By: Grant Salsman
Missouri defeated Mississippi State 39-20 in a game they completely controlled from the second quarter on.
Here are five reactions to the Tigers 8th win of the season:
The Tigers are finally making splash plays consistently
Missouri struggled in the opening drives against Mississippi State punting their first two drives and trailing the Bulldogs 3-0. That was before Kristian Williams stripped MSU quarterback Michael Van Buren. Daylan Carnell picked up the loose ball and took it 65 yards to the house.
On the next offensive drive, Brady Cook found Marquis Johnson for 45 yards down the middle of the field. Speedy J made an incredibly athletic catch between two defenders in a play that was similar to his catch the week prior against South Carolina.
The play of the game came in the second quarter when Cook threw it up to Luther Burden on third down and Burden adjusted to the ball in mid-air with a defender draped all over him for a 28-yard touchdown. It took eleven games but it finally feels like Missouri can push the ball downfield and get timely turnovers from their defense.
The wide receiver room is elite
Luther Burden is the best player on the field whenever he steps onto it. Pair that with a stud in Theo Wease and you get what Mizzou has gotten the last two years.
The pair started slow like much of the offense but took off in the second quarter, Wease finished with four catches for 72 yards while Burden tacked on seven receptions for 91 yards and of course his incredible touchdown grab.
While these two are the workhorses through the air the supporting cast has stepped up. Johnson has not been used a ton this season but has taken advantage of his chances including his long 45-yard catch. Joshua Manning made an impact with a catch for 36 yards. Brett Norfleet almost had the offensive play of the year scampering for a 57-yard touchdown but it was ultimately called back for a Manning block in the back. The big tight end still finished with 2 catches for 24 yards.
Wease and Burden may be able to carry Mizzou through the Arkansas game but if they decide to sit out of the bowl game the Tigers will need Johnson, Manning and Norfleet to step up in their absence.
Special teams have to be better
For some reason, Blake Craig cannot make a field goal from 40-49 yards. After missing a 44-yard kick Saturday he is now 1-7 from this range but is 19-23 everywhere else. Points could be crucial in the last two games if Mizzou wants to get to ten wins.
Luke Bauer was not good, punting for 39 and 32 yards. His NET punting average is at just 39 for the year. This has been a problem the entire season and Missouri needs to find a way to flip the field when the offense stalls out. If there is one obvious change made in the offseason it appears Eli Drinkwitz could look at the special teams room.
Ground game EATS
Mississippi State entered this game with one of the worst rush defenses in the country and the Tiger took advantage of it, rushing for 205 yards as a team. Nate Noel continues to be a difference-maker and is the perfect fit for the zone-rushing scheme. On top of the 95 yards from Noel, Marcus Carroll is a punisher rushing for three touchdowns and 65 yards, his best game as a Tiger.
Missouri seemed like they could get yards on the ground whenever they wanted and for the second straight week, it opened up the passing game for the Tigers.
The defense continues to struggle
The defense needed to come out and play lights out to ease some of the nerves after last week’s letdown against South Carolina and it was far from it. It seemed like whenever the Bulldogs needed a big play through the air they would throw to whoever Nic DeLoach was covering and most of the time it would work. Corey Batoon is going to have to take a close week at his secondary this week and do not be surprised if some moves are made.
The tackling was poor once again, especially on Davon Booth’s 43-yard touchdown scamper where he bounced off multiple Tigers on his way to the end zone. Booth could have been in for a massive day if it was not for his team trailing. The senior only had 12 carries but racked up 121 yards averaging 10.3 yards per carry.
Missouri needs to find a way to shore up the tackling and run game before they play Arkansas on Saturday who averages 180 rushing yards per game.
