Five takeaways following Florida’s last-second loss to No. 11 Missouri

Bowl eligibility seemed like it had slipped out of Florida’s grasp after a loss at home to Arkansas a few weeks ago, but the Gators came one down away from locking up a sixth win on Saturday night against the Missouri Tigers.

As anyone who has watched this Gators team play all season long might expect at this point, the defense blew a fourth-and-17 that could have sealed the game and the Tigers took a two-point lead to win it with eight seconds left on the clock a few plays later. Heartbreak. Missouri wins, 33-31.

Florida fought all night to reach that point, and to lose it all in a moment was almost poetic. Not to mention the loss of Graham Mertz, which doesn’t seem like a one-game deal. This will be a tough loss to swallow for many, but there’s a lot of good to take away from it as well.

Here’s what we learned about the Gators in Week 12.

The defense bent but didn't break.... until the end

Florida had no business staying competitive until the very end of this game, but it feels fitting that the defense couldn’t finish the job and cost the Gators bowl eligibility. After a strong start to the season, Austin Armstrong’s group has looked shoddy at best over the past month or so, but the group held up against a very strong offense.

Brady Cook threw for over 300 yards and Cody Schrader ran for nearly 150, but neither found the end zone more than once. Limiting good teams to field goals is the way to upset them. Florida just couldn’t make the last stop.

Luther Burden was left wide open in the middle of the field and converted a crucial fourth down to extend the winning drive. That can’t happen. That moment will overshadow some nice coverage from the secondary a few plays earlier and the rest of a solid defense game from Florida.

Florida needs Graham Mertz but Max Brown didn't look terrible

Graham Mertz went down with an injury and came back to the sidelines wearing a sling after X-rays. Perhaps it’s too early to say that his 2023 is over, but it certainly looks like Mertz hurt his collarbone or shoulder. The good news is that the injury is to his non-throwing side, so he should be fine for next year, assuming he returns.

Mertz looked like his usual self until the injury occurred. He completed 14 of 21 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. His streak of consecutive passes without an interception came to an end off a tipped ball in the first half. The tough part about an injury coming now is Mertz’s deep ball was just starting to develop some touch. Hopefully, the time off doesn’t set him back.

When Mertz came out of the game, Billy Napier turned to redshirt freshman Max Brown. He completed four of five passes for 56 yards, but most of his production came on the ground. He scrambled for 42 yards on seven carries and had a fairly deceptive handoff when feeding the ball to Trevor Etienne or Montrell Johnson Jr.

Brown isn’t going to wow anyone with his arm, but there’s promise in his game. Now they just need to get him comfortable. He should get more first-team reps in practice this week if there’s a chance he starts against FSU next Saturday.

Ricky Pearsall came up clutch

Ricky Pearsall’s days in an Orange and Blue uniform are numbered, so Gator Nation should enjoy him while they still can. This is a guy that has the tools to be successful at the next level, and he’s proving that he’s more than just a slot receiver this year by leading Florida’s offense along with Graham Mertz.

Pearsall hauled in two passes for 72 yards and scored a 39-yard touchdown on an endaround. Although it was just three plays, Pearsall seemed to come through whenever Florida needed him the most. His play opened the door for the running backs and younger receivers to thrive.

Next Saturday could be Pearsall’s last collegiate game, and he has a chance to finish the regular season with 1,000 yards receiving — something that hasn’t been done at Florida since 2002. He needs just 52 yards to get the job done.

The offensive line is still struggling

The defense struggled today, but it was the offense line that performed the worst for Florida against Missouri. Injuries played a part here as left tackle Austin Barber sat and center Kingsley Eguakun has been hobbled all season.

Alabama transfer Damieon George Jr. shifted over from right tackle to replace Barber, but Kamryn Waites took over the job before the end of the game.

Trevor Etienne managed to find a few holes and score behind this line, but things need to improve a lot over the offseason if Florida is going to win next year.

Once again, the turnover margin decided things...

Mertz’s interception wasn’t really his fault, but Florida losing the turnover battle cost them this game. The Gators needed those three points at the end and the mistake proved costly.

Max Brown also fumbled later in the game handing a ball off, so there’s some blame there too. But the biggest problem is that the defense can’t force any turnovers. Florida creates a ton of pressure up front with guys like Princely Umanmielen and Kelby Collins constantly slamming the edge, but the secondary never forces a tipped ball or picks it off.

Florida’s inability to create turnovers on defense has been an issue all season and it’s costing the Gators wins.

Read more

Pat Dooley’s Six Pack: Instant reactions to Florida’s loss at Missouri

Sunday Hash: Breaking down Florida’s devastating defeat at Missouri

What Billy Napier said to the media after Gators’ Week 12 loss

Postgame quotes from Florida’s backup QB following Missouri loss

Social media reacts to Florida’s heartbreaking loss to Mizzou

Good, Bad and Ugly: Gators Wire’s takes on epic Florida-Missouri game

PHOTOS: Highlights from Florida football’s loss at Missouri Tigers

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Story originally appeared on Gators Wire