Florida wide receiver Josh Hammond celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, in Columbia, Mo. Florida won 23-6. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Florida Gators Win over Missouri Tigers Deserves Celebration

The Florida Gators went into Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium looking to conclude SEC play with a win against the Missouri Tigers. They accomplished that mission.

The 23-6 victory in Columbia was the result of a balance between an aggressive defense and a competent offense. It’s a win that may seem small, but it’s one the Gators can be proud of.

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A Big Deal

The Tigers were unranked. The Gators were No.11. But none of that matters in the SEC. There are no obvious wins. Anything can happen on any given Saturday.

Missouri had beaten Florida five times in eight meetings, with the largest margin of victory being 42-13 in 2014. But Gators shrank the gap on Saturday.

Here’s what else happened:

  • The Tigers were averaging more than 40 points at home this season. The Gators’ defense held them to six.
  • The Tigers were undefeated at home. The Gators snapped that streak.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen was pleased with his team on both sides of the ball.

“Overall, great win,” he said. “Defense did a great job. Come in to hold them to six points, I think was a fantastic effort. Thought we played really, really hard defensively. Offensively, I thought we played well.”

An Honored Leader

For the second week in a row, senior defensive lineman Jonathan Greenard was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. He had five tackles for a loss of 23 yards and two sacks for a loss of 12.

The performance earned Greenard a couple more accolades.

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A transfer from Louisville, Greenard has made an immediate impact for the Gators this season. He has been a proven leader, on and off the field. His leadership skills include a tough-love approach when preparing the backups for when their time comes.

The Gators are now on a bye and will wrap up the regular season with a home game against the Florida State Seminoles on Nov. 30.

About Camille Woodhouse

Camille Woodhouse is a Sports and Media student at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. In the past, she has covered the Atlanta Falcons and Florida Gators football for various sports news outlets. She is an Atlanta native and a fan of football.

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