9/6/2023 football Edit

Missouri Football Notebook: Big week for RBs in Week 2

Jarod Hamilton • PowerMizzou

Staff Writer

Coming off a 35-10 win over South Dakota in Week 1, Missouri (1-0) is setting its sights on its Week 2 opponent, the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (0-1).

Mizzou will have to wait one more game before it faces its first Power 5 team, but the Tigers shouldn’t overlook MTSU even though it’s coming off of a 56-7 loss to Alabama.

The Blue Raiders are an aggressive team on both sides of the ball, especially on defense and the Tigers will need a big day from the running backs in more ways than one.

Cody Schrader and Nathaniel Peat each had productive nights in the team's win last Thursday with Schrader getting 18 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown.

He also added three receptions for 13 yards while Peat had 52 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries to go along with his pair of receptions for 34 yards.

They’ll have to replicate that success as much as they can this week (and really throughout the season), but they’ve got to really up their game in the one thing they didn’t do much of last week, pass protection.

Mizzou's offensive line handled their business and South Dakota was too busy trying to prevent the wide receivers from getting loose over the top, so they didn't blitz too much, but that won't be the same story for MTSU in Week 2.

"They're both going to have their hands full this week in blitz pickup," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "I think this is going to be the most important blitz pickup week that we've had as a running back group probably in the four years that I've been here.

"These guys pressure. They do a good job at pressuring the (running) back 一 I specifically remember a play in the Alabama game when their linebacker blitzed through the running back and got to the quarterback and created a sack. SO, we've got to be really good at blitz pickup."

Not only will this be a big week because of what MTSU does, but this isn't necessarily the forte of Schrader or Peat. This is usually the constant critique Drinkwitz has of them or they have of themselves and Peat is well aware of the week he has ahead of him in preparation for this game.

"Film, film. film. Watching a lot of film. Watching what they do," Peat said. "Anything that takes off, any linebacker or safety that's coming. So, a lot of preparation goes into that and then when it comes game time just picking them up."

The film will be more than just important as Peat said because he's not just seeing when they call blitzes or how they call blitzes, but he's also looking for the slightest advantages by peeping the tendencies of MTSU’s defenders.

"Like I said all it is preparation. But it's a lot of presnap. Defenses show a lot of things," Peat said. "A lot of tendencies that they'll show a blitz, but it's also (about) keeping your head on a swivel. Knowing where a blitzer can come from. So, a lot of things go into it, but at the end of the day, you've just got to pick it up."

According to PFF College, Peat had a 59.8 pass-blocking grade which ranked 12th on the team while Schrader had a 37.2 which was the fourth-worst among qualifying players on the team.

Newly named starting quarterback, Brady Cook ,was at his best last week when he wasn’t dealing with pressure. So, If Missouri wants to keep Cook unscathed and a perfect record heading into its Week 3 matchup versus Kansas State, the running backs will have to block a lot better than their grades indicate.

Walk on special teamers big play in Week 1

While there was a lot made about how Harrison Mevis missed multiple kicks last week, something that may have gone under the radar for some was the blocked punt by walk-on Caiman Hayes with 6:21 left in the first quarter.

A humble Hayes was happy to have that moment, but was glad to bring up how his teammates were just as much of the play as he was.

"It was really cool. It's been a lot of hard work that I've put in behind the scenes and it was nice to see it payoff.," Hayes said. "Also, I wouldn't be able to make that play without my teammates doing their jobs. So, it was a team effort. I'm lucky I got praise on social media and stuff like that, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without my teammates. So, I'm thankful for them too."

Hayes, a redshirt junior defensive back from Philadelphia, has been on the team for four years. Along with school and working jobs on the side at various points in the year, it would be understandable if Hayes stopped playing ball at some point.

However, Hayes said his inability to allow himself to quit is why he's still on the team trying to make an impact.

"It's not really in my DNA to give up," Hayes said." I knew when I decided to walk on the team that regardless of what was going to happen, I was going to come in here with the right mindset every day. Whatever the coaches asked of me, I was going to do it to the best of my abilities. And obviously, it's paid off for me. (The) advice I can give to other people is to keep working. I know it's easy to say, but in time, you'll get yours and don't give up."

Hayes couldn't help but smile when asked where this moment ranks in his life, but he already knows this is a story he will pass on to his kids and possibly future players down the line.

"It's hard to beat," Hayes said laughingly." It's really special and something I'll remember for the rest of my life for sure. Something that hopefully, I'll be able to tell my kids about one day or maybe, if I'm doing some kind of coaching down the line, something to brag about to players. But yeah, it's something I'll never forget and I'm super thankful for that."

Darius Robinson on his move to EDGE and the defensive line's play

It was a productive opening night for Mizzou's defense last week. In fact, it was one of the better defensive games in the Drinkwitz era.

The 194 total yards of offense and 10 points were the second-fewest yards and points allowed in the Drinkwitz era.

However, the talk in the locker room is that the defense played well, but is unsatisfied with their performance and have more work to do.

"I think we played well, but definitely not to our standard," defensive end Darius Robinson said. "We've got a lot of improvement to make to be the best and be who we want to be this season. But it started yesterday at practice and it’ll continue this whole week and getting ready for Middle Tennessee."

Coming into the season, Mizzou had eight returning starters on defense, but after the Tigers's top four EDGE rushers from a season ago left the team, questions about the position were the talk of the offseason.

Robinson and Johnny Walker were tasked with proving that they could hold up the defensive end group as the starters, and based on their Week 1 performances it seems the pair did that.

Robinson, who moved to defensive end over the offseason, recorded three tackles and had a top-four total defense (76.1/fourth) and run defense (79.1/third) grade, according to PFF College.

Walker led the team in tackles on Thursday with six, to go along with a sack and a tackle for loss. He also graded in the top six in total defense (75.5/sixth) and run defense (74.0/fifth), but he also was third in tackling at 80.0.

"I think I played well and I made the plays I was supposed to make. I was really a good teammate and had a lot of energy, but I'm excited for Johnny. You guys got to finally see who he is," Robinson said happily. "He made a lot of plays for us and he's going to be a playmaker all year. I think me and him working together 一 we can really do our part to help this defense be the best."

Looking ahead to MTSU, the Tigers likely won't have a chance to hold the Blue Raiders to 38 yards on 35 carries because of their Air Raid style of offense. So, the defense will have to shift its focus from clogging up the run game to finding ways to cause more pressure on the quarterback.

"They're very explosive. More of that Air Raid style. If you watch the Alabama game, the first play of the game was a fade down the field, so they're telling you they're ready to play," Robinson said. "So we have to be ready to set our tempo, set our pads, and get lined up and get ready. But, they're going to have a really good football team."

Defensive tackle Jay Jernigan concurred and said getting in the backfield and having better technique will limit the uptempo offense that MTSU wants to employ.

The Blue Raiders don't just throw the ball all over the field, but they do it quickly. So, another key along the defensive line will be batting the ball down.

"All we've got to do is get home. That's all it is. We just know that the game is going to be a little bit faster, So, we just have to prepare for that," Jernigan said. "It's just you've got to work more technique. So, if you are going to go ahead and pass rush, get there fast and if you can't get there fast get in the quarterback's eye."

Last season, MTSU was 62nd in the FBS in scoring offense at 28.8 points per game and 78th in total offense at 373.3 yards per game.