GAINESVILLE, FL—Saturday night looked awfully reminiscent of 2015. A defense that was good for a while, but finally broke after its offense continued to put it in awful situations and keep it on the field all night long. A 40-14 drubbing by Florida, Missouri’s 10th loss in 11 SEC games since the start of last season.
FIVE INSTANT REACTIONS | MIZZOU 3-2-1 | FRAZIER: TIGERS STAY TOGETHER
Outwardly, it was tough to see that there were many differences from Mizzou’s tumultuous season a year ago. But in the locker room, every Tiger said there is a world of difference in the way the team will handle it.
“Not at all. Last year I can probably say yeah. This year no,” linebacker Michael Scherer said. “That’s not something we have a problem with. It’s not one side looking at another.”
“It don’t exist this year,” cornerback John Gibson said. “It don’t exist.”
“When things aren’t going good, when things are tough, which they are, we’ll see what we’re made of,” head coach Barry Odom said. “I know what that group in there is made of. We’ll be all right.”
So is he concerned they aren’t staying together?
“No,” he replied. “We have been through way too much together as a team. I don’t question any of that.”
Odom made a point of making sure the team wouldn’t fracture before Saturday night’s debacle was half over. Down 20-0 at halftime, the Tigers locked arms and headed to the locker room.
“He said defensive players get with an offensive player, offensive players get with a defensive player, lock up and go in together,” defensive tackle Josh Augusta said.
“I think that’s the first step in making sure that we’re working well together,” Odom explained. “I haven’t been around a long time, but I’ve been around long enough to know better stay together. Better stay tight together. We’ll be all right.”
“It’s tough to do, but he’s right,” safety Thomas Wilson said. “We just can’t blame people. You’ve got to take ownership of what your’e doing. If you didn’t play perfect then you’re partly to blame as well.”
There was no finger pointing—at least not at a teammate. One Tiger pointed the finger at himself.
“Everyone’s going to say it was on them. I didn’t play good,” quarterback Drew Lock said. “I didn’t play well enough for us to win the football game or even really move the ball. In my mind I played extremely bad today. It’s disappointing.”
Lock completed just 4-of-19 passes for 39 yards. Two of his passes were caught by Florida defenders and both were returned for touchdowns, turning a 6-0 deficit in the 20-0 halftime bulge that was far too much for Mizzou’s meager offense to overcome.
"First one was a bad play by my part. I didn’t see the whole thing. It was kind of a blind throw on my part,” Lock said of an errant pass for Damarea Crockett that was picked and returned by Jalen Tabor immediately following an Aarion Penton interception that had given the Tigers the ball on the previous play.
“I was running a wheel. I turned my head back and it was already in the air,” Crockett said. “He was just sitting right there. I didn’t want to turn my head around until I got behind him because I didn’t want Drew to throw it before then. It was just communication.”
“It was deflating. But I mean we got to come out and play,” Gibson said. “As long as we play together, I feel like we’re capable of getting the job done.”
The second pick six, on Missouri’s very next possession, was a deeper throw down the left sideline. It appeared that J’Mon Moore and Sean Culkin were too close together on their routes. Quincy Wilson dropped his coverage on Moore and stepped in front of Culkin, the intended receiver, for the pick that effectively ended any thoughts that this would be a competitive second half.
“I’m not going to throw anybody under the bus or say anything,” Lock said when asked if Moore cut his route short. “I’ve got to take care of the ball. It was bad. It was a bad game.”
So is there is a crisis of confidence for Missouri’s sophomore quarterback, who is now 1-10 in his career against Power Five competition?
“He’ll be fine. He’s just trying to take ownership for some things, but it’s not Drew,” Crockett said. “It’s a team effort. Win as a team, lose as a team. We believe in Drew, we have confidence in Drew and he’ll be back strong.”
“Not at all. Drew’s really good. He’s shown he’s really good,” Scherer said. “I’ve known how good he was all along from the first time I saw him throw the ball. His confidence won’t be a problem. I think we have to rally around him, help him out and the playmakers on offense got to do what they can to probably make a few more plays to help him.”
Lock’s next chance comes against Middle Tennessee State in a 3 p.m. Homecoming tilt at Faurot Field next Saturday.
