Defensive dominance and a strong receiving attack set the stage for another victory with a 38-0 win
After a 51-0 victory against Murray State in the season opener, Missouri continued its homestand by defeating the Buffalo Bulls 38-0. The team was successful both offensively and defensively, and its performance against the Bulls has led to a number of major takeaways for the rest of the season.
Offensive Weapons
Coming into the season, it was expected that star wide receiver Luther Burden III would be the focal point of Missouri’s offense. Although he has scored a rushing and receiving touchdown through two games, his production hasn’t been the All-American level that was anticipated — partially due to being removed from the Buffalo game early with an illness and getting pulled at halftime against Murray State.
The Tigers’ 38-0 victory over the Bulls once again demonstrated that Missouri’s offensive attack can draw from many players besides Burden. Notably, wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. pulled in 13 receptions for 149 yards. Wease consistently got to his spots with ease, and quarterback Brady Cook was able to capitalize on the routes.
“It just comes from Brady trusting me,” Wease said. “I had a pretty good night. I was just trying to maximize every opportunity I got.”
Wease’s career day, on top of a rushing attack which saw 135 rushing yards split between running backs Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll, showed the depth of the offense. Cook was also active in the ground game, finishing with five carries for 62 yards, a touchdown which saw him somersaulting into the end zone and a three-yard run into the end zone a few drives prior. Missouri’s ability to spread out touches to several members of their offense while missing Burden bodes well for their chances against tougher competition later in the season.
Discipline Difficulties
Throughout the first two weeks of the season, there has been a stark contrast between the amount of penalties by the offense and defense. There have been 18 offensive penalties — eight of them holding calls — whereas the defense has yet to be penalized. There have been several big plays negated by penalties, including a first down reception by Burden that would have been a first down, if not for an ineligible man downfield penalty. Decreasing the number of unnecessary penalties must be a point of emphasis for the offense as they head into the rest of the season.
“Ten penalties is always going to be an issue,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Those are self-inflicted wounds that got to get cleaned up.”Penalties aside, Missouri did a better job at performing simple plays compared to the matchup with Murray State. Cook had a higher completion percentage for more yards and seemed more confident in managing easy passes. The running game was also more potent and less susceptible to defensive pressure. The Tigers will continue to see success if the offense limits the penalties and the defense continues their discipline.
Shutdown Secondary
For the first time since 1935, the Tigers started a season with consecutive defensive shutouts. The defensive success has largely been due to the outstanding play of the corners and safeties on the roster. Murray State and Buffalo’s quarterbacks completed only 54% and 30% of their passes, and neither signal-caller threw for more than 55 yards.
Even after losing Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to the NFL draft, the secondary is as strong as ever. Safety Marvin Burks Jr. is one important piece of that secondary, totaling seven tackles and an interception in his first two games.
“It’s a great confidence booster for us,” Burks said. “At the end of the day, we still got to keep our heads down. Everything is going to keep getting tougher and tougher, so we just gotta keep on improving.”
The thought that the defense may not even be close to their peak is a scary thought for Missouri’s upcoming opponents but a welcome one for the players and coaches. The Tigers will need to keep playing at a high level for the rest of the season to earn themselves a spot in the College Football Playoff, but their 2-0 start is a good indicator of their ability to reach those heights.
Missouri will continue their season against Boston College at home on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 11:45 a.m.
Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Micah Shulman and Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com
Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com