A ranked win at last: Missouri crushes one of the country's hottest teams
· Yahoo Sports
Before signing a contract extension, Eli Drinkwitz's name surfaced repeatedly during the 2025-26 coaching carousel, including speculation linking him to LSU and Florida.
Visit extonnews.click for more information.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, Drinkwitz and Missouri delivered a convincing reminder of why.
The Tigers handed those same Florida Gators a 45-17 beatdown, ending a program-record nine-game losing streak against ranked opponents by overwhelming No. 8 Florida and first-year coach Jon Sumrall.
Missouri turned a 10-10 game into a rout with a stunning 35-0 scoring run, overwhelming a team that entered the day as one of the nation's hottest programs. The victory marked the Tigers' first win over a top-10 opponent since knocking off No. 7 Georgia in 2013 and provided a signature moment for a program that had gone just 27-75 against ranked teams this century.
More importantly, the result served as another reminder of the SEC's depth. The league may have placed nine teams in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll, but Missouri's dismantling of Florida reinforced a growing reality: Outside of Georgia and perhaps Alabama, there is no untouchable heavyweight in the conference.
On any given Saturday, the SEC's middle class is capable of landing a knockout punch. Missouri just proved it.
Missouri, after all, trailed Troy by double-digits at home last month; it was down by 11 just days ago against Mississippi State — the same Mississippi State that lost at home by 33 points Saturday to Alabama.
Didn't matter on this day. Florida, with sensational tailback Jadan Baugh, was stymied to the tune of 42 rushing yards on 25 carries.
"It's all about stopping the run for us," Drinkwitz told the TV broadcast postgame. "I thought our guys responded to the challenge all week; I'm really proud of them."
While Missouri's run defense thwarted the Gators, its offense continued to cook under former Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons. He closed with 340 passing yards, was in the plus on rushing and did not commit a turnover.
"Man, he was just fearless," said Drinkwitz, 33-11 in his past 44 games. "(He) played fast and free like we talked to him all week."
Simmons acknowledged Missouri's challenges after it was defeated by upstart Mississippi State — and with games against Texas A&M and Ole Miss looming before an open date.
"Just proud of this whole team," Simmons said on-field. "Really faced a lot of adversity throughout this whole week.
"But, we kept our composure and came out and just dominated. It's a tough league we play in, so really just keeping that same mindset throughout the game."
By doing so on this afternoon, Missouri scored a homecoming win, kept alive its College Football Playoff possibilities — and Drinkwitz showed his value on a contract extension worth more than $10 million annually.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A ranked win at last: Missouri crushes one of the country's hottest teams