Five Takeaways from the Missouri Tigers’ 23-10 win at South Carolina
It’s time we acknowledge the actuality of this soccer workforce: it virtually by no means will get fairly. That’s not what this workforce is about. It’s not a “throw it all across the yard” squad. Chase Daniel and Drew Lock do not undergo that door.
And that is okay.
This workforce does some issues nicely. The protection is not the finest in the county, however it’s rattling good. The offense would not have a lot to lean on, however phrase of the sport in progress is spreading and Dominic Lovett is an actual star.
What do you get out of that? A workforce that presently boasts a 4-4 file and is just some video games away from a 7-1. That could sound preposterous. It isn’t. Though this workforce had no likelihood of beating Ok-State, it was a goal-line fumble to beat Auburn, a pick-6 from an actual shot towards Florida, and a botched fourth quarter from an actual shot to anger Georgia .
Moral of the story: this workforce is not unhealthy. It’s not nice. But it isn’t unhealthy. And on Saturday we noticed the finest model of what this workforce might be. It’s not fairly, however it’s fairly rattling efficient. Missouri is mainly the SEC’s model of Iowa. You can take this for what it is value.
What did we study particularly towards South Carolina? Let’s take a deep dive into this week’s 5 takeaways.
1) D-Line Zou comes by way of
Missouri got here into the week defensively in twenty seventh place in SP+. They solely allowed a complete of 186 yards, and honest sufficient 32 meters on the floor. The Gamecocks’ 32 yards on the floor is the fewest Missouri has conceded in a convention sport since those self same South Carolina Gamecocks rushed for 16 yards towards Missouri in 2019. Before that, although, you may have to return to 2009 for the final time The Tigers allowed beneath 40 dashing yards in a convention sport.
But it wasn’t simply the efficiency that crammed the barrel. Blake Baker’s unit additionally produced some critical unfavorable play. They completed with 4 sacks, three QB hits, 11 tackles for loss, 4 cross breakups, two pressured fumbles and an interception. The final time the Missouri protection had 4 sacks and 11 TFL in a convention street sport: earlier this 12 months towards Auburn (sigh) and in 2014 (!!!) towards Tennessee.
That protection has held up all season and it is good to see these efforts paying off with an away win towards a high 25 opponent.
2) Lovett must be cherished
Missouri huge receivers in the previous 15 years to put up at least 10 receptions for 148 yards in a convention sport:
J’Mon Moore (2017 @ Arkansas) – 10 receptions, 160 yards
Danario Alexander (2009 @ Kansas) – 15 receptions, 233 yards
Danario Alexander (2009 v. Iowa State) – 11 receptions, 173 yards
Danario Alexander (2009 vs. Baylor) – 13 receptions, 214 yards
Dominic Lovett (2022) – 10 receptions, 148 yards
This boy from Danario Alexander was fairly good. That’s Dominic Lovett. Lovett, who began the day second in the SEC by gaining yards per sport. It would not appear like that is going to vary any time quickly. He’s paced for practically 1,000 yards now this season. If he pulled off such a feat, he can be solely the sixth huge receiver since the flip of the century to take action in a Missouri uniform (alongside J’Mon Moore, Bud Sasser, TJ Moe, Danario Alexander, Jeremy Maclin and Justin Gauge).
3) They did not want Brady to cook dinner
That is what Brady Cook must do. No extra, no much less. He made the items for it crucial be made. He completed the day for 53 yards and a landing on the flooring, throwing practically 10 yards per try. He had 5 chunk yardage passing performs and one on the flooring. More importantly, he did not have the vital error.
The drawback with Cook this season and Connor Bazelak final season wasn’t their lack of ability to make the massive sport on the discipline or discover the open man. It’s their tendency to play the incorrect sport at the incorrect time. They simply make too many errors that immediately result in factors for the opponent. The largest change for Missouri’s offense towards South Carolina was her skill to restrict self-inflicted wounds. They ended up with zero turnovers, solely three penalties for 15 yards (all false begins), just one sack and 4 tackles allowed for losses. Negative play has been saved to a minimal, and that is fairly a change from what we have seen over the previous few weeks.
4) Mevis makes up for his mistake
This has not been a typical 12 months for Harrison Mevis. He ended the sport 2-on-4 towards Abilene Christian with a miss from 40 yards. He missed one other key Inside 30 discipline aim towards Auburn the subsequent week. He missed once more from inside 40 final week and he missed from 21 towards South Carolina. He’s now 3-for-5 this 12 months from 30 yards. He’s been 10-to-10 from the identical distance for the final two years mixed. Mevis had confirmed to be certainly one of the finest kickers in the nation and certainly one of the most constant Missouri kickers in program historical past.
That identical confidence simply is not there this season. He’s nonetheless fairly good. But it’s now not computerized. He made up for his 21 miss by hitting discipline objectives from 50 and 32 yards later in the sport. That’s what Mevis does. He makes up for his errors. But if it seems like his failures are including up this season, it is as a result of they’re. He missed a complete of 5 discipline objectives in his first two years. He has missed 5 discipline objectives in the first eight video games this season.
5) This is precisely the win this workforce wanted
The Missouri fanbase wanted a win like this. The Tigers additionally felt like a workforce that performed the string after beating Vanderbilt. Sure, a win is a win. But is it? A 3-point dwelling win over Vanderbilt left me empty handed. It was as unsatisfactory a victory as one may have imagined.
That was completely different. The Tigers took to the streets towards a top-25 opponent and walked away with a win. It’s one thing Drinkwitz’s groups in Missouri have by no means carried out earlier than. In truth, in its earlier away video games beneath Drinkwitz, Missouri was 0-4 towards ranked opponents with a mixed factors benefit of 101 factors. It hadn’t been good, to say the least. Taking to the streets for this workforce and getting a convincing win was fairly rattling spectacular.
There continues to be extra work that must be carried out. New Mexico State was meant to be a gimme sport. Kentucky and Arkansas – each at dwelling – provide Drinkwitz alternatives for a “signature” win. Both additionally provide this workforce a chance to discover a path to bowl eligibility.
The 2022 season was filled with ups and downs. This workforce would not play good soccer video games. But they discover methods to maintain issues attention-grabbing. Here’s hoping they will do nicely with their efforts.
