So much has changed since Drew Lock made his first start against South Carolina 2 years ago

Mizzou’s offense got the SEC Film Room treatment yesterday if such a thing interests you (and you have the right cable log in). It was such an impressive offensive performance that Mizzou Network posted some more highlights.

Through all the recognition, though, Drew Lock has been focused on South Carolina ... which means also flashing back a couple of years to his first start.

Lock played well in his freshman-year matchup with South Carolina, throwing for 136 yards and two touchdowns.

“I remember Drew being the young guy and making a couple good throws in the game,” said Missouri coach Barry Odom, the defensive coordinator at the time.

But Lock struggled the rest of the season — Missouri did not win another SEC contest — and he said Tuesday that his first start might have given him a false impression of the level of play in college football.

Lock posted a decent 139.4 passer rating in going 21-for-28 for 136 yards and two touchdowns. His passer rating would top a ghastly 90 just once the rest of the season. The steepness of the fall is even more staggering now that we're seeing the benefits of a rebound.

With my stat hat on, I like to say that by far the best predictor of future success in college football is past success. It is the way of the world in this oligarchical sport. But it only took two years for Missouri's offense to go from brilliant in 2013 to nearly the worst in the sport in 2015, and it's only taken two years for the Tigers to, however briefly, jump back into the top 10 in Off. S&P+.

Lock’s passer rating last Saturday: 252.6. Yes, take opponent into account, but even last year against Delaware State, it was only 211.9.

Obviously it's quite early, and there's nothing saying Mizzou will remain this high in the rankings, but the Tigers are going out of their way to prove me wrong: Recent success (or lack thereof) has meant very little to the Mizzou attack, good or bad.

Same for the defense, actually. It’s been a weird few years.

More Football Links:

• The KC Star looks at the possible make-or-break nature of Saturday’s game against South Carolina.
• PowerMizzou took an extended look at recent Missouri recruiting to figure out how the Tigers have gone from a nearly elite defense just two years ago to ... this defensive output.
• After a solid first game, is Mizzou cornerback Logan Cheadle starting to gear up for a run in pro football? Nah, not really.
• Attending Saturday’s game? Here’s what you need to know about game day.

More Links:

• I have much respect for the KC Star’s Tod Palmer, who didn’t delete this tweet but instead embraced the wonderful typo in it:

• Rock Bridge star Nathaniel Peat, a 2019 recruit and early-season breakout star, enjoyed an unofficial visit to Mizzou this weekend. Certainly didn’t have to travel very far.
• Aww.

• The next step in a grueling early-season path for Mizzou Soccer: a game at Northwestern tonight (on BTN+), then a visit from San Diego State on Sunday evening.
• The road doesn’t get any easier for Mizzou Volleyball either. The Tigers head to Salt Lake City for a game against Green Bay on Friday and a doubleheader against No. 15 San Diego and No. 18 Utah on Saturday. Yikes. But at the very least, being far from home won’t throw off a couple of the Tigers’ young stars.
• New PAPN! We talked about the new S&P+ rankings and the big games of Week 2, and I briefly got to deliver my “Mizzou as Texas Tech” line for like the 28th time this week.