How staying ready helped Florida football QB Max Brown stay calm against No. 11 Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Florida football sophomore quarterback Max Brown said he has taken the "one play away" mentality into each game this season since earning the backup role in fall camp.

So, Brown said there were no jitters when he replaced injured Florida Gators starting quarterback Graham Mertz late in the third quarter on Saturday night before a raucous crowd of 62,621 at Faurot Field.

"You've got to stay ready," Brown said. "You've got to be ready. So just being able to actually feel it and take a deep breath and say, 'Let's go out here and ball,' that was the mentality."

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Brown overcame an early fumble to nearly lead the Florida to an epic comeback on Saturday night. With UF down 30-21 on Missouri with 13:45 left, Brown led UF on a 75-yard touchdown drive and a 45-yard field goal drive to put the Gators ahead 31-30 with 1:36 remaining.

UF's defense was unable to hold late as Harrison Meevis booted an 30-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to lift the Tigers to a 33-31 lead. But Brown showed he could lead UF's offense in a high-pressure spot.

"Give Max some credit," Florida coach Billy Napier said. "Max settled in there a little bit and made a few plays. Obviously, he’s a good athlete and we were able to use his legs a little bit in the read game. He made some throws, as well. Max has worked hard. I can’t talk enough about how much improvement since the first day he got there. And he’s a competitor. I think ultimately, he showed that.”

How UF football QB Max Brown overcame the turnover

With Florida driving down 23-21, Brown lost a fumble on a read-option play with running back Montrell Johnson Jr. at the Missouri 15-yard line with 14:01 left in the fourth quarter. The ball went off of Johnson's hip on the botched exchange.

"It's 100 percent on me," Brown said. "I got to be better mechanically. I got to be able to extend the ball and be able to not put the ball in jeopardy."

Missouri then scored on a 77-yard pass play from quarterback Brady Cook to receiver Theo Wease Jr. to go up 30-21.

But Brown didn't flinch after the early mistake,

"My team did a great job having my back," Brown said. "The defense was coming over to me and telling me, 'We got your back, we're ready to go. We're going to get you the ball right back.' So I think that ended up giving me confidence to go out there and perform. They did a great job being able to give me opportunities to go into the game and make plays."

Brown led UF on a 10-play, 75-yard TD drive to cut Missouri's lead to 30-28, which includes runs of 11 and 12 years and a 5-yard completion to wide receiver Kahleil Jackson on 4th-and-4,

On another read-option play, Brown completely fooled the Missouri defense on the exchange, which allowed running back Trevor Etienne to run in nine yards untouched for a TD run.

Later in the fourth quarter, with the score still 30-28, Brown raced 27 yards down to the Missouri 17-yard line, which set up Smack's field goal to put UF up 31-30.

Brown finished the game 4 of 5 passing for 56 yards with 42 yards rushing.

Will Florida Gators QB Max Brown be ready for magnitude of FSU game?

With Mertz likely out for the season with a fractured collarbone, Brown will be in line for his first career start when UF closes the season Saturday at The Swamp against rival Florida State (7 p.m., ESPN).

It will be a battle of backup quarterbacks as Florida State lost starter Jordan Travis to a broken leg earlier the same night against North Alabama. FSU backup Tate Rodemaker replaced Travis and rallied the Seminoles to a 58-13 win over North Alabama.

"Going out there when you get any type of reps and going out there and playing actual live football, it gives you confidence," Brown said. "Going out there, playing, it's just football at the end of the day."

Napier also expressed confidence that Brown can rise to the occasion. The Gators (5-6, 3-5 SEC) are looking to avoid a third straight losing season and need a win to become bowl eligible.

"The players will rally around the situation," Napier said. "You know, I thought you saw a little bit of that tonight if that makes sense. So, you know, Max has the respect of the team because he works his butt off and he's consistent. He's got character. So, what a tremendous opportunity for a young player."

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida Gators football backup QB Max Brown shows promise against Mizzou