MU defensive linemen Johnny Walker Jr. and Realus George Jr. tackle Central Michigan’s Jacob Sirmon on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021 at Faurot Field in Columbia.
Check out the latest edition of Talking Tigers, where Mason Arneson and Kyle Pinnell wrap up Boston College coverage and look forward to Missouri football’s matchup against Tennessee and other SEC football happenings in Week 5. Edited by Ellie Lin and Blaise Fields.
Through four games of the 2021 Missouri football season, the identity of this year’s team is established before the bulk of conference play begins. Mix a high-scoring offense that averages just under 39 points per game with a vulnerable run defense, and the 2-2 Tigers are the result.
While fans and opposition coaches alike know what coach Eli Drinkwitz’s team looks like, how it fares against the SEC remains a question given the close nature of the Tigers’ two previous losses.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Connor Bazelak’s thoughts on the game-ending interception in the 41-34 overtime loss against Boston College last Saturday summed up how he feels about the team’s record.
“You can’t do anything about it,” Bazelak said. “So why let it fester in you and bring you down?”
Missouri had to move on quickly as seven of its final eight opponents are conference matchups, starting this weekend against Tennessee.
The Volunteers’ résumé looks nearly identical to Missouri’s in the past four weeks: a home win against a MAC opponent (Bowling Green), a dominating victory over an FCS squad (Tennessee Tech), an SEC loss (No. 10 Florida) and a 41-34 loss against an ACC foe (Pittsburgh).
What differs, however, is the way Missouri and Tennessee arrived at their respective .500 winning percentage.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Alex Golesh run a fast-paced offense that ranks No. 17 in offensive plays per game. The unit keeps opposing defenses on their toes with an explosive offense that has already produced five plays of 40-plus yards.
“They’re snapping the ball at about three plays per minute, which is at times the fastest offense in college football,” Drinkwitz said. “[That] presents a whole new set of challenges for us defensively.”
Formerly with UCF, Heupel arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee, as one of the most renowned offensive minds in college football. The Volunteers’ head coach served as offensive coordinator for Missouri in 2016, when the Tigers ranked No. 13 in yards per game, before transitioning to Central Florida. In his first head coaching gig, the offense ranked in the top 10 in both points per game, and yards per game all four years he coached in Orlando, Florida.
The speed the Volunteers play offense changes a game’s speed, but what isn’t new to the Tigers defense is a daring offense that runs the ball frequently. Tennessee averages 45.3 rush attempts per contest, which ranks No. 16 in the nation. They’re the most run-heavy team Missouri has faced this year.
“I think the misnomer is that they just throw it all around the park,” Drinkwitz said. “They really run it a lot.”
Tennessee features two productive running backs in junior Tiyon Evans and sophomore Jabari Small, both of whom average over 4.5 yards per carry. Golesh’s offense uses the two backs interchangeably, as they have 42 and 41 attempts respectively on the season. Redshirt senior quarterback Hendon Hooker, a transfer from Virginia Tech with plenty of starting experience, also mixes up the action on the ground with 136 yards on 31 attempts.
Hooker is used to being a dual threat quarterback within a run-heavy offensive scheme from his days in Blacksburg, Virginia, so an offensive system that averages 15 more rush attempts than pass attempts suits him well.
“He kind of fits that system,” Drinkwitz said of Hooker. “I remember Hendon really well when I was recruiting at NC State, and he won the state championship when he was in high school and I was at that game. So I’m very impressed with him.”
While Tennessee’s offense has been efficient in Heupel’s first four games at the helm, its defense — much like Missouri’s — hasn’t been as productive.
The Volunteers allowed a combined 6 points in their two victories over Bowling Green and Tennessee Tech, but allowed 41 against Pittsburgh and 38 against Florida in losing efforts. In those losses, Tennessee allowed 451 yards per game.
“They’re going to score,” Drinkwtiz said. “My job is to score one more point than the opponent.”
Missouri seemed optimistic about the team’s direction following the overtime loss last Saturday, and with the conference slate kicking into full gear, anything can happen.
“All of our goals are still in front of us,” Bazelak said. “We can still win the SEC, we could still go to a bowl game, win a ballgame. [We have] all that stuff in front of us, so whatever happened in the past four games, we just got to look forward to the future.”
Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com