Nick Rodriguez in high school

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On Saturday, No. 25 Missouri threw the first punch and took No. 8 Florida into deep water.

The Gators couldn’t swim.

It’s the program’s first win over a ranked team in the regular season since 2024, when the Tigers took down a Boston College team that finished the year 7-6. Missouri has lost eight straight, including in Week 4 against then-No. 24 Mississippi State.

Too often in those ranked matchups, the opponents dictated how Missouri would play.

Against Mississippi State, a slow start didn’t leave the Tigers much flexibility for how to operate after falling behind 14-0.

But Saturday, Missouri was the bully.

The Tigers took away a Florida run game that other teams had no answers for, holding star running back Jadan Baugh to 12 yards on nine carries in the first half. The Gators were forced to pivot, only giving Baugh three carries in the second half.

“Coming into the game, Florida might’ve had a mindset that they'll be able to run all over us, especially with what we put on the film in the past,” defensive lineman Sterling Webb said.

In its first four games of the season, Florida only had 14 negative plays. The Missouri defense forced seven in the first half alone.

“I’d say just a willingness to do it,” defensive back Kensley Louidor-Faustin, who recorded 3½ tackles for loss, about Missouri’s disruptive defense. “They had the right blocks, but we were willing to get off the block and make a play.”

Florida hadn’t trailed since it went down 3-0 against Campbell in Week 1, a deficit the Gators quickly washed away.

Florida’s passing game is capable of maintaining a lead with a comfortable cushion, the task it’s been given in every other game this season. Having to lead the offense and keep up with a fiery passing attack on the other side is something the unit hadn’t been asked to do before.

After Missouri took a 14-3 lead with 10:06 remaining, Florida had to deviate from its modus operandi that worked so well in its first two conference games.

For a brief moment, Florida’s forced adjustment worked. Quarterback Aaron Philo completed a pass of 19 yards, then rushed for 12 yards himself, setting up an eventual 12-yard touchdown pass.

But that was the last time Florida would score in the game, besides a touchdown on its last drive when both teams mostly had backups on the field.

On its six second-half drives before that, Florida averaged 4.3 plays and 9.3 yards per drive.

Some of Missouri’s largest problems that seemed like they would plague the Tigers all season. Against Mississippi State, issues with penalties, allowing explosive passes and blocking in the run game continued to show up for the Tigers.

The last time Missouri was at Memorial Stadium, the Tigers escaped with an uneasy victory over Troy. Stumbling to a victory against a Sun Belt opponent wasn’t necessarily a stamp of confidence in the Tigers’ capabilities this season.

Missouri’s performance against Florida showed that the Tigers can improve and move past those issues.

“Players, coaches, teams are allowed to improve, and a game doesn't define the season,” coach Eli Drinkwitz said after the win.

After being called for eight penalties for 91 yards against Mississippi State, Missouri nearly cut both of those numbers in half against Florida, being called for four penalties for 50 yards.

After Kamario Taylor completed five passes for more than 20 yards against the Tiger secondary, Philo could only find two.

And though Missouri is still looking for more consistency out of its run game, especially on first and second down, running back Jamal Roberts threw in two daggers with his second-half runs for 77 and 80 yards.

“Playing as a union to dominate the line of scrimmage, that's our identity, and that's something that we've been wanting to prove since Week 1,” Roberts said of he and the offensive line’s mentality in the run game. “We proved it today.”

A huge part of Missouri being able to improve on its flaws was the fact that instead of the Tigers being forced into uncomfortable positions, they instead enforced their game on the Gators.

Quarterback Austin Simmons was ridiculously impressive, making several difficult throws en route to ending the game with 340 yards and two touchdowns on a 77% completion percentage.

“He's just playing with a lot of confidence,” Drinkwitz said of Simmons. “His team gravitates towards him.”

Missouri’s vulnerabilities are ones wide enough to lead to losses, as was the case against Mississippi State. But the Tigers’ strengths are undoubtedly enough to push them to wins over formidable opponents.

What the perception of just how impressive this win over the Gators was for Missouri will depend on the rest of Florida’s journey through a conference that has fluctuated through the early part of the season.

“This league's tough,” Drinkwitz said. “You have to have a bounce-back factor. You go on the road, it's going to be an extreme challenge, and you got to bounce back regardless of the disappointment of what you just faced.”

Missouri clearly has a core of offensive difference-makers to rely on, something last year’s Tigers didn’t have. How far that core can push the Tigers will depend on their execution and crucial moments and the needed improvement in other areas.

“This isn't a finalized statement in any form or fashion,” Drinkwitz said.

Nina Mandovic and Sierra Dudley's double-double performances weren't enough to help Mizzou volleyball rally and steal a win at LSU on Sunday.

Missouri lost to LSU in a battle of the Tigers in a 17-25, 25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 15-12 match, and Missouri dropped its third five-set match in as many opportunities.

Mandovic recorded her fourth double-double of the season and first in Southeastern Conference play. The junior recorded 26 assists and 15 digs. Sierra Dudley also earned her second double-double of the season with 22 assists and 14 digs. 

In Set 4, neither team could gain a larger than a three-point lead up to a 15-14 score going into the media timeout. The two teams were tied seven times leading up to that point. With the match on the line for Missouri, trailing 2-1, the black-and-gold needed to win the set to have any chance to stay above .500 in SEC play.

Out of the media timeout, Missouri took LSU on a 4-0 run that was capped off by a Paige Felder and Tia Phinezy block. From there, Mizzou kept the pace to a 25-20 win to force a fifth set. Grace O'Reilly recorded four kills in the set and added a dig as well. She finished with 13 kills in the match for a fifth time this season.

Set 5 started out quite similarly to Set 4, as the two teams continued the back-and-forth with eight ties through the first 16 points; neither team gained more than a one-point lead. Phinezy, who got significant playing time in each set, had two kills and a dig through the 8-8 tie. She provided a significant finish with seven kills in 13 attempts and one error throughout the match. The junior also added six block assists and a service ace.

Robinson led LSU on a 4-1 run with two kills and a block to get the purple-and-gold Tigers out in front 12-9. They held that three-point advantage and won 15-12 in Set 5 to take the match 3-2.

Missouri recorded 15 kills as it started the match off hot with a .357 hitting percentage as it dominated 25-17 in Set 1. LSU only hit for a .115 hitting percentage. This was also the most kills and highest hitting percentage that Missouri had in the match.

Kimani Johnson led Missouri through Set 1 with five kills, two blocks and a dig. Johnson scored three points in a row to cap off a 6-0 run. Johnson finished with 15 kills in the match, which led MU.

Set 2 was a struggle for Missouri. LSU flipped the script on Missouri in Set 2 on its way to a 25-22 win as it recorded eight more kills than MU. Sophomore Paige Felder couldn't get anything to land in the set, finishing with two attack errors and zero kills. Felder leads the team in kills and could only manage six in the match, though not without a lack of opportunity, as she was tied with Johnson for the most amount of attempts on the team at 33.

Johnson and Felder were joined by O'Reilly as the only Missouri players with 30-plus attempts on the team. LSU's Robinson got 57 attempts with 27 kills, and Samara Coleman and Camryn Jeffrey also notched 30 or more attempts.

Then, in a pivotal Set 3, Missouri had an even harder time finding an offense as it recorded eight errors and only hit for a .116 percentage. The Tigers slumped their way through what was actually a very competitive Set 3 as LSU also struggled to keep the ball in-bounds. But ultimately, after tying the set at 23 apiece, Robinson shut Missouri down with a block and then a kill to take a 2-1 match lead into the fourth set.

Freshman Lydia Stahley recorded 18 kills on 18 attempts, with two errors for a .444 percentage. Eva Smith remained strong at the net and recorded eight kills in 15 tries. The freshman also picked up three blocks.

Missouri finished with 62 kills on 156 attempts and had 24 attack errors. As a team, MU recorded 10 blocks and 65 digs.

Missouri (8-7, 1-2 SEC) returns home for a four-game home stretch over the next two weeks, starting with No. 7 Florida (11-1, 2-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at the Hearnes Center.

(The Center Square) – A coalition of bipartisan lawmakers introduced legislation into both the House and Senate with hopes of bringing the movie and film production industry back home, an occurrence that would protect and create U.S. jobs as well as boost local economies.

U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, who introduced the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act in the House, told The Center Square that “this bill is about American jobs.”

“When a production comes to a town, it hires local caterers, stays in local hotels, eats at local restaurants, and brings in tradesmen to help build sets and run equipment,” Moran said. “Those are the jobs this bill protects.”

“We built in extra incentives for productions that film in rural communities and in areas recovering from a federally declared disaster, so this bill reaches past Los Angeles and New York into places like Georgia, Texas and everywhere in between,” Moran said.

Moran noted that “this is bipartisan and bicameral legislation, and that matters.”

“Senator [Tim] Scott and Senator [Adam] Schiff introduced the companion bill in the Senate, and we've got Republicans and Democrats from across the country joining us in the House,” Moran said. 

“We've also heard directly from unions, guilds, and studios across the industry who want to see this bill pass,” Moran said.

“Texas already has its own strong incentive program, and this bill builds a federal partner on top of what we've built here,” Moran said. “I'm proud of that, and I want to see this bill get across the finish line this year.”

Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, introduced the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act in the Senate, and was joined by Democrat Schiff, Republican U.S. Senator. John Cornyn, and Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock in introduction, according to a press release. 

When reached for comment, the Scott's office referred The Center Square to the press release as well as a press conference from the senator and several other resources. 

In the press release, Scott said that “We cannot stand by as more and more American film production moves overseas, taking jobs, investment, and an important source of American cultural influence with it.”

“This legislation will create jobs in communities across America, support local economies, and help ensure that the next generation of iconic American films is made right here in America,” Scott said.

According to Scott’s proposed legislation, the film and television production industry “supported nearly 2.74 million jobs and generated $242 billion in wages” in 2022. 

By 2024, “those numbers dropped to 2.01 million jobs and $202 billion in wages.” 

Meanwhile, employment in film and television production “has grown abroad over the past several decades as more foreign countries provide competitive production incentives.

Schiff said in a statement provided to The Center Square that “the direct and indirect jobs created by this creative and talented workforce are enormously important, and we want to make sure they stay in this country. 

“With the support of the White House, our bill will create an overdue federal program to bring the movie magic back to America while creating thousands of jobs and spurring local economic growth across the nation,” Schiff said. 

Moran noted to The Center Square that the bill he proposed “creates a federal tax credit to even the playing field so that the U.S. can compete for that work and bring it back home.”

“No single state can solve this problem on its own,” Moran said. “We need a federal partner in this fight for the benefit of every state and local community, every artisan and craftsman, every crew member, every hotelier and caterer, and every young boy or girl who is inspired by American storytelling to dream big.”

Neither Cornyn nor Warnock were able to provide comment by publishing time. 

President Donald Trump is in support of movie industry revitalization in America, calling on Republicans and Democrats for “Legislation to save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America” on Truth Social in August.

Stock in Mizzou football is rising following the team’s 45-17 thrashing of Florida on Homecoming. As a result, the Tigers leaped to No. 14 in the AP Top 25 and No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

This is the highest the Tigers have been ranked in either poll this season. Mizzou’s position in the AP poll is the highest since the Oct. 5 poll last season.

They jumped 11 spots in the poll, the largest week-to-week improvement for the Tigers since their victory over Georgia in 2013. That was the team’s last top-10 win in a non-bowl game before Saturday.

The Tigers are now 4-1, 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference.

The Gators dropped to No. 16 in the AP poll. Despite the head-to-head loss, they are ahead of Mizzou in the Coaches Poll at No. 15.

Mizzou is the sixth-highest SEC team in the AP Top 25 and the eighth-highest in the Coaches Poll. There are nine teams in the conference ranked, all inside the top 20. Kentucky dropped out but is the top team receiving votes following a narrow 35-34 overtime win at South Carolina.

The Tigers’ next opponent, Texas A&M, sits at 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the SEC. The Aggies are receiving no votes in the AP Poll and one singular vote in the Coaches Poll.

No. 14 Mizzou hosts Texas A&M at 11 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium on ABC. This marks the first time the Tigers have played back-to-back games on a “Big Four” network since 2023, when they played Georgia and Tennessee, both on CBS.

(The Center Square) – With less than a month before the midterm elections, candidates in Ohio’s redrawn first congressional district are divided on tax policies and education. 

Ohio’s first congressional district was redrawn in October 2025 to favor a Republican challenger. Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, is seeking a third term against Republican Eric Conroy.

Landsman introduced the Working Americans Affordability Tax Credit Act in September, legislation that would give Americans tax filers making less than $100,000 per year a monthly tax credit check.

The maximum $4,200 check would be funded through a minimum 20% tax rate on individuals making more than $100 million, including unrealized assets.

“I’m fighting for a new law to put a minimum tax on billionaires and use every dime of that money to lower taxes for working people,” Landsman said in a new advertisement. “These billionaires will have to pay their taxes, so it’s a little easier for you to pay your bills.”

Conroy did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment on Landsman’s tax proposal. His campaign has focused on lowering middle class taxes and supporting small businesses, according to Conroy’s website.

“As a common-sense conservative, Eric will fight to control inflation by cutting wasteful spending, restoring American energy independence to reduce fuel costs, and removing red tape that suppresses small business growth,” Conroy’s website reads.

The two candidates disagreed over approaches to education funding. Conroy supported the Trump administration’s federal Education Freedom Tax Credit.

The Ohio legislature opted to participate in the program, which goes into effect Jan. 1 and supported K-12 education expenses, including tutoring and tuition.

“He will advocate for reducing federal bureaucracy and returning more funding to states and local school districts,” Conroy’s website reads. “Eric supports policies that empower parents and local communities to have a greater say in their children’s education.”

Landsman did not explicitly offer support for the Trump administration’s new education policy. However, he touted his record to pass funding for the Cincinnati Preschool Promise, a non-profit that provides preschool for children in Cincinnati.

As a member of the Cincinnati city council, Landsman led efforts to establish a $15 million yearly fund to support the preschool program.

“The philanthropic dollars we raised helped us secure long-term sustainable public funding,” Landsman said. “Voters said ‘We want this! We want our tax dollars to go to our children.’”

President Donald Trump delivered remarks in near Dayton on Saturday as the midterm elections loom. High oil and gas prices tied to the U.S. military conflict in Iran have deflated support for the president and caused some Republican candidates to distance themselves from him.

Conroy did not stand alongside President Donald Trump at the rally onSaturday. The Republican’s campaign manager cited a family obligation–his sister's wedding–for not attending.

Gas prices will fell today in Ohio by 38.5 cents per gallon as the state’s 90-day gas tax holiday takes effect. The lower prices could bring about greater favorability for Republicans in the state where high-profile matchups are expected to determine control of Congress.

Landsman holds a large fundraising advantage over Conroy with more than $4.6 million in contributions and $3.6 million in cash on hand, according to the Federal Election Commission. Conroy holds $1.5 million in contributions and more than $474,000 in cash on hand.

Landsman received $5,000 from the Growth Energy PAC, a committee operated by the nation’s largest biofuel trade association. He also received $2,500 from the Allied Pilots Association PAC and $2,000 from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, a tribe in lower Alabama.

Conroy received $7,000 from Winklevoss Capital Management, a group that in May invested more than $100 million into Gemini for the development of blockchain technology. Conroy said he supports a federal framework for blockchain and cryptocurrency that protects consumers and supports innovation.

“Eric opposes efforts by Washington to overregulate or ban decentralized technologies, and he will work to ensure U.S. policies promote freedom, privacy, and responsible innovation,” Conroy’s website reads.

Conroy also received $7,000 from Timberline PAC and $1,000 from George Malacos, chairman of Miami Industrial Trucks.

Domestic absentee ballots will be sent out starting on Oct. 6, the same day early in-person voting begins until the Sunday before Election Day.

Polls are open in Ohio from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, visit the Ohio Secretary of State website, at ohiosos.gov. For more information on candidates and results on Election Day, visit thecentersquare.com/ohio.

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments Monday in Suncor Energy v. Boulder County.

Supporters of Suncor and ExxonMobil argue there will be nationwide consequences as a result of this and dozens of other similar cases while some expressed confidence that the court will not allow one county to decide the energy policy of the nation.

CEO of the American Energy Institute Jason Isaac told The Center Square that “the Supreme Court will hear the most consequential energy case of the term, and it isn't really about Suncor or ExxonMobil.

“It's about whether a single county's jury can dictate energy policy for the entire country, a power the Constitution gives to Congress, not a courtroom in Boulder,” Isaac said.

“The Justice Department itself has now told the Court as much, warning that one city cannot use its own state's law to set the rules for energy production nationwide,” Isaac said.

“American Energy is confident the Court will side with the Constitution over courtroom lawfare, and with it, every American who fills a gas tank or pays a power bill,” Isaac said.

Ongoing for years, Suncor Energy v. Boulder is essentially a lawsuit where Colorado’s Boulder County is attempting to make energy companies pay for the damages caused by climate change

The Center Square reported it is “a case challenging whether state and local governments can utilize tort laws to seek billions in damages against energy companies over alleged contributions to climate change.”

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in February 2026, with oral arguments set for Monday, Oct. 5.

In August, 28 amicus briefs were filed in support of Boulder County, with a watchdog warning many of the briefs had connections to left-wing organizations and dark money. The briefs argue that the Supreme Court should allow the lawsuit brought by Boulder County go to trial.

At a panel discussion hosted by the conservative Civitas Institute, University of Georgia law professor Hillel Levin said that federal law doesn't preclude state and local laws in cases such as this and it should go to trial.

But president of the Judicial Crisis Network (JCN) Carrie Severino told The Center Square that Suncor v. Boulder “is a last resort for climate activists, who are attempting to hold energy companies accountable for past and future harm they say stems from global climate change.”

“The case is part of a broader push by the left to weaponize the court and enact extreme environmental policies through lawfare, rather than through support from voters and lawmakers,” Severino said. 

Severino warned that “if Boulder succeeds, the floodgates could be open for states like Colorado and California to set national climate policy and regulate a number of industries in other states.”

Executive director of consumer advocacy group Alliance for Consumers O.H. Skinner likewise told The Center Square that the lawsuit in question is a case of lawfare, or creating policies through the courtroom rather than the traditional legislative process.

“Having lost at the ballot box, climate activists have turned to the courts to force through extreme policies that voters have rejected repeatedly,” Skinner said.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling in Suncor will determine how far outside their borders a county or state may project their regulatory powers, and whether the nation’s energy policy is to be set by Congress or progressive activists in Boulder, Colorado,” Skinner said.

As a point of interest, Severino told The Center Square how a “member of Boulder’s legal team admitted that their strategy is a bid to impose a ‘carbon tax’ that could bankrupt the energy industry and ultimately harm the American consumer.”

“Beyond that, the sweeping claims at issue in Suncor could open the floodgates for similar lawfare-based litigation involving cars, firearms, and other sectors that are a huge part of everyday life,” Severino said.

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Food and Drug administration has proposed a rule that aims to close a long-neglected regulatory food safety loophole, but consumer advocates warn the effort amounts to a “regulatory mirage.”

For nearly 70 years, the FDA has relied on a voluntary disclosure system, where manufacturers are effectively allowed to self-certify their own chemical products as “Generally Recognized as Safe,” or GRAS.

Though companies are required to produce safety studies if the FDA demands it, that rarely happens. As a result, more than a thousand chemical additives are present in the American food supply that have not undergone rigorous safety testing or received FDA approval.

The FDA’s proposal, which is currently open to public comment, requires companies to notify the agency when claiming a new additive ingredient is safe for human or animal consumption.

But breaking that mandate would carry no real consequences, rendering the rule “toothless,” Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, told The Center Square.

Though the rule might “give the appearance" of shifting toward a mandatory notification process, Ronholm said, “it really fails to address that fundamental regulatory gap that's long plagued this framework.”

“If a company doesn't notify the FDA, there's really no accountability attached to that. So let's say the company fails to do it – all that does under this proposed rule is to make them a ‘higher risk’ for being audited and subject to a post-market assessment,” Ronholm said. “There's no immediate recourse available that would require the companies to pull the ingredient from the market.”

Crucially, the rule does not apply retroactively to GRAS additives already on the market, including those that are banned in other countries, such as titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, and propyl paraben.

Another section of the FDA’s proposal – which Consumer Reports highlighted in its report entitled “A Regulatory Mirage: Why the Proposed GRAS Rule Fails to Protect Public Health” – allows companies to withhold their products’ health and safety data from the public, including independent researchers.

“The proposed rule introduces a regressive policy regarding data transparency by permitting companies to exempt safety-related information from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA),” write the report’s authors.

“Ensuring the safety of the food supply requires transparent, verifiable scientific evidence; by permitting the concealment of safety data under the guise of proprietary exemption, the FDA risks prioritizing corporate secrecy over the public’s ability to independently verify the safety of substances introduced into the marketplace.”

Despite the flaws in the proposed rule, Ronholm told The Center Square, it’s a sign of progress that national-level conversations about revisiting the GRAS rule are happening at all.

“In the grand scheme of things, there's been a lot of discussions on additives and chemicals and GRAS that hasn't had a deep discussion in more than a decade,” Ronholm said. “So if there is one positive aspect to point to, it's that we're having some decent conversations about this particular issue. It just hasn't yet translated into meaningful action.”

Mizzou racking up 560 yards of total offense against No. 8 Florida on Saturday afternoon likely wasn’t on many people's bingo cards. If it was, that person likely walked away with a nice prize.

The Tigers did, too. After outgaining No. 8 Florida by 235 yards, the Tigers earned a monstrous 45-17 victory over a ranked opponent for the first time since 2024. The way in which they did it, primarily on offense, is part of what made this performance so impressive.

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.

(The Center Square) – Mercurial and bullying to anyone in his path, President Donald Trump and a number of key people in his administration have had their turns in conflict with U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, parts of which are exposed in his memoir hitting bookshelves Tuesday.

Texts laden with profanity are shared, the bravado of Tillis is on full tilt, and some more insight to his decision in June 2025 to step away and not seek a third term are in the book, according to excepts released by the publisher. Inner party squabbles are nothing new, neither for Trump and Tillis’ Republicans or the Democrats they so feverishly try and defeat, and the book is another chapter of testimony.

“How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents: The Trouble with Sycophants, Courage Outsourcing, and Partisan Group Think,” is a 224-page read published by Broadside Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Preorders are already in the popular shopping spots: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop, Target and Walmart.

Sycophant, says the Cambridge Dictionary, is “a person who gives insincere praise to powerful or wealthy people to gain an advantage."

Tillis’ efforts to support the president have been numerous in his 12 years and collectively are overwhelming to his public disagreements. Those just happen to be hot button issues. Passion for the party gets questioned, most often not in conservative principles but routes to achievement.

For example, in one text from Tillis to Trump included in the book, Tillis writes, “I still want to help but I don’t take this b------- from anyone, including you Mr. President. Save that s--- for the cowards who don’t care if you fail. I care if you fail and right now we are failing.”

In another, holding out on a reconciliation bill last summer before deciding to leave Washington, Tillis cited the projected cost of $32 billion via Medicaid that would fall to the state budget for rural hospitals and communities. He was one of two Republicans against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as House Resolution 1 and the Working Families Tax Cut. Trump jabbed on social media about a primary opponent.

In the book, a text from Tillis to Trump says, “If you had ever threatened me directly with a primary, I would have immediately told you to f--- yourself, and I would have announced my retirement immediately.”

Tillis teetered last year on whether to confirm War Secretary Pete Hegseth before giving his approval. This year, he’s called on the president to fire him. Saturday marked Day 218 in the military action with Iran, artificial intelligence is rocketing through multiple industries including government both by implementation and oversight, all of which Tillis has been critical of Trump.

And when it comes to election integrity, the president and senator are each all in – including on the SAVE America Act, though Tillis got to a point this year saying implementation for 2026 wasn’t realistic while Trump was still pushing it.

Tillis, in an August interview about the book, explained he gave the term MAGATS – a play on the president’s slogan of making American great again – to individuals “not giving the president honest advice and putting us in positions that we could avoid.

“I’m talking about people who have never worked a day in business, who now have business strategy, decision-making roles, and they’re simply not looking around corners and taking care of this president. Those are the people I want to expose in this book.”

Trump, Hegseth, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are among those named.

The book’s release comes four weeks before Election Day. In North Carolina, voting in a 61-day window started Sept. 4 with absentee ballots mailed out. Early voting in person is Oct. 15-31.

Tillis was elected to the town of Cornelius’ park board in 2002, town commissioners in 2003, and defeated incumbent John Rhodes in the 2006 Republican primary on the way to a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

In 2010, with redistricting maps drawn and favoring Democrats, Republicans won both chambers of the General Assembly for the first time in 140 years – since Reconstruction and the Civil War. Tillis was elected speaker of the House and stayed in the role until beating Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan in 2014.

The 2010 midterms upheaval in the Legislature changed the directory of the state. The budget deficit then was between $800 million and $1.2 billion, and the turnaround reached an estimated $6 billion sending the state’s surplus to more than $5 billion prior to Hurricane Helene.

The pitch on the publisher’s website says, “Outspoken and uncensored, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis pulls no punches about his time in Washington and how the sycophants surrounding President Trump, spineless Republican yes-men (and -women), and the weirdos of the MAGA world can’t get out of their own way.

“’How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents’ is a bare-knuckled, darkly funny wake-up call from Senator Thom Tillis, a true conservative who doesn’t mind a good scrap in a Congress that has lost its nerve. In this sharp, no-BS book, Tillis drags readers inside a Senate that too often behaves like a group of teenagers in a bad parody of a horror movie – heading straight toward the chainsaws instead of a nearby getaway car. Tillis takes us into a world of grifting sycophants and useful idiots in Trump 2.0, with the inner circle made up of ‘MAGATS’ (a term of his own devising).

“Fear, outsourced courage, and groupthink are hollowing out the party that Tillis spent much of his adult life building, and he’s not going to let it get dragged down without a fight. Drawing on his journey from trailer parks to the halls of power, Tillis offers a bracing tonic to stiffen spines, rebuild institutions, and keep the American experiment from going off the rails.”