Jadan Baugh and Florida's rushing attack will attempt to get going again after being stopped in Saturday's loss at Missouri. (Photo: William Purnell/Imagn Images via USA TODAY Sports)
'That Wasn't It': Gators Look To Move Past Messy Missouri Loss
Monday, October 5, 2026 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The loss was bad enough, but the way the Gators lost at Missouri on Saturday weighed heavily on them the next day.
They read the comments online. They heard the commentary on TV. They saw the drop in the national rankings.
With the 45-10 defeat and taunts from Missouri fans still ringing in their ears, the Gators attempted to do what head coach Jon Sumrall instructed.
"We're challenging our guys to pick up, move on,'' Sumrall said Monday. "We looked it squarely in the face. It starts with me, and you have to tell yourself the truth, tell each other the truth, and own it. A lot that we had to own, I don't like that happened on Saturday. Plenty of it had already showed in previous outings, but it didn't cost us wins and losses.
"When it costs you wins and losses, it becomes more heightened."
The defeat landed especially hard on junior tailback Jadan Baugh, who was limited to 13 yards on 12 carries. Even before walking off Faurot Field on Saturday, Baugh told the offensive line he was disappointed.
Baugh gained 12 yards on his first carry of the game, but on four of his next five carries on Florida's opening drive, he lost yards. He never had a chance to reach 100 yards for a sixth consecutive game.
"He came up and talked to us and was like, 'Look, I'm sorry, I need to do better,' " center Harrison Moore said. "The first thing I said to him was like, 'No, I need to do better. We didn't give you the opportunity to play to the best of your ability.' We didn't give him the opportunity to be who he is."
Baugh's despondency lingered into Sunday. Unlike many in his generation, Baugh is not tethered to his phone. He is not an avid texter or social media user.
Sumrall learned that soon after taking the job, when he tried to reach Baugh to gauge his thoughts on returning to UF.
"For a little while in December, I could never get a hold of him," Sumrall said.
That was not the case Sunday.
Baugh was the one texting Sumrall.
"He's like, 'Coach, I'm sorry. I won't let that ever happen again. I didn't play my best,' " Sumrall said. "I love Jadan because he owned it and he's ready to move forward."
In a season in which the Gators have followed Baugh's lead, they would be well-served to emulate Baugh's mindset this week as they prepare to face South Carolina. The No. 16-ranked Gators (4-1, 2-1) host the Gamecocks (2-3, 0-3) on Saturday afternoon in the annual Homecoming game at The Swamp.
Florida has dominated South Carolina at home, winning 17 of 19 matchups. And this is a Gamecocks team that is reeling, having lost to Mississippi State, Alabama and Kentucky following a 2-0 start.
But after the Gators' 35-point loss at Missouri, they don't need a reminder that nothing is guaranteed in the Southeastern Conference.
"I feel like it won't be that hard,'' defensive lineman Brendan Bett said of regrouping. "We had to soak in [the Missouri loss], we had to sit in it, but for the most part, the thing I love about this team is the chemistry that we have. Everyone kind of understands, like, 'hey bro, that wasn't it.' Everybody took ownership; nobody was pointing fingers; kind of understood."
The main takeaways from the Missouri loss are that the Gators lost the physical battle along both lines of scrimmage and that their young secondary is susceptible. Both were concerns entering the season, but a 4-0 start and climb to eighth in the national polls covered any lingering concerns.
After what happened against the Tigers, Sumrall addressed those concerns candidly.
"There's been some things that we've shown that we're good at certain spots, and there's been some things that we're not anywhere near where we need to be,'' Sumrall said. "Everybody in our program still needs to get better, but yeah, there are some glaring areas where we have to make significant growth and strides to be a well-rounded football team. You have to acknowledge and be aware of, like, where the shortcomings are."
The offensive line didn't measure well against Missouri's physical defensive line, and Baugh's production took a hit.
"I think at points they out-physicaled us, they out-strained us,'' Moore said. "He was getting hit behind the line of scrimmage a lot. Two to three tacklers on the ball. So that boils down to us not doing our job."
Meanwhile, the secondary was without starting safety Bryce Thornton, who was injured during pregame warmups. The young cornerbacks also struggled to win one-on-one battles on the perimeter.
"We can't give those up. We have to make people earn it," Sumrall said.
Sumrall said Thornton is an excellent communicator and his absence didn't help. As for Thornton and receiver Vernell Brown III (knee) returning this week, Sumrall said neither player has been diagnosed with a significant injury and that their return will be based on when they feel ready.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (1,059 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT, 391 yards rushing) presents another difficult challenge for UF's defense. The Gators are ranked 15th in the SEC in total defense (393.0 yards per game) and 16th in pass defense (266.6 ypg). Gamecocks tailback Matt Fuller has rushed for 433 yards and five scores.
The Gators realize there is no mystery about the task ahead, not after what happened at Mizzou.
"Definitely was a humbling experience," Bett said.
Added Moore: "That wasn't our last game of the season. We still have a lot of season left to go, so we get another opportunity on Saturday, and our objective is to go out there and play the best ball that we can."
If so, Baugh should find more running lanes and won't feel the need to text his coach to apologize.
They read the comments online. They heard the commentary on TV. They saw the drop in the national rankings.
With the 45-10 defeat and taunts from Missouri fans still ringing in their ears, the Gators attempted to do what head coach Jon Sumrall instructed.
"We're challenging our guys to pick up, move on,'' Sumrall said Monday. "We looked it squarely in the face. It starts with me, and you have to tell yourself the truth, tell each other the truth, and own it. A lot that we had to own, I don't like that happened on Saturday. Plenty of it had already showed in previous outings, but it didn't cost us wins and losses.
"When it costs you wins and losses, it becomes more heightened."
The defeat landed especially hard on junior tailback Jadan Baugh, who was limited to 13 yards on 12 carries. Even before walking off Faurot Field on Saturday, Baugh told the offensive line he was disappointed.
Baugh gained 12 yards on his first carry of the game, but on four of his next five carries on Florida's opening drive, he lost yards. He never had a chance to reach 100 yards for a sixth consecutive game.
"He came up and talked to us and was like, 'Look, I'm sorry, I need to do better,' " center Harrison Moore said. "The first thing I said to him was like, 'No, I need to do better. We didn't give you the opportunity to play to the best of your ability.' We didn't give him the opportunity to be who he is."
Baugh's despondency lingered into Sunday. Unlike many in his generation, Baugh is not tethered to his phone. He is not an avid texter or social media user.
Sumrall learned that soon after taking the job, when he tried to reach Baugh to gauge his thoughts on returning to UF.
"For a little while in December, I could never get a hold of him," Sumrall said.
That was not the case Sunday.
Baugh was the one texting Sumrall.
"He's like, 'Coach, I'm sorry. I won't let that ever happen again. I didn't play my best,' " Sumrall said. "I love Jadan because he owned it and he's ready to move forward."
In a season in which the Gators have followed Baugh's lead, they would be well-served to emulate Baugh's mindset this week as they prepare to face South Carolina. The No. 16-ranked Gators (4-1, 2-1) host the Gamecocks (2-3, 0-3) on Saturday afternoon in the annual Homecoming game at The Swamp.
Florida has dominated South Carolina at home, winning 17 of 19 matchups. And this is a Gamecocks team that is reeling, having lost to Mississippi State, Alabama and Kentucky following a 2-0 start.
But after the Gators' 35-point loss at Missouri, they don't need a reminder that nothing is guaranteed in the Southeastern Conference.
"I feel like it won't be that hard,'' defensive lineman Brendan Bett said of regrouping. "We had to soak in [the Missouri loss], we had to sit in it, but for the most part, the thing I love about this team is the chemistry that we have. Everyone kind of understands, like, 'hey bro, that wasn't it.' Everybody took ownership; nobody was pointing fingers; kind of understood."
The main takeaways from the Missouri loss are that the Gators lost the physical battle along both lines of scrimmage and that their young secondary is susceptible. Both were concerns entering the season, but a 4-0 start and climb to eighth in the national polls covered any lingering concerns.
After what happened against the Tigers, Sumrall addressed those concerns candidly.
"There's been some things that we've shown that we're good at certain spots, and there's been some things that we're not anywhere near where we need to be,'' Sumrall said. "Everybody in our program still needs to get better, but yeah, there are some glaring areas where we have to make significant growth and strides to be a well-rounded football team. You have to acknowledge and be aware of, like, where the shortcomings are."
The offensive line didn't measure well against Missouri's physical defensive line, and Baugh's production took a hit.
"I think at points they out-physicaled us, they out-strained us,'' Moore said. "He was getting hit behind the line of scrimmage a lot. Two to three tacklers on the ball. So that boils down to us not doing our job."
Meanwhile, the secondary was without starting safety Bryce Thornton, who was injured during pregame warmups. The young cornerbacks also struggled to win one-on-one battles on the perimeter.
"We can't give those up. We have to make people earn it," Sumrall said.
Sumrall said Thornton is an excellent communicator and his absence didn't help. As for Thornton and receiver Vernell Brown III (knee) returning this week, Sumrall said neither player has been diagnosed with a significant injury and that their return will be based on when they feel ready.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (1,059 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT, 391 yards rushing) presents another difficult challenge for UF's defense. The Gators are ranked 15th in the SEC in total defense (393.0 yards per game) and 16th in pass defense (266.6 ypg). Gamecocks tailback Matt Fuller has rushed for 433 yards and five scores.
The Gators realize there is no mystery about the task ahead, not after what happened at Mizzou.
"Definitely was a humbling experience," Bett said.
Added Moore: "That wasn't our last game of the season. We still have a lot of season left to go, so we get another opportunity on Saturday, and our objective is to go out there and play the best ball that we can."
If so, Baugh should find more running lanes and won't feel the need to text his coach to apologize.
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