Photo of Eli Drinkwitz. Taken vs. Tenn on Oct. 2 at Faurot Field.
Like a roller coaster, it has been an up-and-down season so far for Missouri football. At 2-3, the Tigers have two double-digit victories, two close losses and a blowout loss against Tennessee.
Disappointed by the team’s performance last weekend, the program dismissed defensive line coach Jethro Franklin. However,Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz doesn’t want last week’s loss to linger.
“Tennessee doesn’t have to define us or this season, but if we let it, it will,” Drinkwitz said. “So how you respond to Saturday is going to determine what kind of person you want to be defined as.”
Missouri faces its final non-conference opponent, the North Texas Mean Green, at 3 p.m. for Homecoming. It’s the first meeting between these schools since the Larry Smith era, when the Tigers won 28-7 in 1995.
Aside from Week 3 against SEMO, North Texas at No.110 in ESPN’s FPI rankings should be one of the easiest opponents the Tigers face –– only Vanderbilt ranks lower at No. 122. Since their 30-point victory over Northwestern State on Sept. 4, the Mean Green have lost three straight games, including a 24-17 loss to Louisiana Tech in their last matchup.
Offensively, North Texas struggles through the air, averaging just 189.3 yards per game. Sophomore quarterbacks Jace Ruder and Austin Aune so far have combined for a 49.3% completion percentage, for 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
Stopping the run could be an issue for the Tigers. North Texas senior running back DeAndre Torrey has gained 516 yards (averaging 5.7 yards per carry) on 91 attempts through four games. The Tigers have allowed a nation’s second-worst at 306.6 yards per game. For comparison’s sake, the San Diego State Aztecs lead the nation with only 184 yards given up over four games.
Defensively, the Mean Green have the nation’s 93rd best defense led by former Southern Methodist head coach Phil Bennett.
“They have multiple-front defenses,” Drinkwitz said. “[Bennett] does a really good job mixing in pressure with zone.”
For Missouri, the challenge won’t be the game itself.
“For us the biggest challenge is not going to be North Texas,” Drinkwitz said. “It’s going to be us, and making sure that we have the right frame of mind and the confidence to play at a high level.”
A stout defensive performance can help boost the confidence of the Tigers’ defense, especially heading into SEC play. The beautiful thing about football is that every week is a new week. For Drinkwitz and his squad, each week is a brand new opportunity.
“I think each week is an opportunity for you to reset,” Drinkwitz said “That is why we saw we talk about being 1-0. Each week is a different week to reset.”
Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com