Florida secondary struggles at Missouri after Thornton hurt in warmups

Bryce Thornton's lower-body injury in pregame warmups left Florida shorthanded, and Missouri's Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns against the Gators.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Florida's trip to Missouri turned troublesome before the opening kickoff. Starting safety Bryce Thornton suffered a lower-body injury during pregame warmups and could not play, leaving the Gators shorthanded in the secondary against Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons. The absence set the tone for another difficult afternoon for a defensive backfield that has drawn criticism this season.

Coach Jon Sumrall described the injury as a soft-tissue problem that was hard to see coming because Thornton had practiced during the week. Thornton "felt something that didn't feel good" while warming up, Sumrall said, went to the trainers to report the issue, and an examination determined he was not fit to play.

Sumrall said an unplanned absence that close to kickoff creates a challenge because there is little time to prepare adjustments or anticipate the problem. He downplayed the severity, calling the injury "nothing major" and saying it does not appear to be a long-term issue.

Sophomore Lagonza Haywood stepped into the starting lineup in Thornton's place, taking on a larger role on short notice. Thornton, who has held down a starting safety spot, has recorded four career interceptions and returned a fumble for a touchdown with the Gators.

Simmons took advantage of the shaken-up group. The Missouri starter completed 23 of 30 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns, with both scoring throws coming in the first half — a 47-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Olugbode and a 31-yarder to Caleb Goodie Sr., with both connections stretching the Florida defense.

Assignment breakdowns marred both scores. On the Olugbode touchdown, cornerback Ben Hanks III and safety Drake Stubbs left the receiver uncovered downfield. On the Goodie score, sophomore cornerback J'Vari Flowers lost his one-on-one matchup. Missouri slot receiver Cayden Lee also caused problems throughout, finishing with eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.

The struggles continued a season-long trend for the Florida defense. The Gators arrived in Columbia ranked 15th among SEC teams in pass defense, giving up 248.3 yards per game through the air heading into the matchup.

Sumrall said afterward that the secondary has not played to the required standard for much of this season and that the responsibility does not fall on one player alone. He cited coverage discipline, detail and leverage as recurring issues and noted that Missouri won on an out-and-up route as well as a go ball.

Florida's pass rush gave the secondary little support, finishing with two sacks and six quarterback hurries against Simmons. Linebacker Myles Graham called the defensive performance "extremely disappointing," said no one on the unit played their best game, and added that the defense cannot rely on the offense to score 40 or 50 points every week. He said he takes full accountability for his own play.