Each Sunday, PowerMizzou.com will hand out a position-by-position grade card for Missouri from Saturday's game. Here are the marks from the Tigers’ wild 24-23 win over Florida.
Quarterback: Connor Bazelak wasn't perfect. Far from it. He completed 15 of 26 passes for just 165 yards. He didn't complete a pass in the third quarter. But Bazelak avoided the turnovers that have plagued him of late. He also stayed poised despite some early struggles and boos from the home crowd, and when Eli Drinkwitz put the ball in his hands with the game on the line, he delivered. You can't ask for more than that. GRADE: B-
Running backs: It wasn't another 200-yard performance for Tyler Badie. Florida's defensive game plan was pretty clearly to make anyone but Badie beat them. But Badie still found a way to impact the game. He rushed for 127 of his 146 yards after halftime, including Missouri's touchdown in overtime. And the Tigers capitalized on how much attention Florida paid him by utilizing him as a decoy, as a fake screen to Badie got Niko Hea open for the team's lone score in regulation. Chalk this up as yet another game Missouri doesn't win without Badie. GRADE: A-
Wide receivers: In a game where Missouri only completes 15 passes, you're not going to have many receivers put together a big stat line. But Tauskie Dove came through with two impressive catches. He gained 72 yards on his two receptions, which made him the first Tiger wideout with 500 yards in a season since 2018. Dove continued to show an ability to win on 50-50 balls. Barrett Banister had three grabs and Dominic Lovett had two. Keke Chism had the only pass of the day that probably should have been caught bounce off his hands. GRADE: C+
Tight Ends: We called last week's game the best for Missouri's tight ends all season in this space. Well, they just one-upped it. Hea finished the game with 68 yards receiving to go along with his touchdown. And while Daniel Parker Jr. doesn't show up in the final box score, he ran a nice hide route and secured the catch on the game-winning two point conversion. GRADE: A
Offensive line: Missouri once again had to make do with a patchwork offensive line, as right tackle Hyrin White didn't play due to an ankle injury. That resulted in Connor Wood starting at right tackle, Luke Griffin sliding from left guard to right guard and Xavier Delgado playing on the other side of center Michael Maietti. The offensive line didn't fare nearly as well as a week ago. Florida logged 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. But the unit did at least get better as the game progressed. GRADE: C+
Defensive line: Missouri's defensive front continued its remarkable late-season turnaround. Perhaps no individual has embodied that more than Trajan Jeffcoat, who once again this week looked like the player who earned all-SEC honors a year ago. Jeffcoat was a terror Saturday, logging 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Fellow defensive end Isaiah McGuire had five tackles and batted down a pass, while Jatorian Hansford came through with his first career sack. Mekhi Wingo made his presence known on the interior of the line with three tackles. GRADE: A-
Linebackers: The linebackers also played a big role in holding Florida to 93 yards on the ground. Chad Bailey led the team with nine tackles. Blaze Alldredge chipped in eight and made perhaps the best defensive play of the day when he tackled Dameon Pierce for a loss of a yard on third and one. The duo didn't miss a tackle that I can remember. They were also effective as blitzers, combining for five hurries of Florida quarterback Emory Jones. GRADE: A
Secondary: Florida found some success through the air, with Jones passing for 267 yards. But all things considered, Missouri's defensive backs held their own — especially when you consider the Tigers played a true freshman at cornerback all game. DJ Jackson rose to the occasion with five tackles and two pass break-ups. Allie Green IV, who started at the opposite cornerback spot, played a solid game as well. The only hiccup came when Trent Whittemore beat Jaylon Carlies for a gain of 45 on a quick slant, which set up Florida's only touchdown of regulation. GRADE: B
Special Teams: In a low-scoring affair, special teams played an important role, and Missouri pretty clearly had the upper hand (aside from Harrison Mevis' missed field goal). The Tigers' first field goal could be directly attributed to the punting game, as Grant McKinniss pinned the Gators at their own two-yard line and then Florida's Jeremy Crawshaw shanked a punt that traveled just 11 yards. Florida also had two penalties that hurt its field position on punts. And while Mevis' miss meant Mizzou couldn't win the game in regulation, he can't make every kick he looks at. GRADE: B-
Coaching: The home crowd wasn't happy with Drinkwitz's decision to roll with Bazelak behind center, and his offense didn't look great for most of the night. But ultimately, you have to credit Drinkwitz for having the fortitude to go for two in overtime and having the play call to pull it off. He gambled and won big. Missouri also cut down on its penalties with just four, and it was the cleaner team by a significant margin Saturday. Drinkwitz and his staff also deserve credit for keeping this team bought in and improving as the year has gone on. That's not a given in college football. GRADE: A-
Final Overall Grade: A-
