Field Level Media
Nov 3, 2018
For the second time in two weeks, Missouri took an 11-point lead over a ranked opponent into halftime.
This time, however, the visiting Tigers didn't let off the brakes in a 38-17 win over No. 11 Florida on Saturday in Gainesville.
It was Missouri's first road win against a top-15 opponent since beating South Carolina in Sept. 27, 2014.
After Missouri (5-4, 1-4 SEC) faltered in the second half against Kentucky last weekend, the Tigers experienced no hangover against Florida (6-2, 4-3). Missouri scored 21 consecutive points in between a 32-yard field goal by Florida kicker Evan McPherson and a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks to take a 21-10 lead into halftime.
Missouri quarterback Drew Lock took over in the third quarter, throwing two touchdown passes to extend Missouri's lead to 35-10. In the process, he moved past Chris Leak, Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning into third-place in the all-time SEC passing touchdown list with 90.
Lock's counterpart didn't have the same bounce-back performance.
Franks went 9 of 22 for 84 yards before being benched for Kyle Trask in the third quarter. Trask, a redshirt sophomore from Manvel, Texas, immediately led the Gators on a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive, completing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Josh Hammond on fourth-and-goal to cut the lead to 35-17 with 20 seconds to play in the third quarter.
That would be as close as Florida got, however. Missouri added a 40-yard field goal by Tucker McCann on the following drive and, after stopping Florida on fourth down on Trask's second drive, spun clock to keep the game out of reach.
Lock -- his struggles against conference opponents well documented -- finished 24 of 32 for 250 yards and three touchdowns, enjoying the return of top receiver Emanuel Hall. Hall, who had missed Missouri's previous four games with a groin injury, caught four passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Missouri's running game totaled 221 yards, with Damarea Crockett leading both teams with 114 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
It was the second week in a row that Florida's secondary struggled, after giving up 240 yards and three touchdowns to Georgia's Jake Fromm in a loss the week prior.
Missouri hosts Vanderbilt next week; Florida hosts South Carolina.
--Field Level Media