The Florida Gators came into a road contest against the Missouri Tigers as the No. 8-ranked team in the country for the first time since Week 5 of the 2021 season. However, their top 10 ranking was short-lived as the Tigers completely dismantled the Gators, 45-17.
Florida's offense, which had been among the nation's best, found itself stifled. Jadan Baugh, who was in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race, was a non-factor, forcing the Gators to resort to the passing game more than anticipated.
There wasn't much excitement on the offensive end from the Orange and Blue, but one standout was wide receiver Dallas Wilson. For his solid efforts in the loss, he earned Gators Wire offensive player of the game honors for Week 5.
Wilson was one of the few
consistent weapons on the outside for Florida, finishing with four receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. His performance accounted for a significant portion of the passing game, which struggled much of the night to generate the explosion seen early in the season.
Among players who took at least 20 snaps on offense, the Florida wide receiver was the second-highest-graded player according to Pro Football Focus. The route runner also proved to be the safest option for Aaron Philo, who had a 158.3 passer rating when targeting Wilson.
Wilson's performance also offered another glimpse into what he can contribute to the offense moving forward, with opposing teams devoting a majority of their game plan to stopping the rushing game.
Florida will need the perimeter players to take advantage of the opportunities that they should see as the season progresses and Wilson exemplified that with his stat line.
The offense will need to put this one behind them, but Wilson's performance will be something positive to build on as they attempt to rebound from their worst offensive showing.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Dallas Wilson earns offensive player of the game in loss to Missouri
