University of Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney had three touchdowns on Saturday night for the Gators, with quarterback Kyle Trask becoming the first UF player with four touchdown passes in four consecutive weeks, as Florida hammered SEC East rival Missouri at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, 41-17. However, the Gators victory was marred by an ugly benches-clearing scuffle that involved both coaches just prior to halftime.
Florida, ranked 10th in the country in the latest Associated Press poll, rebounded from a slow start, perhaps the result of a two-week postponement of games brought on by an outbreak of COVID-19 positive tests in the program.
The fight started on the final play of the first half, as Mizzou defensive lineman Trajan Jeffcoat delivered a high and late hit to Trask as the Florida quarterback launched a ball towards the end zone in a “Hail Mary” attempt. The hit immediately caught the attention of the Florida offensive lineman, who came to the defense of their quarterback. Gators coach Dan Mullen began screaming at the officials and in the general direction of the Missouri sideline and Tiger head coach Eli Drinkwitz. As players converged near midfield, wild punches were thrown by both sides, some connecting in the process.
Tossed from the game were Missouri defensive lineman Tre Williams, Florida defensive end Zach Carter and Florida linebacker Antwuan Powell. Florida, mostly due to the lethal connection of Trask and Toney, went into the locker room heated, but leading 20-7.
By the end of the game, Trask had 21 completions in 36 attempts, throwing for 345 yards, while a Tiger squad showing promise with back-to-back wins over LSU and Kentucky took a step back, falling to 2-3, with the Gators moving to 3-1. Missouri’s highlight was a “Pick-6” by Jarvis Ware, taking an interception back 59 yards for a score.
Both teams have Georgia coming up on their schedules, with Florida taking on their border rivals in Jacksonville this coming Saturday, November 7th, while Mizzou, after an off week, will host the Bulldogs at 11 AM on Saturday, November 14th.
Missouri battled Florida shorthanded on its offensive front, with starting right tackle Larry Borom, left guard Xavier Delgado, and left tackle Zeke Powell missing with injuries. Borom and Delgado never hit the field in Gainesville, while Powell left in the first quarter, replaced by Bobby Lawrence. The Mizzou offense struggled, perhaps due to the offensive line injuries, but while it should be noted that Florida entered the game shorthanded, missing multiple starters due to COVID-19 protocols.
Punishment from Saturday night’s brawl rained down on both the Tigers and Gators from the SEC offices on Monday, with Gators coach Dan Mullen fined $25,000, while issuing half-game suspensions for Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey, offensive lineman Dylan Spencer, and defensive lineman Markell Utsey. Florida had defensive lineman Zach Carter and linebacker Antwuan Powell hit with first-half suspensions as well.
