Missouri kicked off its football season with a bang, winning 61-6 over Central Arkansas. A roster that lost its starting quarterback, top 3 wide receivers, starting running backs and quality pieces on the offensive line looked strong with its replacements.
A lot was learned from all three phases of the game, but the main takeaways took shape in the quarterback battle, the run game and the secondary.
We Beau-lieve in Pribula
Graduate transfer quarterback Beau Pribula transferred to the Tigers in the offseason from Penn State in search of a starting role. He probably did not expect a drawn-out competition for the job with redshirt junior Sam Horn.
Both quarterbacks were set to receive time in the season opener, per head coach Eli Drinkwitz. Pribula started the first half with the expectation that Horn would start the second, but on Horn’s surprise initial snap of the game in the first quarter, he ran an option up the middle and suffered an apparent leg injury.
“Just devastated,” Drinkwitz said. “You know he’s voted Captain because his teammates care about him. There’s something that wears you down mentally in those things, and so you can’t second-guess it.”
Even before the worst-case scenario for Horn, Pribula looked like the advertised article in his opening drive at the helm. On the third play of the possession, he found junior wide receiver Marquis Johnson down the left sideline for 49 yards and the touchdown.
The rest of the game only reaffirmed faith in Pribula as the starter going forward. He finished with 283 passing yards on an 82% completion rate and four total touchdowns. Pribula also led two separate 99-yard touchdown drives, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure.
Balanced Rushing Attack
Missouri lost running backs Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll to graduation after last season and picked up University of Louisiana-Monroe transfer Ahmad Hardy as a replacement. The true sophomore was expected to command the backfield, but week one suggests the rushing effort will be by committee.
Six different rushers made up the 38 attempts for Missouri. Hardy had 10 rushes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Pribula also did work on the ground, with 10 rushes for 65 yards and two touchdowns.
The shock of the game was redshirt sophomore Jamal Roberts matching touches with Hardy through the first half. Roberts got eight carries for 33 yards, providing thunder to Hardy’s lightning.
Physical Pass Defense
The secondary for Missouri was one of the only positions with a fair amount of turnover from last season, but the depth was still a question mark. The Bears’ offense only seeing 73 yards through the air helped brush off these potential concerns for the time being.
“A lot of things we can continue to clean up on, continue to get better at,” Missouri’s redshirt sophomore linebacker Josiah Trotter said. “But it’s a great starting point for the first game for this defense.”
The most exciting defensive play of the game came in the final three minutes with freshman linebacker Dante McClellan jumping a route and taking the interception 83 yards to the endzone. The timing from the defense on pass breakups was near perfect on several occasions, and it’s clear that defensive coordinator Corey Batoon prefers the physical man-to-man rather than soft zone coverage.
Rotational cornerbacks Drey Norwood and Nicholas DeLoach Jr. stepped up in the first half before taking a backseat to some depth options in the latter portion of the game. Both had a pass breakup and forced Central Arkansas’ junior quarterback Luther Richesson to throw elsewhere.
This contest provided a much-needed spark going into the highly anticipated rebirth of the rivalry game against Kansas. The Tigers will take on the Jayhawks at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, from the comfort of Faurot Field.
Copy edited by Avery Copeland | [email protected]
Edited by Chase Pray | [email protected]
Edited by Alex Gribb | [email protected]