play. I am not a fan of the rule so much, especially on hits thats really do not look that bad. There were too many other factors to say that the ejection cost the Gators the game. It may have had a role, but it was definitely not the sole reason that the Gators could not get it going against Missouri.

Many of us are confused up here in Gainesville. We thought Murphy would be the answer but the offensive line has given him no time to throw. Murphy did not use his legs at all this game like he had previously. The Gators have not been able to establish a sold running game all year and do not spread the field at all by going deep. Everybody on defense is getting hurt and the defense can only bail the offense out so many times.

This is the Gators' third loss of the year, all of which have been on the road. It will not get any easier as the Gators get ready to take on rival Georgia after their bye week. The Bulldogs would look to come out firing after losing a heartbreaker to Vanderbilt on the road. The SEC East is all but Missouri's at this point, but the way college football has been this year, that cannot be put in stone.

The Gators need to dig within themselves and find that fire to motivate them. The National Championship and the SEC Championship may be gone, but there is still a reason to keep fighting. If the Gators can get to 9-3, that would still be a respectable mark. If the record does not mean anything, then look to November 30. Nothing would be better for these seniors than to knock off an undefeated (I would assume) Florida State Seminoles football team in The Swamp.

If anything, the Gators should keep pressing on for this game. Nothing would make the students and Gainesville community more happy than a win that knocks FSU out of the National Championship hunt.

Like I stated earlier, the Gators will take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville at 3:30 p.m. after this bye week. Many experts did not think these two teams would both have three losses a piece coming into this meeting, but that's just the enigma that is known as college football.

On the other hand, a now 7-0 Missouri will look to seize absolute control of the SEC East with a home game against a 5-2 South Carolina squad who just lost to Tennessee by way of a game winning field goal. Georgia beat South Carolina in Week 2 of the season and Missouri beat Georgia, so I like Missouri's chances in this game.

*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com