Missouri-Tennessee snap counts: A punishing 2-TE set and all-or-nothing corners

If you followed along with my work in this space last year, you know that I endeavored to provide snap counts for every Missouri player for every offensive and defensive snap that counted during the season.

If you were not...well, I just explained what this is in the last graf. You should have paid attention.

Anyway, I pored over the film of the Tigers’ 50-17 win over Tennessee to see who Missouri used on offense and defense, how often and in what ways. Then I tried to gather it in a way that wouldn’t bore you too terribly.

Did I fail? Did I succeed? I suppose that’s up for history to decide.

On we go with Year 3 of ... Snap Counts...

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Observations

• How did Missouri get by without Albert Okwuegbunam but with Kendall Blanton back in the lineup? Very well, actually.
• Blanton saw 36 of his 55 total snaps attached to the line and Daniel Parker saw 31 of his 38 at H-back. Missouri ran out of a 2-wideout/1-tight end/2-running back set 32 times and tallied up 209 yards, or 6.53 per.
• The thing that differentiated the 2-1-2 this week — besides it being the dominant set — was that it was actually a lot more diverse than it’s been in the pass: 23 rushes for 109 yards and 7-of-9 passing for 100 yards and a touchdown.
• The 4-0-1, while still not diverse (14 passes, four runs) was at least pretty devastating: 162 yards in those 18 plays, or 9.00 per.
• On the defensive side, it was kind of a go for broke proposition when Tennessee threw at Missouri’s corners. DeMarkus Acy gave up three catches for 108 yards on 10 targets, but also logged two picks. Add in Christian Holmes’ 2-of-3 for 54 yards and, overall, the corners gave up 162 yards on 5-of-13 passing, with two picks.
• The rest of the defense gave up 11 yards on 2-of-8 passing. Not a bad day at all.
• The weird thing is the base defense was actually pretty bleh. The Tigers ran the 4-3 on 21 plays and gave up 143 yards, or 6.81 per.
• The good news, as you probably already know, is that 21 plays was less than half of the 49 Missouri faced. And the 3-4 gave up only 3.81 yards a play and netted a sack and a pick in its 16 outings.
• The 5-4 goal-line set also became a 5-3 after Tavon Ross’ targeting ejection. Two safeties and a corner in the set instead of Ross, a safety and a corner.
• Larry Rountree (41) got more than half the team’s carries at back, with Tyler Badie (16) and Simi Baker (10) also getting looks as Damarea Keener-Crockett fought through his injury to 12 snaps.
• Missouri continues to get great bang for its buck out of Dominic Gicinto, who snared a touchdown on one of his 10 snaps. Johnathon Johnson (50) and Emanuel Hall (48) led the receiving corps, with Richaud Floyd (37) and Kam Scott (32) also featuring.
• With Floyd’s scary injury, Jalen Knox’s possible(?) concussion and Nate Brown...doing whatever he’s doing with his lingering injury issues, it probably means a heap of snaps for Scott in the regular season finale. And maybe Alex Ofodile gets another look or two.
• Kevin Pendleton stayed in the whole game, even in garbage time. Maybe Missouri only brought nine offensive linemen on the trip?
• Found it kind of curious that, even with Markell Utsey on the sideline (I saw him joshing with Crockett once), Akial Byers was Missouri’s junk-time tackle with Kobie Whiteside. Could be trying to preserve a redshirt?
• Byers and Chris Turner appear to be the pretty clear starters at end at this point, though Tre Williams and Trajan Jeffcoat are still the ends of choice in the Dime. Nate Anderson, at least, got a nice strip on Joshuah Bledsoe’s fumble return before exiting stage left thanks to a retributive targeting.
• Ronnell Perkins played all but seven snaps in Brandon Lee’s stead, and Nick Bolton (with Cale Garrett) and Jamal Brooks (with Terez Hall) each got series playing alongside a starter. Which is nice.
• Jarvis Ware replaced Holmes about halfway through and never left the field, and Terry Petry got some snaps at the end. At safety, it looks like it’s still a by-committee approach, with Tyree Gillespie and Cam Hilton as the nominal starters but Khalil Oliver and Bledsoe getting plenty of reps in the defensive backfield as well as playing nickelback in the Dime looks.
• Speaking of those Dime looks, they kind of reflected the defense as a whole: mostly boom but with a couple busts. On seven plays combined, the look gave up 2-of-6 passing for 51 yards and an interception, as well as recording Gillespie’s sack.
• I think Ryan Walters will take that.

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Tennessee When Targeting...

DeMarkus Acy: 3-of-10, 108 yards, 2 INT
Christian Holmes: 2-of-3, 54 yards
Cornerbacks: 5-of-13, 162 yards, 2 INT

Cam Hilton: 0-of-2
Joshuah Bledsoe: 1-of-2, 6 yards
Tyree Gillespie: 0-of-1
Safeties: 1-of-5, 6 yards

Ronnell Perkins: 1-of-3, 5 yards

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Offense

Quarterback
Drew Lock — 70
Taylor Powell — 9

Running Back
Larry Rountree — 41
Tyler Badie — 16
Damarea Keener-Crockett — 12
Simi Bakare — 10

H-Back
Daniel Parker — 31
Kendall Blanton — 8
Logan Christopherson — 8

Wide Receiver
Johnathon Johnson — 50
Emanuel Hall — 48
Richaud Floyd — 37
Kam Scott — 32
Alex Ofodile — 13
Kendall Blanton — 11
Dominic Gicinto — 10
Khmari Thompson — 9
Barrett Banister — 5
Daniel Parker — 4

Tight End
Kendall Blanton — 36
Samson Bailey — 10
Daniel Parker — 3
Logan Christopherson — 1

Line
Kevin Pendleton — 79
Paul Adams — 70
Trystan Colon-Castillo — 70
Yasir Durant — 70
Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms — 70
Larry Borom — 9
Case Cook — 9
Jonah Dubinski — 9
Hyrin White — 9

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Defense

End
Chris Turner — 27
Akial Byers — 23
Tre Williams — 12
Nate Anderson — 9
Trajan Jeffcoat — 7
Jatorian Hansford — 4

Tackle
Terry Beckner — 32
Walter Palmore — 24
Jordan Elliott — 19
Rashad Brandon — 14
Kobie Whiteside — 6
Akial Byers — 4

Rush End
Tre Williams — 5
Nate Anderson — 4
Akial Byers — 4
Chris Turner — 3

Linebacker
Ronnell Perkins — 42
Cale Garrett — 38
Terez Hall — 36
Nick Bolton — 13
Jamal Brooks — 6
Jacob Trump — 2

Nickelback
Joshuah Bledsoe — 7
Khalil Oliver — 7

Cornerback
DeMarkus Acy — 45
Christian Holmes — 23
Jarvis Ware — 21
Terry Petry — 4

Safety
Tyree Gillespie — 31
Cam Hilton — 27
Joshuah Bledsoe — 22
Khalil Oliver — 18

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Offensive Set Success

2-WR/1-TE/2-RB
Run: 23 for 109 (4.74 avg.), TD
Pass: 7-of-9, 100 yards (11.1 avg.), TD
Total: 32 plays, 209 yards (6.53 avg.), 2 TD

4-WR/1-RB
Run: 4 for 33 (8.25 avg.)
Pass: 10-of-14, 129 yards (9.21 avg.), TD, fumble lost
Total: 18 plays, 162 yards (9.00 avg.), TD, TO

3-WR/1-TE/1-RB
Run: 10 for 56 (5.60 avg.), TD
Pass: 1-of-2, 8 yards (4.00 avg.)
Sack: 1 for -9
Total: 13 plays, 55 yards (4.23 avg.), TD

3-WR/2-RB
Run: 8 for 32 (4.00 avg.)
Pass: 3-of-5, 20 yards (4.00 avg.)
Total: 13 plays, 52 yards (4.00 avg.)

2-WR/2-TE/1-RB
Run: 2 for 2 (1.00 avg.)

1-WR/1-TE/3-RB
Run: 1 for 4, TD

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Defensive Set Success

4-3
Run: 13 for 75 (5.77 avg.), fumble lost
Pass: 3-of-8, 68 yards (8.50 avg.)
Total: 21 plays, 143 yards (6.81 avg.), TO

3-4
Run: 8 for 17 (2.13 avg.)
Pass: 2-of-7, 54 yards (7.71 avg.), INT
Sack: 1 for -10
Total: 16 plays, 61 yards (3.81 avg.), INT

5-3
Run: 4 for 8 (2.00 avg.), 2 TD
Sack: 1 for -2
Total: 5 plays, 6 yards (1.20 avg.), 2 TD

Dime (3-2-6)
Pass: 2-of-3, 51 yards (17.0 avg.)
Sack: 1 for -8
Total: 4 plays, 43 yards (10.8 avg.)

Dime (4-1-6)
Pass: 0-of-3, INT