Florida loses QB Graham Mertz, falls by on last second FG at Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The losses continue to pile up for the Florida football team, but a 33-31 loss at No. 9 Missouri was the ultimate heartbreaker during the Gators’ four-game losing streak.

A 31-yard field goal by Harrison Mevis with eight seconds remaining ended UF’s upset bid behind backup quarterback Max Brown, who replaced starter Graham Mertz after he injured his shoulder during the third quarter.

A 27-yard pass on 4th-and-17 from Brady Cook to star receiver Luther Burden III to the UF 40 kept alive the Tigers’ game-winning drive and ultimately undercut a gutsy performance down the stretch by Napier’s squad. Completions of 11 and 16 yards moved Mizzou to the UF 13 to set up Mevis.

With nothing to lose, the Gators (5-6, 3-5 SEC) had a chance to salvage their season against Missouri (9-2, 5-2) with the day’s biggest upset in college football.

Even with Mertz out with a shoulder injury, the Gators rallied behind Brown and sophomore star running back Trevor Etienne Saturday night at Faurot Field.

A 35-yard field goal by Trey Smack gave UF a 31-30 lead with 1:36 remaining and was the seventh of eight leads changes, including four during a wild third quarter after a lackluster first half with Missouri leading 13-6.

Florida coach Billy Napier watches his team against the Missouri Tigers Nov. 18 in Columbia. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

But with UF trailing 23-21 Mertz headed to the locker room and seemingly with him the Gators’ hopes for victory.

In a continuing theme during a disappointing 2023 season, Napier’s team put a fight even while Brown suffered some growing pains. A botched handoff with Montrell Johnson Jr. on the UF 15 ended a Gators’ scoring bid. Two plays later, Tigers receiver Theo Wease Jr. scored on a 77-yard touchdown catch.

But the Gators answered behind Brown and Etienne.

A 5-yard completion to Khaleil Jackson on fourth-and-4 from the UF 31 kept alive a drive featuring runs of 11 and 12 yards by Brown followed by runs of 13 and 9 yards by Etienne, the second run for a touchdown to cut the lead to 30-28

Mertz’s durability and toughness have been his calling card as much as his SEC-leading accuracy and veteran leadership. Mertz once again did the No. 15 jersey proud, channeling his inner Tim Tebow on an 11-yard keeper with UF facing third-and-five from its UF 30.

Mertz, though, paid the price for running over over two Missouri defenders before two more took him to the ground. The redshirt junior left the game one play later, pointing to his left clavicle, and soon headed to the locker room for X-rays.

Mertz’s injury came on a night when Florida State’s Jordan Travis suffered a gruesome left leg injury a week before the Gators and Seminoles will meet in the Swamp.

The odds were stacked against the Gators against the SEC’s most surprising team.

UF entered an 11-point underdog facing long odds at every turn. Missouri arrived with momentum, a balanced attack, a defense stocked with playmakers and a sell-out crowd of 62,621.

But the Gators pushed the Tigers to the finish.

Standouts

Florida

Graham Mertz: The quarterback went 14-for-21 passing for 183 yards, 2 TDs and an interception before he left the game with an injured left shoulder.

Trevor Etienne: The sophomore tailback scored twice, giving him 5 touchdowns in the past two games.

Ricky Pearsall: The senior receiver caught a 61-yard pass on the Gators’ second play from scrimmage and scored on a 39-yard end-around.

Missouri

Cody Schrader: On Senior Night at Missouri, the 24-year-old running back ran for 148, including a 42-yard touchdown to give his team a 10-7 lead.

Burden: The sophomroe star receiver finished with 9 catches for 158 yards.

Jaylon Carlies: The Orlando native had 7 tackles and an interception.

Noteworthy

– Mertz’s school-record streak of 239 passes without an interception ended.

— Pearsall entered needing 124 receiving yards to become first UF pass-catcher since Taylor Jacobs with 1,000 yards (2002). He finished with 68 on 2 receptions.

— Missouri punted 3 times in first half. Did that in just two other games, loss to UGa and 23-19 win against Middle Tennessee to open season.

—Gators’ true freshmen Eugene Wilson III scored his fifth touchdown in four games on an 8-yard catch to give UF a 7-3 lead.

—UF right tackle Damieon George committed a false start during the first quarter, the Alabama transfer’s seventh penalty in 2023.

– Ohio State transfer linebacker Terajda Mitchell made his first start for the Gators.

Check back for more as this is a developing story.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com