Florida
Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. (10/01/2026) — The Missouri Tigers beat the Florida Gators 45-17 on Thursday night at Memorial Stadium. Missouri outgained Florida 560 to 325 in front of 63,609 fans and controlled the game through the air and on the ground in a decisive SEC win.
Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards, and Jamal Roberts scored three touchdowns. Missouri's offense finished with 340 passing yards and 220 rushing yards, while the Tigers' defense held Florida to 42 yards on the ground.
How It Happened
Missouri's offense was efficient all night. The Tigers completed 23 of 30 passes, a 76.7 percent completion rate, and averaged 11.3 yards per pass attempt. That kind of efficiency kept the Missouri offense on schedule and made the Tigers hard to defend.
The balance mattered just as much. With 220 rushing yards backing up the passing game, Missouri's offense couldn't be keyed on one way or the other. The Tigers turned that balance into 24 first downs, converted seven times on third down and held the ball for 31:40.
Florida moved the ball through the air. The Gators completed 26 of 39 passes for 283 yards and picked up 19 first downs and six third-down conversions. Aaron Philo accounted for a Florida touchdown, and Patrick Durkin added 5 points in the kicking game. The Gators could not keep pace on the scoreboard, though, because they had so little production on the ground to support the passing attack.
Both defenses got to the quarterback. Kamran James recorded a sack for Florida, and Jason Dowell had a sack for Missouri.
Turning Point
The game turned on the line of scrimmage. Missouri outrushed Florida 220 to 42, a 178-yard gap that shaped the whole game.
With almost no running game, Florida had to rely on its passing attack to move the ball and put up 39 throws. Missouri's ground game, on the other hand, opened up the field for Simmons and helped the Tigers win the time-of-possession battle by more than three minutes. Once Missouri established that control, Florida never found the balance it needed to answer the Tigers' scoring drives.
Star of the Game
Austin Simmons, Missouri
Simmons ran Missouri's passing game with precision. He accounted for all 340 of the Tigers' passing yards, and Missouri as a team completed 23 of 30 attempts. Its average of more than 11 yards per attempt points to a passing game that worked efficiently while also making big plays downfield.
Jamal Roberts deserves equal billing after scoring three touchdowns, a major reason Missouri reached 45 points. Blake Craig added 13 points.
What It Means
For the Missouri Tigers, the win is a strong statement in SEC play. Putting up 560 total yards against a conference opponent, with more than 200 yards both rushing and passing, shows an offense that can win in several ways. The defense also did its part. It held Florida to 42 rushing yards and 325 total yards, which kept the Gators' offense one-dimensional for most of the night.
For the Florida Gators, the tough loss on the road shows where they need to improve. The passing game produced 283 yards on 26 completions, so there is something to build on. Florida's rushing output, though, will need to grow significantly if the Gators want to stay balanced against SEC defenses. Slowing opposing ground games will also be a priority after Missouri ran for 220 yards.
Missouri leaves Thursday night with a lopsided conference win at home. Florida will try to regroup, take what worked in its passing attack and fix the problems that let the Tigers take control at Memorial Stadium.
