GAINESVILLE, FL– If football games consisted of just the second and third quarters Missouri would be unbeatable. Unfortunately for the 2022 Missouri Tigers, the game is four quarters and after four quarters against Florida, Missouri lost its third straight game by a score of 24-17.
The saying goes “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” That is true, but for Missouri at this point, if it started fast it may be 5-1 instead of 2-4.
Missouri’s first four offensive drives were three punts and an interception returned for a touchdown, and all of those drives were in the first quarter. For the third time in six games, Missouri allowed a double-digit lead in the first quarter before it got back into the game and made it competitive again.
What Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz thinks the slow starts have come down to as of late is ball security.
“We’ve got to take care of the football,” Drinkwitz said. “That’s the No. 1 thing. We threw an interception against Auburn (that led to Auburn taking a 14-0 first-quarter lead), and now we throw an interception it here. It just can’t happen.”
Not only does the team have a problem starting off fast they have dropped to 2-10 on the road in the Drinkwitz era.
Missouri has been outscored 98-51 in the first quarter of its last 12 road games. If you take away the first quarter from the games against Boston College and Vanderbilt in 2021 then Missouri has gotten outscored 84-27.
When you talk about finishing games over the last three weeks, the Tigers have had their share of opportunities to put the game away offensively or on special teams.
Against Auburn, Harrison Mevis missed a 26-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would’ve won them the game. Nathaniel Peat fumbled the ball into the end zone on what would be the final play of the game and they ended up losing. In week five, down 26-22, the offense had a chance to march down the field, but stalled with less than three minutes and they lost.
To win in this league, teams have to know how to finish, but for Missouri, if it starts fast finishing becomes a little easier.
The Tigers’ defense keeps the team afloat (again)
The Tigers’ defense hasn’t had the same issues as of late when it comes to starting the game out ready to play. The defense held Auburn to three points after allowing 14 points in the first quarter, it held Georgia to four field goals for three and a half quarters before fatigue set in, and it held Florida to 17 points on Saturday.
Florida’s first five possessions (not including the kneel down to end the first half) were a punt, a made field goal, a missed field goal, a fumble and another missed field goal. In the first half, Florida was 1-of-5 on third down, had the ball for a little over nine minutes (compared to Missouri having the ball over 20 minutes) and had 19 rushing yards on 10 carries in the first half.
Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson was held to 4-of-8 completions for 46 yards and one rush for two yards.
When Richardson fumbled at Florida’s 32-yard line with less than four minutes to go in the half on a strip sack by DJ Coleman, Missouri only got a field goal out of it.
Missouri’s defense did falter in the second half and allowed two touchdowns on Florida’s second and third possessions after halftime to trail 24-10. On the first touchdown drive, Mizzou allowed a 41-yard gain by Montrell Johnson, Jr., and on the second touchdown drive, Missouri allowed a 39-yard run by Nay’Quan Wright and a 32-yard run by Richardson on fourth and three.
The defense was able to bounce back after Missouri was able to narrow the deficit to 24-17 with a tipped pass by Jaylon Carlies being intercepted by Daylan Carnell. That gave Missouri the ball back with a little less than three minutes in regulation.
It was evident versus Georgia, that the Tigers’ defense is more aggressive with a lead but when they have to consistently keep the team in the game because they are down double digits they have to play nearly perfectly just to give the offense a chance to rebound and score.
The details matter
For as much as Missouri’s starts and finishes have impacted them this season, Drinkwitz believes the details throughout the game are also what has contributed to the string of losses for the Tigers.
“Looks like we lost some gap fits,” Drinkwitz said. “A couple of them were missed tackles 一 didn’t keep our head up and they were able to leap over us. You have them on fourth and three and then they run a play that we have completely covered and the quarterback scrambles. … So, missed opportunities. No different than the offense driving the ball right back down the field and throwing an interception. Missed opportunities on both sides, and on the road in this league, you can’t have it.”
Some of those details include the aforementioned interception returned for a touchdown, Richardson's scramble on fourth and short and the interception thrown in the red zone, but it also includes a 40-yard punt that was returned for 48 yards, a bad snap that saw the ball go right past Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook on what was almost a massive loss on the play had Cook not picked the ball up and threw it away, six penalties, four sacks allowed and 13 tackles for loss allowed.
"Attention to details. ... we have to hone in on those type of things," defensive end Isaiah McGuire, who had a team-high seven tackles and three tackles for loss, said. "We've got to be committed to playing all four quarters of football for 60 minutes."
Injuries piling up at wide receiver
Entering the game, Missouri’s three best wide receivers were on the injury report (Luther Burden III, Dominic Lovett and Barrett Banister). Burden was probable and Lovett and Banister were questionable. Lovett played while Banister didn’t, but Lovett didn’t play as many snaps as he typically would and had four receptions for 39 yards.
A wide receiver room that was already missing Chance Luper saw Burden injure his left leg early in the second half. He got up but needed assistance to the sideline and put no weight on the leg as he went out of the game. Burden did not return and in his absence freshman, Mekhi Miller played.
Miller had two catches for 38 yards.
“It was great to see Miller step up and make some plays,” Drinkwitz said. “We’re pretty beat up right now at wide receivers with Luther going down. Obviously, Barrett and Chance are out, so we have to get some other people to step up.”
Burden's status is unknown, but Mizzou does have a week off before its next game.
Mookie Cooper had his second straight game with more than 50 yards (four receptions for 58 yards). Tauskie Dove had two receptions for 21 yards and tight end Tyler Stephens had one reception for five yards.
Missouri's next game is versus Vanderbilt on Oct. 22.
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