Missouri's defense says it could have done more on Saturday. "We could have scored."

Here are today's Mizzou Links.

By Bill Connelly@SBN_BillC Oct 19, 2015, 4:59am CDT

What's On

There were highlights! Really!

MUtigers.com: Georgia outlasts @MizzouFootball, 9-6

The Trib: Another no-show for MU offense in 9-6 loss at Georgia

Offense bad

The Trib: MU offense is too much dead weight

Missouri (4-3, 1-3 SEC) is half of a great football team. Well, if you subtract the poor kickoff- and punt-return units, at least 40 percent of a great football team. Its defense, led again by Brothers with 17 tackles, did everything in its power except hang on to interceptions that would have terminated two of Georgia’s scoring drives.

Well, there was one other thing the defense could have done.

"We could have scored," said linebacker Michael Scherer, who made 12 tackles.

The defense came as close as possible to scoring on the first play.

PowerMizzou: One-sided affair
PowerMizzou: A cruel twist

There were more what-ifs on Saturday, in a season that's been dominated by that question. Safety Anthony Sherrils was always around the ball, but could never quite get that elusive interception. He had three pass break-ups, officially, but each of those could have just as easily been interceptions.

The one that hurt the most? That was a diving attempt at Missouri's one-yard line late in the third quarter. It was ruled an interception as Sherrils went to the ground, but upon review, the officials overturned the call, believing that the ball became dislodged as Sherrils hit the turf.

"I had it for sure," Sherrils said. "Definitely. Like I told him, we played them at their home. It was a house call."

Weeelllll I'm not sure about that, Anthony, but it was really, really close.

Post-Dispatch: Mizzou offense sputters in defeat
Post-Dispatch: Mizzou notebook: Tigers' ground game fizzles

"It just seemed (Georgia) always had somebody unblocked," Pinkel said. "That’s not very good, obviously."

"Once their linebackers saw run they went downhill every time," MU center Evan Boehm said. "We need to do a better job of getting everyone covered up. Georgia did a good job of getting on our edges. … When they got on the edge they shot their backers and we didn’t come off fast enough." [...]

On Missouri’s third drive of the third quarter, Hansbrough crumpled to the turf after a running play and needed help by trainers to get back on his feet. He headed to the sideline for the rest of the series but returned for the next possession. He finished with 24 yards on 11 carries. Witter ran six times for 15 yards. The Tigers lost another 16 yards on four sacks of Lock.

"It’s tough on your pass (protection) when your running game’s not there," Boehm said. "I think everybody saw that tonight."

Defense good

The Trib (David Morrison): Game Rewind: Georgia 9, Missouri 6

Defense Still Strong: Crazily so. Like, "How in the hell are they doing it?" so. Just think about these numbers for a second. Heading into the Missouri game, Georgia was averaging 37.2 points a game, 451.3 yards a game and 7.34 yards a play. Missouri held the Bulldogs 76 percent, 34 percent and 47 percent below those marks, respectively. Georgia came in rushing for 231.5 yards a game and 6.40 yards a carry. The Bulldogs came in 48 and 58 percent under those two marks. Georgia came into the game ranked in the top 10 in the FBS in fewest tackles for loss allowed per game (2.83). Well, Missouri got the Bulldogs for nearly three times that (eight). On the year, the Tigers rank sixth in the FBS in scoring defense (12.9), eighth in total defense (279.0), fifth in yards per play allowed (4.04), 21st in rush defense (113.7), eighth in yards per rush allowed (2.83), 11th in pass defense (165.3), 15th in yards per attempt allowed (5.7) and second in tackles for loss to only Arizona State (65). Alabama and Missouri are the only teams to hold Georgia below 300 yards this year. Missouri is the only team to limit Georgia to fewer than four yards a play. But when the offense opposite that ranks 125th out of 127 FBS teams -- last among Power 5 -- and above only Northwestern among Power 5 teams in yards per play, that's hard to come back from.

Checking in on Mackenzie Nworah

PowerMizzou: Coach Q&A: Mackenzie Nworah

How do you see Mackenzie developing at the next level? What kind of impact do you think he could have at Mizzou, and what do you believe his ceiling to be?

I think he's going to be really good. I think what he's going to bring to the table is leadership. Offensive linemen are typically a tight-knit group. Mackenzie will be a great locker room leader. What he will be is an extremely hard worker. He enjoys the process. Since he was so raw, he knows you can work hard, and your technique can be so good, you can beat a guy with great technique. He's really bought into that.

One thing Mizzou is getting is we play a very similar offense. We are a tempo offense. We allow those guys to make calls up front and change protections. He'll be a high IQ guy, and a guy that really leads by example. His work ethic is impeccable. He's not a flashy guy at all. He's not into the glitz and the glamour. He's not into the costume. He's into the work that's to be done to earn the right to win on Saturday.

Can he start next year??