Mizzou opened its season on Thursday night against Louisiana Tech, and the Tigers began to reveal who this team will be in the 2022 season. Mizzou walked away with a 52-24 victory, but, as usual, the game was deeper than the scoreboard.
Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz spent his first two years under a protective bubble; he was dealing with the prior man’s roster, thus abstaining himself from negative results.
The 2022 season holds different ramifications. Entering his third season at Mizzou, Drinkwitz recruited all Mizzou’s key playmakers, thus he maintains responsibility for this team’s success.
While the Tigers didn’t throw the kitchen sink at Louisiana Tech, they got a long look at the makeup of this roster. Sources around the program buzzed about the defensive improvements this offseason, and the Tigers
Several transfers headlined the defensive effort. Former Florida linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper intercepted a pass and made several impressive tackles over the game’s lifespan. Hopper presented a different type of athleticism from that inside linebacker spot, which should provide the Tigers a lot of flexibility. Quarterback Brady Cook spoke on Hopper’s impact, praising the transfer for his efforts.
“I’ve been saying this for a long time; that dude is the real deal. He’s fast; he comes downhill quick, and he’s a smart player. That’s one dude to keep an eye on,” Cook said.
Clemson transfer defensive back Joseph Charlton also made several flash plays, intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown. Charlton was consistent with his technique through all four quarters and should help fill the loss of former corner Akalyeb Evans, now with the Minnesota Vikings.
The defensive group collectively looked quick and sharp, rallying to the ball and wrapping up with good form.
Drinkwitz spoke at SEC Media Day about how the team needed to tackle better in the open field, as they gave up extra yardage far too often in 2021.
When asked about the improved tackling, Drinkwitz put it simply: “I think if you’re going to be a good defensive team, the first guy to the ball has to make a tackle. Especially in air raids, you can’t take away everything; you have to create one on one matchups. We were physical all camp, we tackled as much as we possibly could, and our coaches do a great job of continuing that with tackling circuits, and it showed up tonight.”
The defensive line unit garnered positive feedback this offseason. Several draft analysts have suggested their group holds multiple NFL prospects. Their front-four last year was often lackluster; the defense struggled despite a high-level secondary.
Upon initial impression, Missouri has a quality defensive line and defensive back group. The two groupings gelled together and forced three interceptions on the evening.
Offensively, the Tigers didn’t show their hand. Their top priority seemed to be withholding concrete information about their passing offense. The staff held Brady Cook in check, scheming up single progression throws and only opening things up when they had to.
Cook thought the scheme would translate to Kansas State, explaining, “We always throw in a little bit of attacking the perimeter and getting our playmakers the ball early and see how the defense reacts. I think that will translate to K-State, and I think the two-minute drill was big for our offense to get that under our belt.”
Cook looked sharp on third and long and his lone two-minute drill. The Tigers’ took a passive offensive approach to hide their air attack until they need to reveal it. However, this approach could also reflect what the coaching staff thinks of Cook. Mizzou fans may see more of the offense next weekend when the Tigers travel to Kansas State, but the passing game remains a mystery.
Freshman wide receiver Luther Burden drew national attention with his two-touchdown performance.
Missouri used him all over the formations. While he primarily lined up at X-receiver, he took snaps in the slot and at scat back. Cook targeted him four times downfield, and while Burden could not come away with any of his chances, the downfield talent was apparent.
Drinkwitz shared his thoughts about Burden’s performance after the game.
“I’m not surprised. I see it every day in practice,” he said.
Drinkwitz explained that he tried to downplay the freshman’s impact early in camp, but it’s too late for that now.
The Tigers leaned on their running game for most of the contest. They toted the ball fifty times as a collective, totaling 323 yards on the ground. Missouri utilized a lot of pulling guards, which sprung runners upfield.
The Tigers will travel to Kansas State next Saturday to take on the Wildcats. There are several areas they need to improve upon ahead of that matchup, but the early impression seemed encouraging.