Check another box.
Two games in, and Mizzou’s season is still firmly on the tracks, as they pitched their second-straight shutout with a 38-0 victory over Buffalo Saturday night in front of the seventh-consecutive sellout crowd at Faurot Field. You might not think that’s all that notable, considering the competition. But ask Notre Dame that same question right now and see how they feel.
Mizzou had a slight step-up in competition from their Murray State opener, but it became clear early that the Bulls wouldn’t be able to keep pace all that well with Mizzou either. The Tigers started slow on offense with just a field goal through the first quarter, but eventually got going with three consecutive touchdown drives and led 24-0 at the half. One more score late in the third proved enough to make Eli Drinkwitz comfortable enough to start pulling his first-teamers.
Let’s dive into how it all looked in the Knee-Jerk Reactions:
Brady Cook’s passing game was just ok, again
Here was Cook’s line vs. Murray State: 19-of-30 (63.3%), 218 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2-of-6 on passes of 15 air yards or more.
Here was Cook’s line vs. Buffalo: 28-of-36 (77.8%), 228 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 1-of-3 on passes of 15 air yards or more.
There’s not a ton of difference, but I tend to think this performance was marginally better. He was more accurate, but maybe didn’t push the ball downfield as often. He threw for slightly more yards. He had the same percentage on “deep” passing. He didn’t throw a touchdown against Buffalo, but scored two on the ground. His interception came on fourth down with him throwing across his body, which is risky but if there’s any time to take a risk, it’s on fourth down. It seemed that he had a little less time to throw. He also operated about half of his time on the field without Luther Burden. I know Mizzou has talented receivers, but that makes it tougher. All of that is why I tend to lean toward him having a slightly better performance compared to Week 1.
I think you can acknowledge that while also acknowledging that it’s still not where it needs to be. Cook still commanded the offense well enough. They scored on five of the nine drives that he was on the field for. It’s also fair to say that they probably had a good chance to score more than 31 points. A few missed third downs and a faulty finish to a two-minute drill at the end of the half kept them from that.
The same takeaway can be had from the first two games: Cook was good… enough. And while I think he needs to be better, it’s unfair to say that he’s completely forgotten how to play like last year. Still very early.
Theo Wease carried the wide receiver room
The importance of a guy like Wease deciding to use a final year of eligibility was highlighted Saturday night. As Burden left the game late in the first half with an apparent illness, Wease stepped up and set a career high for single-game receptions (13) and yards (149). Of those 149 yards, 69 of them came after the catch. And he did it while playing a little banged up himself. Mizzou’s wide receiver room has a ton of talent, but not as much experience. That’s why having Wease came in handy Saturday night.
Marquis Johnson also stepped up; he made five catches for 52 yards, and could’ve had another deep reception were it not for defensive pass interference. Other than that, Mizzou didn’t have a ton of consistent performers in the receiving game. There’s still time for it to develop, though. Assuming that Burden’s illness won’t last into next week, we can expect that everyone in the wideout room should be back available for Boston College.
The offense needs to clean up the penalties
Mizzou got flagged ten times on offense, losing 80 yards in the process. They got called for five holding penalties, three of which on the offensive line. There were several plays where a wide receiver lined up wrong, causing an illegal formation or ineligible man downfield. Sometimes, Mizzou was able to overcome those penalties. Other times, not so much. But the bottom line is that they need to be shrunk down.
Again, you can’t expect to have a completely sound unit during the first couple of games. But after a seven-penalty performance by the offense last week, regression from that number needs to be nipped in the bud. And it has to happen as early as next week. Mizzou wasn’t working completely with their first-choice offensive line this week, with Mitchell Walters filling in at right guard for the injured Cam’Ron Johnson. But this should be a wake-up call for the entire offensive unit that similar penalty trends could spell trouble against Mizzou’s remaining opponents.
The defense remained stingy
I don’t care who they’ve played. What this defense has done so far is downright impressive.
Mizzou hasn’t allowed a point in its first two games. That hadn’t happened since 1935. Think about that. At least one of Mizzou’s first two opponents of the season has scored against the Tigers in every year since the Great Depression. Not anymore. On top of that, Mizzou has gone 12 straight quarters dating back to last year’s Cotton Bowl without allowing a touchdown, which hasn’t happened since 1941. Even better: while the offense has had struggles with penalties, Mizzou’s defense has yet to commit one in 2024. The Tigers could be playing NAIA or junior college programs in their first two games and it would still be impressive to do all that.
No, they haven’t experienced their first real test yet. Yes, it could be worse than it appears right now. In fact, that should be the expectation. They’re gonna give up points eventually. But it’s clear that the players have found a real groove playing in Corey Batoon’s scheme so far. They’re bringing more energy, playing free, forcing turnovers and not letting opposing offenses stay on schedule for long. The transfers they brought in are acclimating well so far. We won’t make sweeping judgments about how they will look all year. But the early signs are very encouraging.
Will next week be Mizzou’s first test?
I still think Mizzou has a clear talent mismatch over Boston College and should be expected to win, probably by double-digits. But it won’t be because they coasted. Mizzou will have to shore up some of the things we discussed above in order for the game to go how everyone expects it to go. Otherwise, Florida State won’t be the only team that Boston College bats away from the top-10.
That said, it could be a benefit for Mizzou. It can help down the road if teams like Boston College and Vanderbilt end up outplaying their preseason projections. The committee can look more fondly upon Mizzou if the Tigers put those wins under their belt early. The first two weeks have gone pretty well for Mizzou in regards to their playoff outlook. Not only have they earned lopsided victories, but other results around the country have either beefed up the perceived strength of Mizzou’s schedule or cleared a better path to an at-large bid (most notably with Notre Dame’s loss). But now, Mizzou’s about to face two of those teams that look better than expected. Let’s see if they can take care of business.
