Virginia outlasts Missouri in low-scoring Gator Bowl

Travis Register-Imagn Images

By Chris Marler

Virginia and Missouri faced off in the fifth oldest bowl game in all of college football, the Gator Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 28.

The Story

It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t very fun to watch. Virginia won 13-7 in the opposite of a barn burner in Jacksonville. Virginia did what they had to do to win, and for the most part did exactly what they had done all season. They painfully wore a team down with a death by 1,000 paper cuts approach and in the end the regular season ACC champ beat the No. 8 team in the SEC.

Eli Drinkwitz did everything he could to lose this game, and did it emphatically. The clock management was terrible, and on a key 4th-and-2 in the fourth quarter during a 13-7 game, he took his best player Ahmad Hardy out of the game. This will shock you, but the true freshman quarterback bootleg call came up a yard short, and Missouri would later lose the game after getting the ball back.

Where The Game Was Won

It may not have been where the game was won, but the momentum shift came after halftime. Virginia took the ball and put together a 19 play, 75-yard drive resulting in a touchdown to go ahead 10-7. The drive took 10:07 off the clock and put Missouri in an immediate hole before they ever got the ball after halftime.

The Stats

114: Missouri had 151 yards of offense in the first half, with 114 of it coming on the ground. Virginia came into this game with a top 20 rushing defense allowing just 111 yards per game.

12-for-12: Virginia QB Chandler Morris was 12-for-12 on his first 12 attempts on third and fourth down combined.

29: Number 29 Ahmad Hardy wasn’t on the field for their 4th-and-2 play to get a first down before the two minute drill in the fourth quarter.

The Social Media Reaction

Scripted drive: GOOD!

Everything else: pic.twitter.com/Vjx02W1yQN

— Locked On Mizzou Podcast (@LockedOnMizzou) December 28, 2025

That was very very puzzling playcalling by Mizzou

Finally some momentum then you false start and follow it by taking Ahmad Hardy out of the game

— Grant (@Grant_salsman) December 28, 2025

I am sure Mizzou fans want to see Ahmad Hardy and Drink speaking like this pic.twitter.com/RKl8EU0z3U

— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) December 28, 2025

This is some of the worst third down defense I’ve ever seen by Mizzou. And we are talking about third and really long a lot of that time.

— Maggie Johnson (@MaggieLJohnson) December 28, 2025