Missouri stomps Florida 42-13 in The Swamp

By Adam Silverstein
October 18, 2014

Six turnovers including four return touchdowns – two on special teams – and an inability to get anything going on offense led to one of the worst home losses in school history for the Florida Gators (3-3, 2-3 SEC) as the Missouri Tigers (5-2, 2-1 SEC) routed their hosts 42-13 on homecoming at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday night.

Missouri, coming off a 34-0 defeat at the hands of Georgia just one week ago, shut out Florida in the first half for the second time UF’s last three games. The Gators opened the contest in an immediate hole – Tigers’ returner Marcus Murphy brought back the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown – and never recovered.

Florida looked to be in trouble again on its first offensive series after redshirt junior quarterback Jeff Driskel and junior running back Matt Jones fumbled an exchange, but UF got the ball back almost immediately on an interception by redshirt sophomore defensive back Marcus Maye.


Following consecutive series without significant gain, Driskel was replaced by freshman Treon Harris, who fumbled the ball on a sack, turning it over to Mizzou on the Florida 19-yard line. Four plays later, the Tigers rumbled into the end zone to take a 14-0 lead with 3:50 left in the first quarter.

Mizzou jumped ahead 20-0 by converting a pair of short field goals. The Tigers ended an 18-play, 55-yard drive – converting four third downs on the series – with a 25-yard field goal and turned a Driskel interception into a 33-yard kick.

An 82-yard punt return touchdown by Murphy, followed by a two-point conversion, pushed Missouri ahead of Florida 28-0 early in the third quarter as the Gators’ special teams failed for the second time on the evening.

Consecutive Driskel turnovers led to defensive touchdowns for Mizzou. First, Driskel was stripped when dropping back with his fumble getting returned for a score. On the very next drive, he telegraphed a pass and threw a pick-six that put the Tigers up 42-0 with 5:57 left in the third quarter.

However, the Gators were able to put some points on the board before the third quarter was out. Harris replaced Driskel and led Florida on a nine-play, 63-yard touchdown scoring drive, which included 27 yards from sophomore running back Kelvin Taylor (on five carries), a third-down conversion by Harris and three completed passes. Harris hit senior tight end Tevin Westbrook for 11 yards early in the series, completed a 15-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Demarcus Robinson on the next play and found Westbrook again for a five-yard touchdown to conclude the drive.

Harris threw an interception on his next possession – UF’s sixth turnover of the night – but was able to rebound and lead a 15-play, 82-yard scoring drive in the game’s final minute. Freshman RB Brandon Powell accounted for 35 yards on the series, and Harris picked up 22 yards with his legs including the three-yard rushing score.

Harris finished 8-for-12 for 98 yards with two touchdowns (one rushing), an interception and a fumble. He also picked up 26 yards on the ground on eight carries with a long of 10 yards.

Robinson led UF’s receivers with four receptions for 48 yards, and Westbrook hauled in three passes for 35 yards and his score.

Missouri scored 24 of its 42 points off turnovers despite being outgained by Florida 283-119 on the evening. The Tigers sacked the Gators’ quarterbacks six times on the evening, one more than the five UF’s offensive line had given up through its first five games.

Florida has started a campaign with a 3-3 record through six games for just the second time in the last 28 seasons and lost its second-straight game against an unranked Southeastern Conference opponent. The Gators will look to regroup during the bye week before taking on its long-time rival in the Florida-Georgia game on Saturday, Nov. 1 in Jacksonville, Florida.

51 Comments

  1. bdown says:

    nothing good comes from tonite….well maybe one thing if Mr. Foley will make a move…..

  2. Just Want A Change says:

    I have been one of the first ones to support and stand by Will Muschamp. However, this is awful. Florida’s defense give us 13 points and 119 yards and lose by 29!!! I do not care if it’s a firing or a permanent QB change, something has to happen because this is sad. It’s very sad. If the ship is going to go down, then why not let it go down with #3. What other proof does there need to be that Driskel doesn’t have it. Yeah I know, so many different OCs. Bull.

    Something has to change!!!

  3. Gatoralum88 says:

    Pathetic! Let’s all hope Foley realizes it’s time for the Muschamp error/era to end. Wow, how the once mighty have fallen so far. After watching Mizzou get blown out at home last week by a Gurley-less UGA I actually thought we had a chance tonight. Silly me.

  4. jimmyjohns says:

    So, will the press conference be tomorrow, or Monday?

    • Gatoralum88 says:

      Whenever it is, if he say either: “we’ll get it corrected”…”we have everything still in front of us”…or “I assure you” I may go ballistic. Go Gators.

  5. Bill says:

    Hey people who wanted muschamp to get another year after 4-8.

    Go F yourselves

    • HeadOfficial says:

      If you knew Muschamp was so bad, why weren’t you demanding his firing 2 years ago when he was SEC coach of the year???

      • Timmy says:

        I for one was disgusted by the extension after that year. They were. 11-2 in spite of Muschamp and Driskek not because of them. That 11-2 can almost entirely be attributed to urban Meyers stellar final recruiting class. I want Foley fired too. That’s how bad it has gotten.
        There is no argument that Muschamp is the worst coach in Florida history.

        • EXITJIM@GOG8RS says:

          Agreed. He should NEVER have been hired. Coach of the year…what a joke! Gators were 11-2 but looked terrible doing it and could easily have been 7-6. Fire the chump now and begin the rebuilding. Why wait?

  6. Ken (CA) says:

    WM is 3-10 in his last 13 with a loss against a div 2 team, no wins against a ranked team, and embarrassing records that everyone here knows about.

    The writing is on the wall, not much to say. get rid of him. NOW!

  7. SW FL Joe says:

    Foley moving the Eastern Kentucky game to Flavet Field so it will be a sell out

  8. NashGator says:

    I’d like to think I’m a pretty reasonable fan. I live out of state, but still have season tickets. At some point the ROI is so poor that no amount of homerism or emotional fan loyalty justifies paying the money for season tickets. Clearly, we aren’t offered results or hope or potential. I think I speak for a lot of boosters when I say to Foley: it’s me or Muschamp. Your call.

    • HeadOfficial says:

      Go ahead and leave, the TRUE Gator Nation doesn’t need you Fair weather support!

      I expect you still to leave if, by some amazing miracle, the Gators eak out a win over Georgia or FSU this year!

      • NYC Gator says:

        Seriously, just stop it. You are the worst kind of troll. Being a loyal Gator does not mean we have to sit by with our mouths shut and watch our once great program crash and burn. This isn’t Soviet Russia and we have the right to be heard and it doesn’t make us any one of us less of a Gator than you for doing it. What happened last night was pure unadulterated incompetence on every level and Muschamp has no business being our head coach. In all kinds of weather is not a goddamn suicide pact.

  9. Just Want A Change says:

    Adam, would Coach O be a legitimate option if Muschamp gets fired?

    Just asking. Please don’t crucify me.

  10. Rob says:

    Tried to post earlier but appears it did not work. Bill, I am one to blame. I supported and will take your shot.

    I would question your delivery for the good of the Gator Nation. Time for an interim coach and major national search. I truly feel sorry for Coach.

  11. BillyBob says:

    -Adam

    Do you think Muschamp will be relieved of his duties tomorrow ? We can not be any worse with Roper as our interim head coach.

  12. Gatoralum88 says:

    Oops. 🙂 It was late & I was tired. My bad for not being a keen observer of the obvious although since Muschamp postponed his pre-LSU presser it wouldn’t have surprised me had he not made himself available to media last night. Fortunately, no one was accused of sexual assault immediately following the game so I guess he had to speak.

    I honestly didn’t see it because I still fully expect Foley to foolishly continue standing behind him until AFTER the season like he said he would before the season. We all know how stubborn he is & how seemingly hellbent he is on proving he’s right. Believe me, the sooner it happens the better. I’m with the masses who thought it should have been done after the GA Southern debacle. For some reason, I still have a weird fear that it’ll take finishing 5-6 & if they somehow finish 6-5 & go to the Gator bowl Foley will want to keep him sighting what he calls “progress”. Believe me, I’m HOPING & WANTING Foley to finally come to his senses & call a press conference today or tomorrow to do what he should have done last year. Go Gators!

  13. Tony says:

    Adam,

    In your opinion who are the top 3 choices to replace muschamp? Dan Quinn?

  14. HeadOfficial says:

    Do you really think Mike Shannan has been seen hanging around campus for his health?

  15. HeadOfficial says:

    Anybody who thinks Treon harris should take over as starting QB is just a fool blinded by points on the scoreboard.

    1st touchdown: While under heavy pass rush by Missouri’s defensive going past Gator’s swiss cheese offensive line, Treon Harris, milliseconds from being sacked for a 20 yard loss, heaves a wild lame duck pass towards the end zone into the middle of 4 Missouri defenders. Tevin Westbrook, the same Tevin Westbrook who drops a simple game winning TD pass from Driskel during the LSU game, somehow comes down with the reception!

    2nd touchdown: With less than 2 minutes left in the game and Missouri has the non-scholarship walk on players in on defense, fresh legs from from Brandon Powell seems to be tearing up he field. Teon Harris “scores” in the last minute against Missouri players without a single grass stain on their uniforms!

    • Marques W. says:

      He plays as well as Driskel does and Driskel has been in a college system for FOUR YEARS. I’m not excited about playing a true freshman, but at this point it has to be done. We have to move on from Driskel and start thinking about the future.

    • Timmy says:

      This is either Jeff Driskels dad or the greatest troll of all time.
      I nominate this post for the onlygators HOF.

      Blinded by points….hahahahahahah

      • EXITJIM@GOG8RS says:

        Head Official is either an idiot or Muschump’s uncle. Maybe both. Not a true Gator? If he doesn’t resign, if Foley doesn’t fire him, join me and thousands of other TRUE Gator fans by boycotting the swamp until the moves are made. Worst coach at Florida in the 60 years I’ve been a fan. This guy has made Coach Zook look like Vince Lombardi. LOL

        • Ken (CA) says:

          Muschamp’s uncle? Heck I think it is Will himself pleading with the fans to be loyal and patient. With no firing announcement yet, maybe he actually is safe until the end of the year and after talking to Foley he is now trying to calm down the rabid fan base!

          And for those of you saying be patient you are just spoiled fans, it isn’t that we are losing as I said much of last year as well, it is HOW we are losing. We may not have the talent currently to compete with the bama’s and the FSUs, although I would tend to disagree because we didn’t have to get stomped by bama in that game, but we certainly have the talent to beat the LSUs the Mizzou’s and much of the rest of the teams no our schedule if not all of them.

  16. Marques W. says:

    Our talent is there, the coaching is not. No one can name more than 3 positions where we need SIGNIFICANT improvement. To me that says there is a coaching problem, not a player problem.

    It’s a sad realizination, but both Muschamp and Driskel have records inflated by the 2012 season. A season in which our defense was STOUT and the ball bounced our way more than a few times (Think SC game where they self destructed, Matt Elam’s heroics vs LSU, blocked punt into the arms of JJ vs some scrub team). The writing has been on the wall and some Gator fans have chosen to ignore it. We’ve now wasted a year in attempt to “give Will another chance”. He should have been fired immediately following the Georgia Southern game last year. Injuries or not you can’t go 4-8 at UF and that be ok. Unfortunately Foley made it ok.

    Fire Will Muschamp. Bench Jeff Driskel. Free Kurt Roper’s playbook. And let’s try to enjoy what’s left of this season.

    • Timmy says:

      Actually the talent isn’t there.
      You think we have the talent to compte with Bama and fsu?
      Muschamp is a poor recruiter which is actually the root of the problem and something I’ve been on my soapbox for.
      I’ve said all along he can’t close

    • Timmy says:

      Qb, wr, lb, dl, safety, te, ol, cb, rb
      What position doesn’t need significant improvement?

  17. Rakkasan says:

    I just hope our next coach has the following qualifications: Has successful head coaching experience, is a tireless recruiter, and is a good evaluator of assistant coaching ability.

  18. BillyBob says:

    Top three coaching candidates to replace Muschamp in my opinion are Dan Mullen, Jim Harbaugh, and Chad Morris. I personally think we need a proven head coach who has been a consistent winner at the college level.

  19. MikeWill says:

    -Adam Silverstein

    Do you think Muschamp will announce his resignation today at his 3pm team meeting ?

  20. BIGGATOR says:

    I think Treon should start for the rest of the season, i know some say,”he’s just a freshman and he will make mistakes!” well freshman are suppose to make some mistakes,but when you have a four year starter who IS making freshman mistakes time and time again then you have nothing to lose by playing Treon. also, i think Treons father would be a good hire. he is already coaching Div.1 players at Booker T. and he is one Hell of a coach! plus,all the talent out of south Florida will want to play for this man,UF would be LOADED! before anyone thinks this is unreasonable,remember,Auburn went out and got a High school coach from Arkansas,what has he done for them in the last 2 years!

  21. gatorboi352 says:

    Word is nothing will be announced before the Georgia game.

    If Muschamp says Jeff will start, I just might not watch my first Gator game in 10 years.

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