The Tigers were up big on the Bulldogs for most of the final three quarters, and there were myriad takeaways from the win.
Thursday night’s 52-24 dismantling of Louisiana Tech showed these are not the same old Missouri Tigers. Missouri teams of the past would have allowed teams like Louisiana Tech to hang around for most of the game as they did with teams like Central Michigan and North Texas in 2021 and UConn in 2015. Missouri even sometimes lost these games outright, as was the case against Middle Tennessee State in 2016 and Wyoming in 2018. After all, Arkansas is the only other SEC team that has lost more games to unranked non-Power Five schools since 2012 than Missouri.
After Missouri ran Louisiana Tech out of Faurot Field, it can safely be concluded this is a new and energized pack of Tigers.
Both sides of the ball were clicking most of the night. Offensively, it was not just one player carrying the load. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s crew looked like a renewed bunch after a lackluster defensive season last year.
Here are three takeaways from Missouri’s blowout win over Louisiana Tech:
1. The defense was refreshingly aggressive
Great defenses at any level of football play like apex predators; they play hungry, often asserting their physical and mental dominance over the opposition, and because of this, they usually thrive. Poor defenses, on the other hand, play like prey; they play as if they are simply trying to survive. Recent iterations of Missouri’s defense have fallen closer to the latter category. Especially in the games against Kentucky and Tennessee last season, Missouri’s defense often looked overmatched, like they were the ones being hunted.
Against Tech, the Tigers’ defense played like they were at the top of the food chain, and like the offense, it was not just one player or position group that carried the load.
The defensive line set the tone early and never looked back. The trio of senior linemen Trajan Jeffcoat, Isaiah McGuire and redshirt junior lineman Kristian Williams created havoc up front. McGuire recorded his 10th career sack while also tipping a pass that led to an interception by junior defensive back Jaylon Carlies.Williams did the same, getting a hand on a pass from redshirt junior quarterback Matthew Downing that led to a pick six by junior safety and Clemson transfer Joseph Charleston, good for Missouri’s first defensive touchdown by a defensive back in over three years.
Junior linebacker and Florida transfer Ty’Ron Hopper picked off Downing early in the second quarter, as the Tigers viciously blitzed the TCU transfer. The former Gator led the Tigers with six tackles and two TFLs while also registering a sack.
The secondary, which entered the season with questions looming, answered many of those with its performance on Thursday night. Junior cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine, the lone returning corner who played significant snaps in 2021, had two crucial pass break-ups, including a leaping deflection that prevented a chunk play. Senior defensive back Martez Manuel, who saw his first game action as the “STAR” — where a safety plays in the box — played like an apex predator. Even Manuel’s backup, redshirt freshman defensive back Daylan Carnell, made a couple of impact plays. Finally, Carlies recorded five tackles and added an interception.
Missouri’s defense displayed poise and pressure throughout most of the game, especially along the defensive line and secondary. Over half of Louisiana Tech’s total offense came on just three plays. The Tigers’ defense truly looked like they were the ones on the hunt Thursday night.
2. Luther Burden III? Luther Burden III.
Living up to expectations, let alone exceeding them, can be a difficult thing to do.
Not many Tigers have entered Columbia with the kind of expectations freshman wide receiver Luther Burden III had placed upon him ever since his national commitment to Missouri last October.
It is safe to say that Burden, at the very least, lived up to the hype in his Missouri debut. His stats certainly do not jump off the page, but he passed the eye test with flying colors.
Burden’s first two touches demonstrated Burden’s elusiveness and speed, instincts of his that led to a memorable play later in the game.
On first and goal, Cook found Burden in the flat with four Bulldog defenders in front of him. Instead of going down, Burden split the defense and capped off the play with a dive into the end zone for his first Missouri touchdown.
Then, in the third quarter, Burden took a direct snap on first and goal and scored his second touchdown of the night. Burden did, however, let an easy pass bounce off his hands and into the hands of redshirt sophomore linebacker Maki Carabin for Cook’s first career interception. Overall, it was about as good of a debut as it could have been for the East St. Louis receiver.
3. Brady Cook showed progression
In the limited sample size we had of Cook in black and gold entering Thursday night, there was reason to get excited about him. He looked poised against Georgia and Army last season, and he showed off some serious dual-threat ability.
The first half was a bumpy ride for Cook. It was clear early on that head coach Eliah Drinkwitz wanted to get the ball into his playmakers’ hands, which meant a lot of conservative play calls to start the game. When Cook started airing it out, things got dicey. He underthrew Burden multiple times, and Burden even saved Cook from an interception on an ill-timed out route. Even on running plays, namely read options, Cook was too slow to decide whether to keep it or to hand it to the running back.
However, Cook’s poise in the pocket and mobility showcased some positives, especially in the second half. Cook’s 61 yards on the ground were the most by a Missouri quarterback since Kelly Bryant in 2019.
Cook is still improving as a passer, and he’s making steps toward becoming that reliable quarterback who can put receivers in positions to succeed while also being able to pick up yards on his own. So far, Cook seems to have the rushing part down. Now, it is just about refining the passing after a game where he demonstrated a lot of positive moments.
Now, a greater test awaits the Tigers Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas, where they will take on former Big 12 foe Kansas State at 11 a.m. in a game that should set the tone for the rest of the season.
Edited by Riley Gearhart | rgearhart@themaneater.com