‘Total Destruction,’ ‘Reverse Psychology Is a Beautiful Drug’ — Heisman Winner, CFB World Erupt As Missouri Torches Florida 45–17
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No. 8 Florida was hoping to cruise past No. 25 Missouri on Saturday with another dominant performance and keep its high-scoring streak alive. But the Eli Drinkwitz-led Tigers had other plans.
The Gators struggled to find their footing throughout the night, ultimately suffering a 45-17 loss. The result moved Missouri to 4-1 and earned the Tigers plenty of praise across the college football community.
Robert Griffin III, Chad Johnson and Others React to Missouri’s Stunning Rout of Florida
Florida entered Saturday’s matchup ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring at 53.5 points per game and No. 5 in total offense at 532.8 yards. The Gators also carried a 90.5 PFN College Team Offense Impact Score, which ranks #4 in the league.
None of that mattered against Missouri, which racked up 560 total yards while holding Florida to just 325. The result was particularly significant for the Tigers, marking their first victory over an AP Top 10 opponent since they defeated No. 7 Georgia 41-26 in 2013.
Following the game, RGIII shared a picture of his shocked expression on X, which perfectly captured the reaction to the result.
“Mizzou with a total destruction of Florida. You can make a strong argument given the opponent’s ranking and the margin that this is the biggest win Mizzou has had since joining the SEC,” Outkick’s Clay Travis expressed.
“Missouri played well today 🏈,” NFL icon Chad Johnson wrote.
Before the game, the SEC Nation panel, which included Mizzou alum Chase Daniel, picked Florida to beat Missouri. After the Tigers pulled off the upset, Daniel joked that picking against his alma mater somehow helped them through reverse psychology.
“Reverse psychology is a beautiful drug,” Daniel wrote.
Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons played a major role in the upset, throwing for 340 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers scored 35 unanswered points to take control of the game.
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Will Compton, co-host of the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, had to back Simmons and the Tigers after the game.
Compton quote-tweeted a post that had labeled Missouri fans among the “most delusional” in college football while dismissing Simmons and suggesting Florida would handle the Tigers with ease.
The post also pointed to Florida’s recent 52-point performance and challenged Missouri fans to humble themselves before Jadan Baugh and Duke Clark could do it for them.
“Hopefully Mizzou fans don’t come back to this tweet,” Compton remarked.
The upset also ended a difficult stretch for Drinkwitz’s program against ranked competition. Missouri had entered Saturday with nine consecutive losses in such matchups and was 7-19 against ranked teams under Drinkwitz.
The result also came at an important time for the Tigers, who had faced questions about their place in the AP Top 25. Missouri entered Saturday 0-1 in SEC play, with some questioning whether the Tigers deserved their ranking.
PREDICT THE CFB SEASON:PFN’s Free CFB Playoff Predictor
Before kickoff, PFN gave Missouri a 31.5% chance of reaching the College Football Playoff during the 2026 season.
After dismantling Florida, the Tigers made perhaps their strongest case yet that they belong in the national playoff conversation.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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