Missouri-Arkansas snap counts: Johnny Wholeteam Rides Again

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’ 38-0 win over Arkansas 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

• Arkansas actually made Missouri work a little bit harder for its real estate on the ground than other teams have recently, but the Tigers still found green grass outside the tackles, running off tackle 17 times for 99 yards and both scores, or an average of 5.82 per.
• That was nearing twice as efficient as Missouri was between the tackles: 24 carries, 77 yards, 3.21 per.
• And the left side (23 for 103, 4.48 avg.) was a little more effective than the right side (18 for 73, 4.06 avg.).
• Arkansas’ quarterbacks could not handle Missouri blitzers. At all. The Tigers sent extra rushers on 12 of the Razorbacks’ 30 pass attempts and sacks. On those 12 plays, Missouri logged three sacks — including the Akial Byers scoop-and-score — and allowed only 2-of-9 passing for 29 yards and Terez Hall’s interception.
• With only four rushers coming, though, Arkansas actually did decently: 8-of-16 passing for 106 yards. Allowed two sacks, though.
• The Dime was pretty hilariously effective against the Razorbacks. As in, they had no clue what to do with it. The six defensive back set was out there for 12 plays and gave up 14 total yards. That included 2-of-6 passing for 29 yards and an interception and four sacks for minus-34. An unmitigated disaster, pretty much.
• Larry Rountree gets the ironman award for the day, playing 54 of the 69 snaps (78.3 percent) with Damarea Keener-Crockett injured. That’s an insane amount for a running back in Missouri’s offense, and he also logged touches on 57.4 percent of those snaps (31 of 54).
• And he went over 1,000 rush yards on the season. So, congrats!
• At tight end, Kendall Blanton saw 53 snaps and Daniel Parker got 31. Blanton got 64 percent of his snaps attached to the line, and Parker got 81 percent of his at H-back. The team ended the regular season with a 1.35 TEPS outing. Not bad at all.
• That’s a pretty nice way forward for Missouri, even with Blanton graduating. Parker as the sometimes pass-catching, all-time blocking H-back. Albert Okwuegbunam splitting wide, attaching and playing in the backfield. Should be a gruesome twosome for the years to come.
• Jalen Knox (60) played almost all of the game, with Emanuel Hall (41) and Johnathon Johnson (37) following. Going to be interesting to see who emerges from the scrum alongside Knox at outside receiver next year. Kam Scott has shown brilliance in flashes but hasn’t been able to get on the field consistently. Dominic Gicinto has looked increasingly good as the season has gone on, but is he an outside receiver or a slot guy? Probably slot.
• A modest proposal. Make the 2-1-2 your base set next year, as the Tigers have been doing down the home stretch: Knox, Johnson, Okwuegbunam, Parker and a back. I like that.
• The defense had 34 players see the field against Arkansas. Hence the blog post title.
• That includes people like Roderick Winters, Dominic Nelson and Finis Stribling, who hadn’t seen the field on defense all year, and people like Antar Thompson, Tyrell Jacobs, Myles Eaddy, Tavon Ross, Jamal Brooks, Jacob Trump, Nick Bolton and Jarvis Ware getting some extended play.
• In Ware’s case, his four snaps came after Christian Holmes gave up a pretty egregious catch and run. So his was punishment-based.
• Markell Utsey’s inclusion is kind of interesting, too, because now he can’t play in the bowl game if they want to preserve a possible redshirt this year.
• Jordan Elliott asserted his control over one of the starting tackle spots — and boy, did he ever — by logging the second-most snaps (31), behind Terry Beckner’s 39, and destroying some souls along the way. Beckner, Walter Palmore and Rashad Brandon’s departures throw the depth into a bit of flux, but Elliott at least looks to be coming into his own.
• Ronnell Perkins also got a couple of series in Brandon Lee’s place in the finale, after playing almost all of the Tennessee game. Perhaps another preview of a starting spot locked down for next year, alongside Cale Garrett and...Bolton?
• The 3-1-1 was refreshingly diverse after being a majority-run set pretty much all year. Against Arkansas, the Tigers ran seven times for 36 yards out of it while also completing 4-of-6 passes for 73 yards. A total production of 13 plays for 109 yards, or 8.38 per.
• The 4-0-1 was extremely one-dimensional — 11 passes, four rushes — but it worked as well: 8-of-11 passing for 119 yards and a score.
• The base 4-3 was, again, Missouri’s weakest on defense, but it was still very effective and gave up only 3.60 yards a play: 6-of-16 passing for 86 yards and 27 carries for only 69 yards, or 2.56 per.

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Missouri When Rushing...

Off Left Tackle: 10 for 57, TD
Between LT and Left Guard: 4 for 10
Between LG and Center: 9 for 36
To the Left Side: 23 for 103 (4.48 avg.), TD

Between C and Right Guard: 3 for 9
Between RG and Right Tackle: 8 for 22
Off RT: 7 for 42, TD
To the Right Side: 18 for 73 (4.06 avg.), TD

Between the Tackles: 24 for 77 (3.21 avg.)
Outside the Tackles: 17 for 99 (5.82 avg.), 2 TD

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Arkansas Throwing Against...

4 Rushers
8-of-16, 106 yards, 2 sacks

Extra Rushers
2-of-9, 29 yards, INT, 3 sacks

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Offense

Quarterback
Drew Lock — 64
Taylor Powell — 5

Running Back
Larry Rountree — 54
Tyler Badie — 9
Simi Bakare — 3
Dawson Downing — 3

H-Back
Daniel Parker — 25
Kendall Blanton — 11
Brendan Scales — 2

Wide Receiver
Jalen Knox — 60
Emanuel Hall — 41
Johnathon Johnson — 37
Dominic Gicinto — 20
Barrett Banister — 11
Kam Scott — 10
Kendall Blanton — 8
Alex Ofodile — 4
Daniel Parker — 1

Tight End
Kendall Blanton — 34
Samson Bailey — 6
Daniel Parker — 5
Brendan Scales — 1

Line
Paul Adams — 66
Trystan Colon-Castillo — 66
Yasir Durant — 66
Kevin Pendleton — 66
Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms — 66
Larry Borom — 3
Case Cook — 3
Jonah Dubinski — 3
Mike Ruth — 3
Hyrin White — 3

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Defense

End
Chris Turner — 38
Akial Byers — 31
Tre Williams — 26
Nate Anderson — 9
Trajan Jeffcoat — 6
Franklin Agbasimere — 4
Jatorian Hansford — 4
Myles Eaddy — 1

Tackle
Terry Beckner — 39
Jordan Elliott — 31
Rashad Brandon — 18
Walter Palmore — 16
Kobie Whiteside — 10
Markell Utsey — 5
Tyrell Jacobs — 4
Antar Thompson — 4

Rush End
Akial Byers — 3
Chris Turner — 3
Tre Williams — 2
Nate Anderson — 1

Linebacker
Terez Hall — 59
Cale Garrett — 46
Brandon Lee — 35
Ronnell Perkins — 10
Tavon Ross — 7
Jamal Brooks — 4
Roderick Winters — 4
Jacob Trump — 3
Nick Bolton — 1

Nickelbacks
Joshuah Bledsoe — 12
Khalil Oliver — 12

Cornerback
DeMarkus Acy — 60
Christian Holmes — 60
Finis Stribling — 4
Jarvis Ware — 4

Safety
Tyree Gillespie — 44
Cam Hilton — 44
Joshuah Bledsoe — 20
Khalil Oliver — 16
Dominic Nelson — 4

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Offensive Set Success

2-WR/1-TE/2-RB
Run: 19 for 100 (5.26 avg.), TD
Pass: 1-of-4, 6 yards (1.50 avg.), TD
Total: 23 plays, 106 yards (4.61 avg.), 2 TD

4-WR/1-RB
Run: 4 for 6 (1.50 avg.)
Pass: 8-of-11, 119 yards (10.8 avg.), TD
Total: 15 plays, 125 yards (8.33 avg.), TD

3-WR/1-TE/1-RB
Run: 7 for 36 (5.14 avg.)
Pass: 4-of-6, 73 yards (12.2 avg.)
Total: 13 plays, 109 yards (8.38 avg.)

3-WR/2-RB
Run: 7 for 32 (4.57 avg.), TD
Pass: 4-of-6, 29 yards (4.83 avg.)
Total: 13 plays, 61 yards (4.69 avg.), TD

2-WR/2-TE/1-RB
Run: 2 for 4 (2.00 avg.)

1-WR/3-TE/1-RB
Run: 2 for 1 (0.50 avg.)

2-WR/3-RB
Run: 1 for 2

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Defensive Set Success

4-3
Run: 27 for 69 (2.56 avg.)
Pass: 6-of-16, 86 yards (5.38 avg.)
Total: 43 plays, 155 yards (3.60 avg.)

Dime (4-1-6)
Run: 2 for 19 (9.50 avg.)
Pass: 2-of-5, 29 yards (5.80 avg.), INT
Sack: 4 for -34
Total: 11 plays, 14 yards (1.27 avg.), INT

3-4
Run: 5 for 22 (4.40 avg.)
Pass: 2-of-3, 20 yards (6.67 avg.)
Sack: 1 for -24, fumble lost, scoop-n-score
Total: 9 plays, 18 yards (2.00 avg.), fumble lost, scoop-n-score

Dime (3-2-6)
Pass: 0-of-1