GAME RECAP: Jamal Roberts Runs Wild as No. 24 Missouri Blows Out No. 10 Florida on Homecoming

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Faurot Field spent Homecoming in black and gold, and No. 10 Florida never found a way to turn the noise down.

No. 24 Missouri blew out the Gators 45-17, ripped off 35 unanswered after the game was tied at 10, and walked off with its first win over a top-10 team in 13 years. The Tigers are 4-1 and 1-1 in the SEC. Jon Sumrall’s Gators are 4-1 and 2-1, the September unbeaten run over.

Jamal Roberts was the reason the second half never got interesting. Twenty-four carries, 211 yards, three touchdowns, and an 80-yarder that emptied the visiting sideline. Austin Simmons was clean behind him: 23-of-30 for 340 yards and two touchdowns, no interceptions. Missouri finished with 560 yards. Florida finished with 42 on the ground.

The first quarter was the only one that looked like a game. Patrick Durkin opened it with a 20-yard field goal at 8:06 after a 15-play, 73-yard march. Blake Craig answered from 32. 3-3. Then Simmons found the player in the black No. 1.

Donovan Olugbode took a 47-yard strike at 10:06 of the second, six plays and 68 yards after Craig had tied it. Florida 3, Missouri 10. Aaron Philo brought the Gators back. Seven plays, 68 yards, a 12-yard touchdown to Dallas Wilson at 4:26. 10-10. That was the last time the scoreboard was even.

Simmons needed five plays and 2:21. Caleb Goodie Sr. caught it from 31 yards out at 2:05. Craig drilled a 50-yarder as the half expired. 20-10. Florida had the ball last in the sequence that mattered and still went to the locker room down two scores.

The third quarter belonged to Roberts. Six plays, 75 yards, finished from five yards out at 12:24. Craig added a 52-yarder at 4:30. 30-10. A 77-yard Roberts run set up the next one. Four plays, 80 yards, Roberts from the 1 at 14:55 of the fourth, and Simmons found Cayden Lee for the two-point conversion. 38-10. One play later Roberts was gone again, 80 yards, untouched. 45-10.

Florida got the last touchdown and none of the afternoon. Tramell Jones Jr. came on and went 5-of-5 for 86 yards and a score, TJ Abrams catching three balls for 55 and the late touchdown on a 94-yard drive with 47 seconds left. 45-17. Cosmetic. Philo finished 21-of-34 for 197 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Jadan Baugh ran 12 times for 13 yards. The Gators punted eight times.

The box score is the part that will travel on Sunday. Missouri outgained Florida 560-325, won the ground 220-42, and averaged 8.2 yards a play to Florida’s 4.9. First downs went 24-19. Neither side turned it over. Cayden Lee led the Tigers with eight catches for 110 yards. Olugbode added six for 94 and the 47-yard score. Goodie had two for 67 and the halftime-swinging touchdown. Nicholas Rodriguez finished with 11 tackles. Florida won nothing that decided the game and still sacked Simmons twice. It did not matter.

Homecoming was supposed to be a measuring stick for a Tiger team that had already dropped an SEC game. It turned into a statement. Thirty-five straight points against a top-10 team, a 211-yard day from the back, and a quarterback who did not give the ball away.

Player of the Game: Jamal Roberts. 24 carries, 211 yards, touchdowns from 5, 1 and 80, and the run that made it 45-10.