Missouri football traveled to Amherst, Mass. to face the UMass Minutemen. Missouri entered the game with its usual “something to prove” mentality. This attitude was heightened, as the Tigers were recently handed their first loss of the season against Texas A&M. 

The Tigers looked to bounce back against the Minutemen and they certainly did. Here’s what can be taken away from Missouri’s 45-3 win over UMass.

No Noel, No Problem

A key part of Missouri’s offense is their run game. The Tigers have scored 15 touchdowns in their first five games, with 11 of them coming on the ground.

The Tigers rushing efforts are guided by transfer running back Nate Noel. Noel leads the team in rushing yards with 471, averaging six yards per carry and adding two touchdowns this year.

Noel didn’t see the field against the Minutemen, getting sidelined with back tightness. Losing a first string running back could cause problems for some teams, but this was not the case for Missouri.

Fellow transfer running back Marcus Carroll had a very efficient game for the Tigers. He racked up 91 rushing yards on 15 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He also scored three of Missouri’s six touchdowns.

Carroll has had significantly less touches than Noel through Missouri’s first five games, only getting 43 touches compared to Noel’s 79. His performance against UMass creates a strong case for him to get the ball more.

Aside from Carroll, receiver Luther Burden III had a 61-yard rushing touchdown. Running backs Tavorus Jones and freshman Kewan Lacy got reps as well, carrying the ball a combined 13 times for 57 yards. 

Offense is Cooking Again

Whenever a team can put up 45 points, it’s a good day.

Missouri’s offense was firing on all cylinders against UMass, with the Tigers scoring six touchdowns. The offensive efficiency was led by quarterback Brady Cook. After struggling in recent games, Cook seemed to be hitting his stride. 

Cook went 14-for-19 on his throws, completing 74% of them. This is a considerable improvement from his 42% completion percentage against the Aggies in week 6. This is also Cook’s highest completion percentage since the Tigers faced Buffalo in week 2.

Cook threw for two touchdowns, one of them being a 63-yard play action toss to Joshua Manning. This was Missouri’s longest passing play of the season to date.

Burden also looked impressive as he took a jet sweep from Cook and ran 61 yards to the end zone less than a minute into the game. He also led the team in receiving yards with 59. However, Burden had to exit the game early after sustaining a shoulder injury in the third quarter.

Brett Norfleet got in on the fun, scoring his first touchdown of the year late in the third quarter. His 8-yard reception was the last score of the game from either team.

Turnovers Make a Difference

After giving up 41 points to Texas A&M, Missouri’s defense looked to redeem itself. 

Throughout the entire game, the Tigers only allowed three points. This is the least amount of points allowed since the consecutive shutouts during the first two weeks of the season.

While holding the opposing team to just a field goal is impressive, the turnovers spoke volumes for Missouri.

Late in the second quarter, the Minutemen were trailing 21-3. Looking to cut Missouri’s lead to 11 points, UMass drove down the field to Missouri’s 9-yard line. With just 23 seconds left in the half, linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. intercepted UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh’s pass. Flagg’s 80-yard return set the Tigers up for a 42-yard field goal that Blake Craig stepped up and drilled. 

This turnover was crucial, as it allowed Missouri to go into the half with a 21 point lead. It also turned the momentum in the Tigers’ favor as that was the last time UMass got into Missouri’s red zone.

Missouri won the turnover battle, generating two compared to the Minutemen’s zero. The second defensive takeaway came when Flagg’s brother, Caleb Flagg, forced a UMass fumble. This was recovered by cornerback Shamar McNeil, ending the Minutemen’s drive.

Missouri faced an underwhelming opponent, but they commanded the game in every way. When star players were unavailable, others stepped up in big ways. The offense spread the ball around and scored six touchdowns, while the defense only gave up three points.

Though the Tigers played well, UMass was not their toughest opponent. Missouri will need to carry the confidence they displayed against the Minutemen through the rest of their season. The Tigers will play again at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Faurot Field against the 2-4 Auburn Tigers.

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com 

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com