For both Missouri (2-1) and Auburn (2-1) week four is a big game. Every game is a big game but when you consider where each program is at this moment in time, this game seems to be as close a must-win game as you can find in September for both teams.
For the Tigers, they'll head into week four coming off of a 34-17 home win over Abilene Christian while Auburn will be entering the game after losing to Penn State by 29 points. It's important to note that Missouri won its game at home because during the Eli Drinkwitz era Missouri is just 2-8 on the road with a win over South Carolina in 2020 and a win at Vanderbilt last season.
So when Missouri goes to the nation's 10th largest on-campus stadium in Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) it will have to be prepared for not only the Tigers in the burnt orange and navy blue but their fans too.
"We got to do a really good job to try to take the energy out early. We can't let them dictate the terms of the game," Drinkwitz said. "Obviously, what makes it tough is the student section. The fan base is right there."
Drinkwitz is no stranger to the environment at Auburn, and even has emotional ties to the school. He left his teaching and offensive coordinating job at Springdale High School in Arkansas to be quality control for Auburn in 2010-11.
"You think about my wife and I were teachers (at Springdale). ... So, you go from the security of at the time both of us would probably make close to $90,000 to making $13,000 without much of a savings account," Drinkwitz said. "There's not much of a parachute there. I think it was a risk for sure. But that's where the fun is man. Taking risks and seeing if you got the right stuff and it's been a heck of a 12-year journey for sure."
Now, Missouri has gotten a small taste of what football is like outside the confines of Faurot Field when it went to Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, KS in week two and lost by 28 in front of a sold-out 50,000 fans. But even that experience will probably fail to compare but Drinkwitz doesn't see it that way.
"It's a road game. We played in some road games before. Just happens to be a lot of these guys' first time at this one," Drinkwitz said. "But (I) won't make it bigger than that. Take what you learned from what you thought you didn't do well at Kansas State."
Lessons learned from week three and possible personnel changes
When Missouri defeated Abilene Christian in week three it was a solid double-digit win for the black and gold, but the Tigers still had some noticeable flaws.
Drinkwitz said the game the Tigers played in week three was far from perfect and that they could improve in all facets.
"We need to get better, really, in all three phases at the fundamentals. (On offense) blocking on the perimeter, catching the football or delivering the football on time," Drinkwitz said. "On defense, our tackling angles, staying on top of routes, not turning back and getting our eyes to the quarterback too soon on deep balls and making sure we have ball disruption on deep plays. On special teams, covering kicks, making sure that we really hold up versus rush on our punt team and making the right decision as a returner."
The team had five holding penalties by three offensive linemen, allowed their FCS opponent to average 4.1 yards per carry and for the second game in a row they didn't cause much pressure or disruption in Abilene Christian's backfield.
Missouri is tied for 117th in the FBS in penalties with 27. Thirteen of those penalties have been called on the offensive line.
The offensive line hasn't consistently played well enough that Drinkwitz is secure in who the five best linemen on the team are.
"It's about creating competition today and tomorrow and seeing who has the best week of practice and whoever does will run out there on Saturday and that's, that's really it," Drinkwitz said. ... "We can't have penalties. We cannot have negative yardage plays on first down or running the football and who's going to take that off the tape?"
Starting Right guard Connor Wood has a team-high four penalties, starting right tackle Zeke Powell and starting center Connor Tollison have three. Starting left tackle Javon Foster has one and starting left guard Xavier Delgado is the only starter to not have a penalty. Although, Delgado hasn't played since the third quarter of week two.
On the depth chart, it appears the right guard position is up for grabs between Wood and Mitchell Walters. PFF College graded Wood's total offensive grade of 58.9, a pass-blocking grade of 80.1 and a run-blocking grade of 54.4. He also had two holding penalties on Saturday. Walters had a total offensive grade of 58.0, a pass-blocking grade of 75.6 and a run-blocking of 56.4.
There was a change at punter during week three as well, with Jack Stonehouse taking over for Sean Koetting. It appears that change will carry over to week four with Stonehouse being named the starter.
Be tough but not "dumb tough"; Drinkwitz would like Cook to slide more
Through three games Missouri quarterback Brady Cook has shown that he can make plays with his legs. In fact, Cook is Missouri's leading rusher with 159 rushing yards and has the most yards per rush of any player with more than five attempts. Cook presents a mobile threat that the Tigers didn't have last season but the issue isn't how or when Cook runs. It's how Cook finishes his runs, and Drinkwitz has noticed that Cook doesn't typically slide on his scrambles.
"We need to be tough," Drinkwitz said after a noticeable pause when asked about Cook not giving himself up. "And so, I think that's just the conversation with Brady. We need you to display toughness, especially in the quarterback position. We never want to take away his competitive toughness ,but let's not be dumb tough,."
What is Missouri's defense up against?
According to multiple reports on Tuesday, Auburn's starting quarterback TJ Finley will be out with a shoulder injury for Saturday's game meaning either Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada or Robby Ashford will be taking over in his place. Missouri doesn't expect Finley's absence to change the defensive game plan.
"It's about us. I think Zach Calzada might fill that role but we've been preparing for both guys," said Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker. "Both of them have played in all of the games leading up to our game. So, I don't think it's going to change our prep as far as what we have to prepare for."
It is unknown truly what Auburn's offense brings to the plate without Finley and with its offensive line being in flux, but what is known that Auburn has one of the better running back rooms that Missouri will see all season.
"I think all three (Auburn) running backs are good. Number 22, the true freshman (Damari Alston) is a really good player. I think all three of those running backs could start most places in the nation," Baker said. "What makes them so special is that they are all unique. ...They have great speed, vision and balance in common, but they all have a different running style."
One of those running backs is Preseason All-SEC first-team selection Tank Bigsby, who ran for 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns on 223 carries (4.9 yards per carry). This season, he has rushed for 237 yards on 38 carries (6.2 yards per carry and three touchdowns).
Safety Martez Manuel said the defense realizes how many tackles it missed in week three and has to attack that problem in practice this week, especially when they will face a running back like Bigsby. He also echoed sentiments from two weeks ago prior with the Tigers facing Kansas State and Deuce Vaughn ー having gap integrity.
Missouri missed five tackles in week two but missed nine tackles in week three.
"Gap integrity is going to be huge. ... Can't complain about missing tackles on Saturday but you don't want to tackle all week," Manuel said. "Even periods when we're going against our offense or doing drills and we aren't actually tackling, (we must) have good leverage with having our hips down and taking off at the right position."
Bigsby has only run for 240 yards so far this season, but he's averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Jarquez Hunter has four rushing touchdowns and Ashford has added 158 yards on the ground as well.
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