Missouri football faced No. 1-ranked Georgia Saturday afternoon and suffered a 43-6 loss at Sanford Stadium. The loss dropped the Tigers to 4-5 on the year and 1-4 in SEC play.
“I was proud of the way our team fought,” Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “They came out with the right energy and attitude.”
The final score indicates a blowout, but the Tigers took an early 3-0 lead. While Georgia quickly regained control, there were still some positives to take away throughout the game. Here are just a few.
The Tigers found early success in stopping the Bulldogs’ ground attack
Before Saturday, the Bulldogs averaged 190 rushing yards on the ground, with junior running back Zamir White and senior running back James Cook leading the way. The Tigers entered the game with an FBS-worst 283.9 rushing yards allowed per game.
Unlike past weekends, the Tigers’ defense came prepared. The Bulldogs finished with just 168 yards on the ground, the fewest Steve Wilks’ defense has allowed all season.
“I think we did a great job stopping the run today,” redshirt junior linebacker Chad Bailey said. “They got two really elusive backs that get out and make some plays, but I think we did a good job in containing them.”
In the first quarter, 8 of Georgia’s 9 rushes went for three yards or fewer. Redshirt junior defensive linemen Trajan Jeffcoat, graduate defensive linemen Kobie Whiteside and junior defensive linemen Isaiah McGuire combined for 3 tackles in the backfield.
“We just got to do a better job in the pass game-wise, but I feel we came out and held our own,” Carlies said.
Speaking of Carlies…
In the third quarter, Carlies picked off a junior quarterback JT Daniels pass intended for sophomore receiver Jermaine Burton. Carlies leads the Tigers with four interceptions, the third most in the nation amongst FBS players.
“I told him before the game that he belongs on the field,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s a really special player. This is his first year to really play free safety, and he’s growing and developing and we really like what his future is going to be for us.”
Missouri flashed some offensive production against a historically strong Georgia defense
While it only mustered 6 points, Missouri’s offense still had a few bright moments. The Tigers finished with 121 yards on the ground, which is above the 79.8 yards per game that the Bulldogs have given up so far this season. The Tigers also rushed for more yards against Georgia than any of Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Kentucky, South Carolina and Vanderbilt players have.
Senior running back Tyler Badie finished with 41 rushing yards, but the Tigers also received production on the ground from the quarterbacks filling in for the injured redshirt sophomore quarterback Connor Bazelak.
“[The offensive line] created some opportunities for us in the run game,” Drinkwitz said. “I thought our quarterbacks were able to run for a few yards.”
True freshman quarterback Tyler Macon started and showcased his prowess on the ground with a 9-yard gain on Missouri’s second offensive play. On the Tigers’ second offensive possession, Macon gained 20 yards on a designed quarterback draw to put the Tigers in scoring position. Macon finished with a team-high 42 rushing yards on 11 carries.
Alternating with Macon was redshirt freshman quarterback Brady Cook, who picked up 32 rushing yards on the ground. A highlight of Cook’s afternoon came on a scramble on 4th and 9, where he kept a late drive alive for the Tigers.
Redshirt junior receiver Tauskie Dove finished as the Tigers’ leading receiver, with 84 yards on 4 receptions, two of which came on the final drive with receptions of 31 and 28 yards.
“I was proud of their effort, but you got to play cleaner,” Drinkwitz said. “We got three games left, and our backs are against the wall. We need everybody pushing in the same direction to try to get this thing to a bowl game.”
Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com
