Missouri football traveled to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to take on the Crimson Tide in a top-25 matchup Saturday, Oct. 26. The Tigers got steamrolled 34-0 in a game that exposed some hard truths for the remainder of the Tigers’ season.

Here are three takeaways from Missouri’s eye-opening defeat.

Missouri Cannot Stack Up to Top Teams

Missouri’s toughest opponent of the season prior to Alabama was Texas A&M. The Aggies, who were ranked No. 25 at the time, defeated the favored Tigers 41-10 in College Station, Texas.

The loss caused many people to question the legitimacy of Missouri. Luckily for the Tigers, they had a chance to prove the critics wrong — with a win over the Crimson Tide.

However, this did not happen. 

Missouri was shut out 34-0. Although they were missing key players due to injuries, the No. 21 Tigers should have put up more of a fight.

A large reason Missouri lost was its offense. Missouri recorded 239 total offensive yards compared to Alabama’s 486. Just 72 of these yards were through the air. 

Kicker Blake Craig missed his only field goal attempt of the day from 49 yards. Making this would have cut Alabama’s lead to 10 points and swung some of the momentum Missouri’s way before halftime. Instead, they ended the half with zero points on the scoreboard.

The defense showed more promise, especially in the first quarter. The Tigers forced Alabama into two three-and-outs on their first three drives. Defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. was a standout, coming up with two massive sacks.

“I don’t think [anybody] gave up,” Walker said. “We just kept fighting, kept pushing.”

Despite the defense providing Tiger fans with glimmers of hope, they ultimately gave up 34 points. It is clear the Tigers need to do a lot of work if they want to be able to compete with elite teams.

Injuries Plague Missouri’s Game

The Tigers were outplayed and injuries might explain why. The Tigers were missing key offensive weapons like running back Nate Noel and receiver Mookie Cooper. 

Missouri’s passing game was lackluster, with the Tigers racking up less than 100 yards in the air for the first time this season. Cooper ranks third in receiving yards for the Tigers in 2024, so having him play against Alabama may have been valuable.

Furthermore, the most notable injury was that of Missouri starting quarterback Brady Cook. Cook suffered a non-contact injury to the high-ankle area against Auburn the week prior. He left the game early, but ended up returning and heroically leading the Tigers to a comeback victory against Auburn.

Cook’s status against the Crimson Tide was unclear leading up to the game, with the quarterback being labeled a “game time decision.” Ultimately, Cook suited up for the Tigers, but it was not quite the heroic performance from last week.

Cook threw for just 30 yards before leaving the game due to injury, this time one to his upper-body. There was no possibility of a Cook-led comeback, as the quarterback was quickly ruled “out” for the remainder of the game.

When backup Drew Pyne entered the game for Cook, the score was far from out of reach for Missouri. Pyne entered at the end of the second quarter with the Tigers trailing by just six points. By the end of the third quarter, the deficit was 27.

Pyne struggled to fill Cook’s shoes. He completed six of his 12 passes for just 42 yards and threw three interceptions.

Quarterback Depth is Virtually Nonexistent

Entering a game as a backup is often intimidating. Entering a game as a backup against Alabama on the road is near terrifying. That’s what Pyne had to do for Missouri and, although he was put in a tough spot, he did not rise to the occasion.

Pyne’s first pass attempt of the game resulted in disaster, as it was picked off and returned 31 yards to Missouri’s 35-yard line.

This interception was costly, as it gave Alabama ideal field position. The Crimson Tide capitalized on the turnover, scoring their first touchdown of the game three plays later. This put Missouri down 13-0.

“Ultimately, [when it’s] 6-to-nothing we just cannot throw an interception right there,” Drinkwitz said. “It spiraled after that.”

Pyne was picked off two other times in the third quarter. One of these interceptions came off a deep ball intended for star receiver Luther Burden III. The pass was snagged by Alabama defensive back Bray Hubbard. On the Tiger’s next offensive drive, Pyne was intercepted again by linebacker Qua Russaw, with the hopes of finding tight end Brett Norfleet.

The backup quarterback was never able to get anything rolling, instead getting rolled by the Tide. Two of Alabama’s four touchdowns came off of interceptions and Pyne only completed six passes all day.

“You just gotta forget and keep moving,” Pyne said. “At this point, I have two options as a man: curl up in a ball or grind as hard as I can and get better.”

Fellow backup JR Blood even entered the game at one point in the fourth quarter, as the Tigers were desperate to find an answer to their quarterback troubles. His lone rushing attempt resulted in a loss of yardage.

Missouri will have to take a hard look in the mirror and address their issues during their bye week. 

After this, the Tigers will welcome the Oklahoma Sooners to town. Missouri will hope to put the Alabama loss behind them and overcome the Sooners at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Chase Pray and Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com