Missouri graduate student wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. celebrates with TheZou after beating the Auburn Tigers on Saturday Oct. 19, 2024 at Faurot Field in Columbia. Wease recorded 56 yards on four receptions.
No. 21 Missouri football takes on an Alabama squad reeling from last week’s loss to Tennessee.
No. 21 Missouri football heads to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to take on the No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide to face their third-ranked opponent of the season.
Missouri eked out a 21-17 win last week against Auburn thanks to Brady Cook’s shocking return from injury. Cook exited the game in the first quarter and spent time at a local hospital before coming back in the third quarter to lead a 17-play, 95-yard touchdown drive to seal the Homecoming victory.
“For all the criticism that young man takes, [Cook] sure would die on that field for everybody,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference after the game. “For him to be out there and put his body on the line for us is incredible and should be inspiring [to] everybody that watched it today.”
Alabama is looking to regain its status as a contender after a 24-17 loss to Tennessee in the prior week. This came only weeks after a stunning 40-35 upset at the hands of the Vanderbilt Commodores; this was the first time the Commodores beat the Crimson Tide since 1993.
Alabama’s offense is led by quarterback Jalen Milroe and 17-year-old wide receiver Ryan Williams, who has 567 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Milroe has excelled throwing the ball this year, completing 67% of his passes for 1,412 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is also very mobile, averaging 53 rush yards per game.
Milroe is not the first mobile quarterback that the Tigers have faced this year, but he is the best one and a true Heisman candidate with game-changing abilities.
“He’s got unbelievable speed, he’s got great vision, he’s a really good thrower, he’s the definition of a dual-threat quarterback,” Drinkwitz said.
The Crimson Tide entered this year with a new look as legendary coach Nick Saban retired after 17 years at the helm of the program and was replaced by Kalen DeBoer.
Missouri redshirt freshman running back Jamal Roberts dives into the end zone to secure the win on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 at Faurot Field in Columbia. Missouri beat Auburn with a score of 21-17 for the homecoming game.
While Saban was a defensive-minded coach, it was DeBoer’s offensive prowess at the University of Washington that earned him the job. Alabama is averaging over 38 points a game and has scored over 40 on four separate occasions. Behind their passing game is a rushing attack led by running back Jam Miller, who averages nearly 60 rushing yards per game.
Alabama’s offensive line is one of the best units in the country, with star players like Kadyn Proctor and Parker Brailsford anchoring the front line. The Crimson Tide did not allow a single sack to Georgia’s highly-touted defense. Missouri ranks 46th in the nation in total sacks, so Missouri players like Chris McClellan and Zion Young will be relied on to break through Alabama’s stout offensive line and generate pressure.
“It’s going to come down to who’s able to stop the run, who’s able to run the football, who’s able to defend the pass,” Drinkwitz said.
The matchup holds large implications for both teams’ playoff hopes. Although the new 12-team playoff allows for a greater margin for error than in past years, the writing on the wall seems evident: the loser of this game will likely miss the playoff.
According to ESPN, Alabama currently holds a 44% chance to make the playoff, while Missouri sits at 15%. Those chances will drastically drop for either team if they lose this matchup.
This top-25 matchup will kick off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Avery Copeland and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com
Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com