Florida didn’t expose any major weaknesses with the Missouri offense while spoiling the Tigers’ Homecoming on Saturday night at Faurot Field.

No, those shortcomings were evident in the Tigers’ sluggish offensive showings in their first five games.

But in their 21-3 victory, the Gators did sweep away hopes that freshman quarterback Drew Lock would dramatically improve the Tigers’ attack.

It’s time to quit blaming Maty Mauk for Mizzou’s anemic offensive output. The Tigers, who went 7-1 in the conference last year with Mauk, have far bigger problems.

It wasn’t Lock’s fault against Florida, either. Yes, he did throw a pick-6, but the Tigers already trailed 14-3. Considering the state of Mizzou’s offense, it might as well have been 44-3.

Here are the two major problems with Missouri’s offense:

  • A veteran offensive line isn’t opening holes in the running game and isn’t protecting the quarterback.
  • A lack of talent at receiver has no go-to target and not a single big-play threat.

With five seniors returning from an SEC East Division championship team, the line was expected to be a team strength this season.

That hasn’t been the case, perhaps because offensive line coach A.J. Ricker shifted his veterans trying to find the best combination around steady center Evan Boehm rather than keeping players in their familiar positions. Most notably, Connor McGovern, a standout left guard, was moved to right tackle.

The new mix hasn’t worked. The problems have been obvious since Week 2, a surprisingly difficult 9-6 victory against UConn.

Mizzou’s line isn’t opening holes for running backs Russell Hansbrough and Ish Witter.

Granted, Hansbrough has been slowed and sidelined by an ankle injury. But his stats — 3.8 yards per carry, 92 yards and 0 touchdowns — indicate a lack of running room. Witter, who handled the bulk of the carries when Hansbrough was, out, has 279 yards with only one touchdown and a 4.0-yard average.

Last season, Hansbrough rushed for 1,083 yards (5.3 average per carry) and 10 TDs. The team’s other top back, Marcus Murphy, added 924 yards and four TDs.

Big difference.

When the passing game struggles, it’s easy to blame to the quarterback. But it’s undeserved when there’s no time to throw and receivers aren’t open, making catches or battling defenders to make plays.

Last season’s top receivers, Bud Sasser and Jimmie Hunt, weren’t NFL-caliber targets like recent Mizzou products such as Jeremy Maclin, Danario Alexander, L’Damian Washington, Dorial Green-Beckham, Michael Egnew and Chase Coffman, but they combined for more than 1,700 yards and 19 TDs.

Plus, they aggressively pulled down “jump balls” that proved decisive in key victories over South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas.

Mizzou’s current group of Nate Brown, J’Mon Moore and Wesley Leftwich doesn’t get open and doesn’t make plays. They haven’t made the jump-ball catches Mizzou depended on so heavily last season.

Combined, the trio is averaging only 91 yards per game in receptions this season with only seven TDs.

So what can Mizzou offensive coordinator Josh Henson do to spark an offense that still must face Georgia, Mississippi State, Brigham Young, Tennessee and Arkansas? At this point, Vanderbilt might not be a gimme, either.

Ricker and Henson have had six weeks to get the line in sync. Switching linemen back to their 2014 positions might help. But that change might require readjustment time the Tigers don’t have. Needing two victories to become bowl eligible, the Tigers can’t afford to put younger linemen into the lineup to prepare for the future.

There might not be answers at receiver, either. Not this season, anyway.

Much heralded for developing less-talented players into top performers — and deservedly so — coach Gary Pinkel must recruit or develop an SEC-caliber group of receivers. Though not big-play threats, freshmen such as Cam Hilton and Ray Wingo should get more playing time.

To improve significantly at receiver next season, Missouri may need to look to the junior-college ranks.

As for the starting quarterback spot, if Mauk is reinstated this week, it might be wise to put him back in the lineup. Lock looked frustrated and hurried, if not gun shy, in the second half against a consistent Florida rush.

Mauk is a better scrambler, older and perhaps more capable of of handling the physical toll. More important, struggling without adequate help might hurt Lock’s confidence rather than provide valuable experience.