Grades from Missouri’s 23-6 loss to Florida and looking ahead to Tennessee
After a 23-6 defeat to No. 11 Florida and a fourth straight loss, the Missouri Tigers are looking forward.
Mizzou coach Barry Odom said he wants to send his seniors out with a win on Senior Day at 6:30 p.m. next Saturday, when the Tigers play host to Tennessee.
“My focus is getting this senior class in a position to win their last game,” Odom said. “You remember them all, but you’re going to remember your last one at home.”
Here are the grades for the offense, defense and special teams, including a preview of what’s next.
Play of the game
Khalil Oliver’s would-be interception: With Florida driving, up 13-6 in the third quarter, Gators quarterback Kyle Trask threw up a ball to tight end Kyle Pitts. But Mizzou safety Khalil Oliver made a great play on it and came up with what looked to be an interception.
The on-field call was a Florida reception, which was met with jeers from the Tigers and the Memorial Stadium crowd. After review, it stood as called. Instead of a Mizzou interception, it was a 25-yard Florida reception.
A few plays later, Florida scored a touchdown to go up two possessions.
Grades
Offense: F. The offense looked better on Saturday compared to its 27-0 shutout against Georgia last week, though that doesn’t necessarily mean much. Quarterback Kelly Bryant looked like he made a difference, scrambling often when he dealt with pressure Saturday.
But the Tigers could only manage six points from two field goals. For the second straight game, Mizzou failed to find the end zone. It was another week of offensive struggles, which has been a theme in recent weeks.
Defense: B-. Mizzou’s defense had another strong game. Florida scored two touchdowns but also had to settle three field goals as the bend-but-don’t-break style remained for MU. The Tigers totaled four sacks in the first half, living in the backfield as the Gators looked to attack through the air.
It seemed like the defense tired a bit, especially in the third quarter when Florida scored 14 points to pull away. Florida racked up 330 yards passing, a season high allowed by the Mizzou defense.
Special teams: B+. On the bright side, Tucker McCann hit his first field goal in more than a month. He was 2 for 2, converting field goals from 37 and 28 yards. This was a welcome development after McCann went 0-for-3 across losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky. He also had 10 punts, with three going for more than 50 yards.
Next up
After facing the two best teams in the SEC East, things would seem to get a bit easier next Saturday againat the Tennessee Volunteers. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be a relaxing day, or even a win, for Mizzou.
Opposite directions: While MU has lost four straight, Tennessee has won its last three. The Volunteers were the joke of the country in September thanks to losses to Georgia State and BYU, but they’ve bounced back in the past month.
Seeing double: The Tigers have defeated the Volunteers the last two times these teams have played by the exact same score: 50-17. Overall, Mizzou leads all-time series 5-2 against Tennessee.
This story was originally published November 17, 2019 at 5:00 AM.