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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Two pass interceptions by Jaydon Hill, one that he returned for a 49-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and the other that stopped a drive at the four-yard line led the Florida Gators (4-2, 1-2) to a 24-17 victory over the Missouri Tigers (2-4, 0-3) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Florida also got a 37-yard field goal from Adam Mihalek following a 48-yard punt return by Xzavier Henderson to jump out to a 10-0 lead first-quarter lead.
After Mihalek missed a 50-yard field goal early in the second quarter, the Tigers got on the board with a 67-yard drive that featured three third-down conversions and a 28-yard run by Nathaniel Peat to the Florida 16. Four plays later, Cody Schrader dashed four yards around the right side to the end zone.
On Florida’s next possession, lineman DJ Coleman forced a fumble by quarterback Anthony Richardson that was recovered by linebacker Dameon Wilson at the Florida 32-yard line. Mizzou moved to the Florida nine-yard line, before Harrison Mevis kicked a 28-yard field goal to tie the score with 24 seconds left in the first half.
The Tigers outgained the Gators 196-65 in the first half and held a 20:49-9:11 advantage in time of possession. Missouri ran 40 plays to Florida’s 18. Florida got its running game going in the second half. After running for just 19 yards in the first half, the Gators gained 212 yards on the ground in the final two quarters.
They re-gained the lead, 17-10, with 6:55 left in the third quarter with a 82-yard drive. Trevor Etienne started it with a 39-yard run to the Missouri 43. Later, on a fourth-and-two at the 35, Richardson scrambled up the middle for a 32-yard gain, and Montrel Johnson punched it in from three yards out on the next play.
The Tigers then drove 59 yards to the Florida 16, but on 3rd-and-six, Cook’s pass intended for Tauskie Dove was intercepted by Hill at the four-yard line. The Gators drove the ball down the field, converting a third down with a six-yard scramble by Richardson, and getting a 36-yard run to the MU 16 by Johnson. Later, Richardson found Ricky Pearsall in the back of the endzone with a nine-yard scoring pass.
Missouri responded with a long scoring drive of its own, converting a third-and-22 with a 27-yard pass from Cook to Schrader and converting a third-and-15 with an 18-yard pass to true freshman Mekhi Miller before Peat, who rushed 20 times for a career-high 117 yards, dashed 18 yards into the endzone to draw the Tigers within 24-17.
Mizzou had one more chance when on a 3rd-and-14, Jaylon Carlies broke up a Richardson pass intended for Pearsall, and Daylan Carnell intercepted it at the MU 32-yard line. A 20-yard pass to Miller converted a third-and-18 situation to near midfield with 2:27 to play, but on 4th-and-2 at the Florida 48, Cook’s slant pass went incomplete to Dove with a defender on his back.
