Mizzou's balanced, explosive offensive performance becomes driving force in eye-opening victory

Quarterback Austin Simmons and running back Jamal Roberts turned into an unstoppable duo that the Florida defense could not slow down. The first half belonged to Simmons and the passing game, followed by some final punches from Roberts in the second.

“I think the pass game is the story right now. Our ability to throw the ball was the difference in the game,” Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said following the win. “Our two runs came late. Well, they were both nails-in-the-coffin type thing. But I thought the ability to throw the ball was the difference in our success today.”

It started with a remarkable 47-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Donovan Olugbode, which he made throwing off his back leg. The toss was essentially a fadeaway jump shot, only from almost 50 yards out. Two offensive drives later, Simmons caught Caleb Goodie Sr. streaking down the right sideline for another score.

Goodie has been utilized in the offense all season long, but has yet to match that with productive games. Saturday was a different story, given two of his receptions were momentum-shifting plays to keep the offense rolling.

“Thought Caleb Goodie’s two catches were the difference,” Drinkwitz said. “He hasn't had as many opportunities as he would like, but he came up big in the first half touchdown, and then obviously the first drive of the second half on that third down did catch was huge.”

Time after time, Simmons found ways to advance the ball down the field. Drinkwitz termed his starting quarterback as “unbelievable” in the first half, and the numbers reflected it. He racked up 238 of his 340 passing yards in the opening 30 minutes, along with two touchdowns.

Once the Tigers had formed a formidable lead, it was Roberts’ time to tag in and take control. He finished the game with 211 rushing yards and three touchdowns, making it the most impressive game of his season. Roberts continued to find ways to be effective in his new-found role of being the workhorse running back for the Tigers.

It did take Roberts a while to get going, but his second half outings were two completely different tales. The Tigers rushed for only 32 yards in the first half on 14 carries, which multiplied to 188 yards on 22 carries in the second. His big rushes, in a similar fashion to Goodie’s two big catches, were turning points in the game.

In a variety of ways, Mizzou poked holes in the Florida defense. Going into this game, passing defense was an issue for the Gators. They were allowing the second-most passing yards in the Southeastern Conference at 248.3 per game before this game and the 340 they let Simmons throw for didn’t help that number whatsoever.

The Tiger offense was also patient in the run game, which bogged down Florida's defensive front and allowed an extremely patient Roberts to find holes. His first chunk run, a 77-yard burst to the Florida 2-yard line, cultivated after bouncing off a group of Florida defenders. He scored two plays later in a play that gave MU a 38-10 lead, along with roar of the fans. 

"That was motivation for the rest of the game, just swinging energy," Roberts "Just going on a run, but the crowd is a part of it."

Drinkwitz and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey's offense planned an offensive script that could not be stopped against Florida. It might be one that's hard to replicate, but the proof of success is there and it's now known that the Tigers, led by Simmons and Roberts on the field, can piece together explosive scoring games.

 The Tigers aim to replicate that performance against Texas A&M at 11 a.m. Saturday in Columbia. The game is set to be broadcast on ABC.