Mizzou 3-2-1: Florida
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GAINESVILLE, FL--After each game, we’ll take a look at three things we learned, two questions we have and one prediction for the rest of the season. Here is the 3-2-1 report after the 40-14 loss to Florida.
THREE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. If the Missouri offense is better than last year, it isn’t by much. The Tigers scored seven points, on a trick play, against LSU. They scored seven, which came on a 4-play, 46-yard drive after an interception, against Florida. The Gator defense scored more than that, courtesy of Drew Lock and some routes that can only be described as confusing. The Tigers are averaging 13.25 points per game against Power Five competition...exactly what they averaged last year.
2. Damarea Crockett should be the feature back the rest of the season. He had a long run. He found some holes. He ran tough. He has to be the guy going forward. Because no matter what Barry Odom is saying, it looks like the Tigers have a better chance to stay in games by handing it off to the freshman than they do by winging the ball all over the field frenetically.
3. Missouri can play defense a little bit. It wasn’t a dominant effort or anything. But the Tigers did put some pressure on Luke Del Rio. They were making some plays in the backfield and got some stops. They had three interceptions and dropped at least two or three more. The third downs are still an issue and the defense didn’t look exactly like it did last year, but it was a step forward. Michael Scherer looked good moving to the outside and Ronnell Perkins made some plays in his first career start. And popular whipping boy John Gibson had a nice game too.
TWO QUESTIONS WE HAVE
1. Is Drew Lock good? There are tools there.There are flashes. But the simple fact is he’s now 1-10 against Power Five competition and Missouri hasn’t even been in striking distance of a lot of those games. Whether the interceptions are on him or his receivers (it seemed there was some of both on Saturday), the two parts of the passing game clearly aren’t on the same page. That said, the staff doesn’t seem at all interested in giving Marvin Zanders anything more than a “go in and run a couple of times” glance. I don’t yet know how good Drew Lock is. By the end of this season, we need to have a better idea.
2. Is Missouri the worst team in the SEC? I think it’s fair to ask right now. Vanderbilt won at Georgia. Mississippi State pushed LSU earlier this season. South Carolina and Kentucky have looked better against better competition than Missouri has. Not consistently, but at times. The Tigers have to win four straight games to make a bowl. Right now, none of them is a sure thing and the Tigers will be underdogs in at least two I’d bet.
ONE BOLD PREDICTION GOING FORWARD
Missouri’s spending Christmas at home again. I just don’t see four teams that the Tigers can beat. At this point, I’m not positive I see two. It’s not that they’ve lost to LSU and Florida. It’s that they haven’t been close. There’s not been a minute of either game where you thought Missouri could come out on top. One game like that can happen. But a second? Off a bye? Against a team that committed eight false starts, threw three interceptions and gave you countless chances to be competitive? That shouldn’t happen. But it did. And it leaves me thinking that a second straight losing season is going to be very tough to avoid.