GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Marcus Murphy set a school record with his sixth and seventh career returns for touchdowns, and the Mizzou defense carried the Tigers to a 42-13 win over Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday night.
In a game that looked nothing like the final box score, the Tigers (5-2, 2-1 SEC) scored with return touchdowns on a punt, a fumble, an interception, and on the game's opening kickoff, as Murphy started on his 4-yard line and raced through the Gators for his sixth career return score, breaking the school record he shared with Jeremy Maclin. Murphy added his seventh return TD with an 82-yard punt return early in the second half.
"It was one of the great wins I've ever been a part of. I'm real proud of our football team, and how we battled," said Head Coach Gary Pinkel. "I've never coached in a game like that before. It's just a real great team victory for us. It says so much about our team."
When Murphy wasn't returning kicks, the defense was stifling. The defense gave the offense a short field for its first score from scrimmage, as Kentrell Brothers came on a blitz to pop the ball loose from Gator QB Treon Harris. Michael Scherer fell on the ball at the Gator 19, and four plays later, Murphy ran up the middle from five yards for what would eventually be the winning score.
The first of two Braylon Webb interceptions midway through the second quarter set up a 34-yard Andrew Baggett field-goal, and the Tigers took a 20-0 lead into the halftime lockerroom. Although the Tigers were held to 99 yards of offense in the first half, the defense was even more stifling, holding Florida (3-3, 2-3) to just 66 yards on 31 first-half plays.
Things really turned up in the third quarter, but in unique fashion. While the Mizzou offense mustered just one first down and 18 yards in the period, the Tigers scored 22 points thanks to Murphy's punt return, a 21-yard scoop-and-score for Markus Golden following a Shane Ray sack and strip, and Darvin Ruise's 46-yard pick-six of Jeff Driskel, who started the game and finished 7-of-19 for 50 yards and two interceptions.
The Tigers return home for the university's 103rd Homecoming celebration vs. Vanderbilt next Saturday at 3 p.m. in a game that will be televised on the SEC Network. It will also be the Tigers' first-ever "Tiger Stripe" game. Tickets remain at mutigers.com.