COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The 11th-ranked Gators used two third-quarter touchdown drives to pull away from Missouri for a 23-6 win on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium to improve to 9-2 on the season.
 
With the win, Florida finished Southeastern Conference play with a 6-2 record. The Gators learned once they landed back in Gainesville that they finished second in the SEC East thanks to Georgia (9-1, 6-1) winning at Auburn on Saturday. Even if the Bulldogs lose at home to Texas A&M next weekend, they own the tiebreaker over the Gators due to their 24-17 victory in Jacksonville earlier this month.

Meanwhile, despite a temperature in the low 40s at kickoff, the Gators' defense needed no time to warm up Saturday against the Tigers. UF forced 10 punts on the day and snagged an interception on its final drive, limiting Missouri to just two field goals and 256 total yards of offense.
 
For the second week in a row and fifth time this season, Florida kept its opponent out of the end zone.


 
"Overall that's a great win," said head coach Dan Mullen. "The defense did a great job against a team in Missouri that's averaged over 40 points a game at home, a team that's blown out everybody they've played at home … to come in and hold them to six points I think was a fantastic effort by our defense. I thought we played really, really hard defensively."
 
The strong defensive start allowed UF's offense ample time to warm up, as the Gators managed just two field goals in the first half for a 6-3 lead at the break.
 
Kyle Trask righted the ship and the Gators executed much better in the second half, leading to a pair of touchdown drives late in the third quarter. Just over three minutes into the second half, Trask floated a ball to the corner and Josh Hammond made the adjustment to haul it in and put Florida ahead 13-3 following the extra point.
 
"That was a beautiful catch. Josh's catch was amazing," said Mullen after the game. "We have four senior wideouts and all they worry about is getting better and performing their best when they're on the field, whether its special teams, offense or defense. That's a special group."
 
On Florida's final drive in the third quarter, Trask connected with tight end Kyle Pitts down the sideline for 25 yards to get UF into Tigers' territory.
 
Three plays later, Lamical Perine held onto a catch in traffic and dragged his toe in the end zone to put Florida ahead 19-6. The play was initially ruled an incompletion but the call was reversed after replays showed Perine controlled the ball with his right foot in the end zone.
 
"I think [Perine] gets lost the year he's having catching the ball," Mullen said. "The matchups and the problems he causes coming out of the backfield."
 
Evan McPherson added a field goal with 10:37 left in the game for the final 23-6 margin.
 
Florida's defense controlled the game from the start, totaling 10 tackles-for-loss (three sacks) and limiting Missouri to just 5 of 18 on third down. Jonathan Greenard led the way with a team-high six tackles, including five tackles-for-loss and two sacks.
 
Marco Wilson forced the lone turnover on the afternoon, intercepting Kelly Bryant on Missouri's final drive of the game.
 
Florida opened the game moving the ball into Missouri territory after three catches from Van Jefferson before the drive stalled. UF settled for a 47-yard field goal from McPherson to open the scoring.
 
Missouri tied the game early in the second quarter with a 37-yard field goal that bounced off the left upright and in.
 
On the following possession, Trask connected with Trevon Grimes for 17- and 41-yard gains to set the Gators up in the red zone. A sack on third down forced another field goal and McPherson connected for a 6-3 lead which held until halftime.
 
The second half began with the Gators' first touchdown drive of the day as Hammond hauled in the score. Missouri cut the game to one-score with a field goal but Florida answered immediately with an eight-play, 75-yard drive capped by Trask's touchdown pass to Perine.
 
Facing the SEC's top passing defense, Trask completed 23 of 35 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season totals to 21 touchdowns with just six interceptions.
 
Jefferson was the game's top receiver, catching six passes for 82 yards. Perine and Pitts had four catches apiece while Grimes had 66 yards on three catches.
 
Emory Jones led the way on the ground with 39 yards on six rushes and also completed his only pass attempt, a 48-yard bomb to Kadarius Toney to set up the Gators' final field goal.