The Missouri Tigers played the Kansas State Wildcats on a rainy Saturday morning. The final score, 40-12, is an accurate representation of the game Mizzou played: poor. Kansas State remains undefeated, while Mizzou falls to 1-1.
After a 52-24 win over Louisiana Tech last week, Mizzou fans were hopeful that their team was relatively solid on both sides of the ball. Brady Cook, Mizzou’s starting quarterback, started to come alive in the second half of that game, leading the the Tigers to victory. That victory run would not last long.
Offensively speaking, Mizzou was left in the dust in Manhattan, Kansas. Cook completed 15 of his 27 passes for 128 yards passing and 56 yards rushing, his offense restricted mainly from the K-State defense’s constant pressure. Mizzou’s only touchdown was scored by running back Cody Schrader as the game clock expired in the fourth quarter.
Everyone was asking the same questions: Where was Luther Burden? Why was he not being utilized?
Luther Burden had a total of 3 receiving and 6 rushing yards the entire game. This limited action was a far cry from the prominent role Burden played in Mizzou’s first game.
Mizzou’s quarterbacks struggled throughout the storms.
Cook seemed to panic at any sign of pressure from the Kansas State defense. There were four interceptions in the second half: two from Cook, and two from Jack Abraham, Cook’s backup. Abraham attempted three passes in the second half, two of which were intercepted, forcing him back on the bench. These interceptions led to perfect opportunities for Kansas State to score, which it did.
The Mizzou defense gave its offense every chance to put points up on the board. The Tigers looked solid following Kansas State’s first touchdown scored by Deuce Vaughn. Mizzou was able to hold the K-State offense, but only for so long. The consecutive interceptions thrown by Cook and Abraham kept Missouri’s defense on the field with minimal rest time. The Tigers were able to create stops that put three points on the board instead of seven for the Wildcats, but the deficit was too large.
The only consistent black and gold offensive player seemed to be Mizzou’s kicker, Harrison Mevis. Mevis scored half of Mizzou’s 12 points from field goals. The All-American kicker has always been consistent, and fans hope he will continue to be reliable for the duration of the season.
Mizzou hosts Abilene Christian in its next game this weekend. Mizzou has serious work to do on both sides of the football, or head coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s future at Mizzou may be shorter than people expect.