3 things learned from UF’s loss at Missouri includes more costly coaching miscues down the stretch

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Florida’s last-second loss at No. 9 Missouri was the most brutal beat yet for coach Billy Napier.

A 30-yard field goal by Harrison Mevis handed the Gators (5-6, 3-5 SEC) their fourth straight defeat and continued a memorable season for the Tigers (9-3, 5-2) — picked to finish sixth in the East division, a spot behind Florida.

Here are 3 things learned Saturday night at Faurot Field:

Coaching miscues cost Gators again

Facing the longest of odds and time running out, Missouri converted on fourth-and-17 during the winning drive. The Tigers targeted their top playmaker and capitalized on a conservative, head-scratching defensive call, along with comical execution on the back end of the defense.

Luther Burden’s 27-yard catch with four defenders in the area and 38 seconds remaining capped a huge night (9 catches, 158 yards) by the Tigers’ star, who incredibly was not blanketed by double coverage. Quarterback Brady Cook never should have had the time to find his go-to receiver, either.

But defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong opted to rush just four Gators and play zone, aiming to tackle the Tigers short of the sticks.

“He found the soft spot in the zone there,” Napier said of Burden. “We’ll look back at a number of plays in this game and we’ll say, ‘We could have done a little bit better.’”

No play will haunt the Gators more, but there will be others.

Star tailback Trevor Etienne’s decision to run out of bounds on third down at Mizzou’s 19 stopped the clock with 1:36 to go. Had the sophomore stayed in bounds, Missouri would’ve called its final timeout. Instead, the Tigers were able to use it prior to the fourth-down dagger.

Etienne’s play was the third straight run call by Napier, whose “Scared Money Don’t Make Money” approach at Louisiana has too often been missing at Florida. To settle for a field goal put the onus on a porous defense to stop a team featuring a kicker with 13 50-yard field goals during his decorated career.

The Gators’ 39-36 overtime loss Nov. 4 to Arkansas in the Swamp featured wasted timeouts and sideline chaos prior to a 44-yard miss by Smack in regulation. At Missouri, the Gators’ operation had issues again.

UF drew a delay of game on the first play of the fourth quarter, and then called a timeout to avoid another one.

“We’re going to see when we watch the tape. We’re going to see that there’s opportunities, things we could have done better as a staff,” Napier said.

Graham Mertz’s grit finally caught up to him

Florida’s quarterback has stood tall in the pocket, shaken off a succession of big hits and earned him plenty of admiration along the way.

Mertz’s last play of 2023 was hard-nosed and hard for coaches, teammates and fans to watch. During an 11-yard keeper on third-and-5 from the UF 30, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound ran over two Missouri defenders before two crashed into him, causing a non-displaced fracture of his left collarbone.

“He’s unavailable … it’s a pretty significant injury,” Napier said. “I can give you a more specific timeline Monday.”

Redshirt freshman backup Max Brown acquitted himself well, but also fumbled a routine handoff on UF’s 15 with 14:01 remaining to surely cost the Gators points while trailing 23-21.

Brown will start Saturday’s finale against Florida State, with the Gators pushing to avoid the program’s first losing regular season since 2017 and hoping to slip into the postseason. A gruesome left leg injury for Seminoles star QB Jordan Travis paves the way for redshirt junior Tate Rodemaker’s first start since 2020.

So much for a matchup of two veteran QB transfers thriving at their new schools.

The question now is whether Mertz, who turns 23 in Dec. 6, returns for another season. While few celebrated his transfer from Wisconsin, Mertz is tied for the SEC-lead with a 72.9% completion rate, has 20 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions and been one of the key leaders on a young team.

“If Gator Nation doesn’t respect Graham Mertz, after watching him compete this year, then we’ve got a problem,” Napier said. “This kid has been everything you would want from a teammate, example, leader, work ethic, motivator, game day just put it on the line.”

With just 129 rushing yards, not including sacks, Mertz’s keeper into the maw of the Mizzou D showcased his competitive fire yet proved costly.

Where was Etienne earlier?

The Gators trailed 13-7 after a lackluster first half featuring bend-but-don’t-break defense but a baffling use of playmakers on offense.

Etienne inexplicably ended the half with three touches for 4 yards.

The team’s most explosive player got into the act immediately after intermission. On the Gators’ opening drive, he accounted for 75 yards on three plays, capped by a 37-yard touchdown catch for a 14-13 lead.

Etienne later scored untouched on a 9-yard run to cut the deficit to 30-28, giving him 5 touchdowns in two games. He ended with 119 yards from scrimmage, his third game in a row with more than 100.

Given his recent success and singular ability for the Gators, more Etienne earlier in the game seems like a no-brainer. Instead, he can get lost in the shuffle as he shares the load with Montrell Johnson Jr. — a solid, dependable back but not a home-run threat akin to Etienne.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com