Rock M Nation - 2019 Mizzou Football Week 9: vs. Kentucky WildcatsA Blog for Ol' Mizzouhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50319/rmn-fav.png2019-11-06T08:00:00-06:00http://www.rockmnation.com/rss/stream/206912932019-11-06T08:00:00-06:002019-11-06T08:00:00-06:00Film Room: Feeling Constrained
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<figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Coach Bussen takes a look at the role run constraints played in the Kentucky game.</p> <p id="XcR7ci">For the most part, offensive coordinators must call a play based on what they <em>believe</em> the defense will do on that snap. But defensive coordinators can be tricky and unpredictable. A run play can be stopped cold by an unforseen safety dropping into the box. A pass can be snuffed out by an out-of-the-blue max coverage. </p>
<p id="aBXmM3">But offensive coordinators can be pretty crafty themselves, and implement mechanisms within their base plays so that — in theory — their calls are the right ones every time. These are called constraints. A constraint anticipates a defensive strategy that would compromise the base play, then gets the ball to a space that is weakened.</p>
<p id="XbOYKE">In this installment of Film Room, we will look at a few constraint plays Missouri used against Kentucky. </p>
<p id="1yuJDd">But first, a quick primer on the constraint system.</p>
<h3 id="Fkwgvn">The RPO</h3>
<p id="olinx6">An RPO, or Run/Pass Option, is a popular version of a constraint design. The point of an RPO is to put a single defender in a conflict situation.</p>
<p id="04D9cj">As an example, here is a very common RPO that pairs a Zone running play with a backside slant route.</p>
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<p id="0XpIqo">The Will linebacker, in red, is the conflicted player. The backside offensive tackle, usually stepping playside on Zone, is checking back for the backside defensive end, meaning the Will will be unblocked. If the Will steps forward to play the run, the quarterback pulls the ball from the running back’s belly and throws the slant in the open window. </p>
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<p id="DxhyAc">If the Will drops or stays in the slant window, the quarterback simply hands off to the running back.</p>
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<p id="ewwJmN">Here is an example of Missouri running this play earlier in the season against West Virginia.</p>
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<p id="Hzk0FQ">The Will, WVU’s #17, aligns just outside the run box and shuffles forward on the snap. <span>Kelly Bryant</span> pulls the ball from <span>Tyler Badie</span> (#1), and pitches to Albert Okuwegbunam (#81) on the Slant.</p>
<p id="ukugsb">As RPOs have gained in popularity with offensive coaches, RPO has also become a term commentators like to throw around. And not always with precision.</p>
<p id="YefhR2">To my mind, we should distinguish between RPOs that involve a post-snap read such as the example above, and constraint options such as quick passes and screens attached to run plays that call for a presnap read. I tend to think of the former as true RPOs, as the term only came into use with the advent of this post-snap-read tactic.</p>
<h3 id="aBCcDy">Quick Pass Constraints</h3>
<p id="DtwVtk">The idea behind a quick pass constraint is to protect the run play from extra defenders putting themselves in position to make a tackle.</p>
<p id="9hnNf2">Here is a diagram of the constraint scheme with which we’re probably most familiar: a Bubble Screen attached to a run play, in this case Inside Zone.</p>
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<p id="EnmVqu">First let’s notice that there are two read players, the strong safety (S, in red), and the backside defensive end (E, also in red). This is the major difference between post-snap RPOs and presnap constraints. If the quarterback chooses, presnap, to go with the Inside Zone, he can’t read the end <em>and</em> monitor the movement of the strong safety during the play. The play becomes a run/run option: the quarterback will handoff or keep. In a true RPO there is only one player to read, allowing the QB to make a handoff/pass read post-snap.</p>
<p id="FmNVUw">So how does the quarterback make his presnap read in this example? He is checking the strong safety’s alignment and presnap movement. If the strong safety is not in position to play the Bubble at the snap, the quarterback will flip it out to the receiver.</p>
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<p id="0mXPYx">In this example, the strong safety’s alignment takes him out of the picture for the Bubble, so the quarterback throws it that way. The outside receiver blocks the most dangerous man between the cornerback and the free safety. If the cornerback has force reponsibility (this is called Cloud), he will be the one to attack the screen. If the safety has force (Sky), he will show as the most dangerous man.</p>
<p id="9cncXq">The quick screen is beneficial because it gets the ball to a receiver in space with numbers in the offense’s favor. But its most important function is protecting the run play.</p>
<p id="jkBWTB">With the strong safety defending the run, the numbers advantage is in the defense’s favor. Let’s return to our example to see the effect the safety’s aggression has on the Inside Zone.</p>
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<p id="9bPZOC">The strong safety blitzes off the backside edge and the line slants away from him. At first blush, this does not seem like a problem, as the strong safety becomes the end man on the line of scrimmage (EMOL). The quarterback can read him to decide on a give to the running back or a keep. But notice that the extra defender means the offense cannot block the Mike linebacker (M, in orange).</p>
<p id="kmuqZT">This is not ideal, but the Bubble screen allows the offense to avoid running the ball into an unfavorable box, and offers a chance to make yards in an area where the defense has weakened itself.</p>
<p id="KRzbvW">If the defense brings the strong safety off the edge but doesn’t slant the line, the Mike can be blocked. But now there are two defenders on the backside edge of the Inside Zone. The end can take the running back, and the safety can take the quarterback. The quarterback read has been rendered useless.</p>
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<p id="wTzP9a">As in the previous scenario, the ball should go to the Bubble on the outside.</p>
<h3 id="XDU5I3">Other quick passes as constraints</h3>
<h4 id="W70qOQ">Now Screen</h4>
<p id="c4SpgU">The Bubble seems to have gone out of fashion. These days a more common quick screen is what’s sometimes called the Now Screen, as seen here in a play against Wyoming.</p>
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<p id="ArACuk">The Tigers align in an unbalanced set here, and <span>Jalen Knox</span> (#9) makes himself immediately available for a quick screen. Bryant doesn’t throw it because the threat of the screen succeeds in keeping the strong safety (Wyoming’s #8) sufficiently out of the box.</p>
<h4 id="xVtyop">Shoot Screen</h4>
<p id="eRwJYp">Another quick screen that has gained popularity is the Shoot Screen. The inside receiver runs a Shoot route and the outside receivers block for him. This touchdown against South Carolina is an example of a Shoot Screen featuring Albert O.</p>
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<p id="jzEc6p">I suppose the skip across the goalline is a tribute to Albert’s former teammate <span>Damarea Crockett</span>, a frequent practitioner of the TD-hop. </p>
<p id="KFzYwI">A couple observations. </p>
<ul><li id="5wGBzG">This is not a run constraint, it’s a called screen. But it very well could be used as a run constraint with a play such as Inside Zone, which would look like this.</li></ul>
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<ul><li id="p9g8FB">On the broadcast, the announcers suggested that the Tigers got away with downfield blocking on a pass. This was incorrect because Albert caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage. That makes the play a screen, so blocking downfield is legal.</li></ul>
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<h4 id="wB4nZY">Hitch Constraint</h4>
<p id="UwnKdl">The final quick pass constraint I’ll mention is the Hitch route. This is a scheme <span>Drew Lock</span> often used to his advantage last year.</p>
<p id="XZ7ay2">Here is an example from the Lock era that combines an Outside Zone with a Hitch constraint <em>and</em> a Now screen.</p>
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<p id="Ixz2uu">The play diagrammed.</p>
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<p id="asxtHm">Georgia does not put an extra man in the box, but they attempt to set a trap for Lock. The strong safety turns his body to the #2 (middle) receiver making the Hitch to #3 (the inside-most receiver) appear to be wide open. This alignment removes the possibility of the Now in Lock’s presnap read. But the safety aggressively falls in on the Hitch at the snap. Nevertheless, Lock is successful in squeezing the ball in to his tight end, <span>Kendall Blanton</span> (#11).</p>
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<p id="w4W4yi">And that’s my too-long preferatory discussion of constraints. Let’s get to some plays from the Kentucky game where the Tigers made good use, and not so good use, of run play constraints.</p>
<h3 id="QCqgYJ">Constraints vs. Kentucky</h3>
<p id="mc9o3g">I’ve isolated a two-play series where Missouri used constraints well to apply pressure to the Wildcat defense, and another two-play series where they missed opportunities to do so. </p>
<p id="14qIcm">We’ll look at the negative plays first.</p>
<h4 id="oK45PH">Constraints Constrained</h4>
<h5 id="KcCuLI">Play One</h5>
<p id="NP06oH">On this play, Mizzou runs Inside Zone Search to the left with Hitch constraints to the right. </p>
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<p id="l2oZB9">Notice that Kentucky’s strong safety aligns at the apex, halfway between the slot receiver and the backside tackle, then blitzes off the backside edge at the snap.</p>
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<p id="rrVON5">The blitz puts slot receiver <span>Johnathon Johnson</span> (#12) one-on-one with the free safety. The safety squats on the Hitch, and Bryant is forced to hold the ball. This is a busted play, but Bryant succeeds in making something out of nothing, scurrying for four or five yards.</p>
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<p id="qxwoyx">I’d like to have seen Johnson work a bit harder at getting to the safety’s inside shoulder, making himself available to Bryant. But you’d also have to tip your cap to Kentucky for anticipating the scheme Dooley would use, and using a blitz to trigger a well-defended constraint throw.</p>
<h5 id="gpFTI4">Play Two</h5>
<p id="oPuBsr">One the very next play, the Tigers run a Tackle Lead, again to the left. This time there does not appear to be a constraint on the backside.</p>
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<p id="1anRwv">Once again, the strong safety blitzes off the edge, and this time he is followed by the free safety. </p>
<p id="TyKrNs">Here is the play diagrammed.</p>
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<p id="OpxXHT">Note that the Wildcats have two players on the backside edge of the run play. As we saw above, this makes a quarterback read ineffective: one player will take the running back, one will take the quarterback.</p>
<p id="lOmAuy">The boundary safety is bluffing a single-high coverage and is late getting over the slot receiver <span>Jonathan Nance</span> (#4). This would be the perfect situation to throw the Hitch constraint.</p>
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<p id="BrpoBD">But, alas, no constraint was called. The strong safety tracks down <span>Larry Rountree III</span> (#34), who manages only a one-yard gain.</p>
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<h4 id="f2yhHp">Effective Constraints</h4>
<h5 id="tkFJof">Play One</h5>
<p id="rhymvW">Here the Tigers are running Outside Zone to <span>Dawson Downing</span> (#28), with a Now Screen on the backside.</p>
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<p id="9Vrj5O">The presnap read is the strong safety (S, in red).</p>
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<p id="LX5VUf">Bryant judges the safety to be tight enough to affect the run play. (He also probably peeks at him after the snap when the safety shuffles inside. Earlier I called for a hard distinction between presnap and post-snap reads. Now I’ll admit there is often some gray area.)</p>
<p id="qaYak4">Bryant whips the ball out to Nance (#4), who picks up a first down.</p>
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<p id="twimEB">This was fine execution by the two senior transfers.</p>
<h5 id="9UmtPu">Play Two</h5>
<p id="cy1vmt">On the very next snap Missouri runs the very same play, Outside Zone with a Now Screen constraint, and out of the same formation. This play is especially illustrative as it shows the full power of the constraint tactic as it unfolds into a triple option scheme. </p>
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<p id="PEJDZe">The Wildcat defense gives a different look on this snap, playing a linebacker on each edge and the strong safety inside—a seven-man run box. </p>
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<p id="ppX0cj">The boundary safety, aligned over the backside slot receiver, blitzes from depth on the snap.</p>
<p id="lPPsOe">Because the blitz comes post-snap, Bryant’s presnap read is to go ahead with the Outside Zone. The outside linebacker — the backside EMOL and therefore Bryant’s run read — crashes down on the running back, Downing (#28), triggering Bryant to keep the ball.</p>
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<p id="4riLng">Bryant now heads to the alley — the space just outside the backside tackle — and enters the second phase of the play, reading the alley. Again, this is triple option football. </p>
<p id="SLlaAu">The boundary safety blitz takes him through the alley at the snap, preventing Bryant from turning upfield.</p>
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<p id="FnygaN">Bryant responds by flipping the ball out to Nance, who is maintaining his availability. </p>
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<p id="RLSQcc">Johnson, the slot receiver, finds the most dangerous defender, the strong safety buzzing to the outside, and makes a nice block, opening a lane for Nance.</p>
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<p id="CLsrc1">But in keeping with a theme of the game, Nance — up to this point the only Tiger receiver who had showed sure hands in the rain — drops the ball.</p>
<p id="OCOc3F">Let’s ignore the drop and put the phases of the play all together. Bryant makes three reads.</p>
<ul>
<li id="Qew9El">Presnap decision to run the Outside Zone or throw the Now (he elects for the run play)</li>
<li id="z0dA1S">Post-snap read of the EMOL to handoff or keep (he keeps the ball)</li>
<li id="GktxPB">Second post-snap read to run the alley or throw the Now (he throws the screen)</li>
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<h3 id="Kkfg0F">Conclusion</h3>
<p id="BdFejc">Constraint plays are an integral part of modern offenses. As we have seen, proper decision-making and execution of this facet of the game is essential if an offense is going to keep numbers in their favor.</p>
<p id="lAeZ4y">Against Kentucky, the Tigers made good use of constraints on occasion, but more often than not failed to take advantage of the power of constraint schemes.</p>
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https://www.rockmnation.com/2019/11/6/20947036/constraint-theory-missouri-mizzou-tigers-kentucky-rpo-option-run-pass-quarterback-read-kelly-bryantTim Bussen2019-10-30T08:30:00-05:002019-10-30T08:30:00-05:00Film Room: Tigers can’t stand up to the Counter-pressure
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Missouri at Kentucky" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ggcx6DAl9UNXWKhRZt-MigRIgEc=/0x0:3084x2056/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65581926/usa_today_13577069.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Lynn Bolden is the latest running quarterback to shred this Mizzou defense</p> <p id="phsyzE">The Mizzou offense was putrid against Vanderbilt, and it continued to putrefy against Kentucky. But in the face of the Wildcats’ QB run game, executed by emergency quarterback <span>Lynn Bowden Jr.</span>, the Missouri defense joined the offense in its decay. </p>
<p id="KMfALG">Following the trend, I suppose we can expect the special teams unit to implode against Georgia, as it did last year.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
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<figcaption>Bad memories</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="aUApL3">We all know Bowden is good at playing football. Most of us have this play—a punt return TD that made possible Kentucky’s unlikely comeback victory last year—seared into our tortured memories.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="MPd5Z6">But I don’t think any of us foresaw Bowden going off for 204 yards on the ground.</p>
<p id="SyUn8X">Saturday’s game was a confluence of historical Tiger-killing factors. </p>
<p id="qjnzWx">Backup quarterback? Check. </p>
<p id="qsls8l">Monsoon? Check.</p>
<p id="uaAfYV">Mark Stoops on the sideline opposite Barry Odom? Check.</p>
<p id="jnN0Iv">And now a new factor we can add to the list: heavy doses of Quarterback Counter Trap.</p>
<p id="w7ATOg">Check and checkmate.</p>
<p id="QtChtJ">Indeed, QB Counter Trap is a play the Tigers have struggled against earlier this year.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="SB5sfl">I’ve addressed it <a href="https://www.rockmnation.com/2019/10/16/20912516/film-room-nick-bolton-linebacker-body-slam-cameron-wilkins-mizzou-tigers-football-jamal-brooks">before</a>, but let’s look closely at the inner workings of QB Counter Trap, then see how the Tigers defense broke down trying to defend it on Saturday.</p>
<h2 id="vBU0BO">Quarterback Counter Trap</h2>
<p id="guR9Gm">Let’s take the above touchdown by Ole Miss’s super-QB, <span>John Rhys Plumlee</span>, as an example.</p>
<p id="Z4MGVl">Notice that the Rebels split four receivers, yet Mizzou keeps seven in the box, aligning in a 5-2. This means the Tigers are playing Cover 0: man-to-man on the four wideouts with no safety help. They are stacking the box to stuff the run.</p>
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</figure>
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</figure>
<p id="2HMthQ">And here’s the play design.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="iCJrNH">Let’s note a few things:</p>
<ul>
<li id="1qFr7T">The blocking scheme calls for the playside linemen to block their backside gaps, while the backside guard and tackle pull around to the frontside.</li>
<li id="Zt1qbw">This leaves the backside end man on the line of scrimmage (EMOL), in this case the strong safety in red, unblocked.</li>
<li id="Vl7FDe">The mechanism to control the backside EMOL is a toss sweep read.</li>
</ul>
<p id="GXYY3v">If the EMOL follows the pullers to the playside, the QB will toss the ball out to the RB on a sweep.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
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</figure>
<p id="BggvA6">If the EMOL widens with the RB, the QB carries the ball up behind his pulling blockers.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
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</figure>
<p id="rqJGxs">On this particular play, the EMOL takes the latter option—watch the strong safety, <span>Khalil Oliver</span> (#20), peel off his course to take the RB—triggering Plumlee to carry the ball.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="jDnjVz">The play is blocked perfectly, and Plumlee scurries across the goal line untouched. But this needn’t have happened. The Tigers have a man for every blocker, one for the running back, and one for the quarterback.</p>
<p id="gBGIgJ">The unblocked man is the Mike linebacker, <span>Cameron Wilkins</span> (#40), highlighted red in this diagram.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="DFwJ26">Wilkins joins Oliver in following the sweep-threat to the backside, putting two players on the RB and only five left in the box to take on five blockers.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="YaHNgj">This is option football. The key to defending the option: there should be a defender assigned to each potential ball carrier.</p>
<p id="6bPPQx">Here are two ways of properly defending this play.</p>
<p id="DCd66T">The first involves what we have been calling gap-exchange. In the example below, the backside EMOL chases the pulling tackle inside, forcing a toss out to the running back. The Mike linebacker is now responsible for the outside gap, and runs to the edge. He is responsible for the sweep.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="akwksq">Another option is to have the EMOL on the sweep. In this case, the Mike reads the pullers and fits into his gap against the Counter Trap.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="XjGrDr">The best way to defend the Counter Trap scheme is to bracket the puller who is wrapping around for the playside linebacker, in this case the backside tackle.</p>
<p id="gQH7Va">The playside LB—the Will in this case—will take the outside half of the wrapper. Bolton does this. The backside linebacker—the Mike—should take the inside half. </p>
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<figcaption>Will LB takes the puller’s outside shoulder, forcing the ball inside to the Mike.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="Thyt5e">But on this play, Wilkins, having chased the running back—isn’t there to fill the gap.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="dbov5P">The takeaway: the backside EMOL and backside LB play complementary roles. They need to be in sync with each other: if one goes outside, the other needs to go in, and vice versa.</p>
<p id="f2m8ik">Having established the nuts and bolts of QB Counter Trap and the ways to defend it, let’s look at Kentucky’s most successful snaps of the play.</p>
<h2 id="Oqo0Nk">Kentucky’s QB Counter Trap </h2>
<h3 id="5ewuP7">Play #1</h3>
<p id="9Ihekz">This is the exact play Ole Miss ran in the above example: wide trips formation to the field, QB Counter Trap with a Toss Sweep read into the boundary.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="krNquB">The Tigers are in an odd front, but this time the coverage is Cover 1: a free safety—<span>Joshuah Bledsoe</span> (#18)—is in the middle of the field. This means there is one fewer defender in the box. Bolton is alone at linebacker, making this a 5-1 front.</p>
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</figure>
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</figure>
<p id="82o5g3">Tiger defensive coordinator Justin Walters slants his line to the field and away from the Counter scheme. Not ideal.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="DOGb4B">Here is the play diagrammed against the slant.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="MicfQ1">We can see the effect the QB run game has on a defense. Deploying six box defenders against a backfield of one running back is standard. But a dangerous runner at QB evens the numbers. A defender must account for the RB, leaving five defensive players to take on the five offensive linemen. Someone must get off a block and make a tackle or else... well, this happens:</p>
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</figure>
<p id="hm2xP7">An exacerbating factor is the slant. A few things about this:</p>
<ul>
<li id="NpIskD">The defensive line’s movement prevents much chance that one of them could fight the pressure of the block and get to the ball. The tackle and nose —<span>Jordan Elliott</span> (#1) and <span>Kobie Whiteside</span> (#78), respectively — get washed down. </li>
<li id="DK4RVe">Mike linebacker <span>Devin Nicholson</span> (#58) — after Cameron Wilkins and <span>Jamal Brooks</span>, the third man to attempt to fill <span>Cale Garrett</span>’s cleats — is the backside EMOL and takes away the toss to the running back. End Chris Turner (#39) shoots upfield on the backside and, therefore, can’t threaten the quarterback.</li>
</ul>
<p id="wRtTAO">Mizzou ends up with two players playing outside, near the RB.</p>
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</figure>
<ul><li id="pDEfHp">The slant forces defensive end, <span>Tre Williams</span> (#93), inside. He shoots underneath the guard’s attempted kick-out block, forcing the tackle to pass him to the outside. Will linebacker <span>Nick Bolton</span> scrapes outside, performing a gap exchange with Williams, and takes on the tackle with his inside shoulder forcing the ball inside.</li></ul>
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</figure>
<p id="zC5Uqk">But Mizzou is out of box players. The last line of defense is the free safety, Bledsoe, whom Bowden easily shakes. </p>
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</figure>
<p id="3nx12F">The Wildcats would score their first touchdown on the next snap.</p>
<h3 id="aVAUdJ">Play #2</h3>
<p id="rQBauZ">With the ball on the Tiger 28 yard line and thirty seconds left in the half, Tiger offensive coordinator Derek Dooley made a bold, and, in retrospect, reckless choice to pass the ball. <span>Kelly Bryant</span> was stripped as he wound to throw, leading to this, Kentucky’s third touchdown.</p>
<p id="taha1y">The formation sets three wide with an H back in the backfield. </p>
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</figure>
<p id="YSAES1">Walters counters with the 5-1, and adds strong safety Khalil Oliver (#20) to the strong edge, and screws down free safety Bledsoe near the run box.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="8T53d7">Wildcat offensive coordinator Eddie Gran runs an interesting version of QB Counter Trap.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="989eWw">Gran keeps the tackle and H back to block the backside, and uses the running back as the second puller, leading for Bowden on the playside linebacker.</p>
<p id="zZ6ldC">Bowden’s quick pass set adds a Draw element, and allows the running back space to lead for him.</p>
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</figure>
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</figure>
<p id="xfSVLs">Walters slants his line toward the playside of the Counter Trap this time, with <span>Jordan Elliott</span> becoming the EWOL on the playside and end Turner falling into the B gap.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="TunNpi">A few observations:</p>
<ul>
<li id="vSX2Wp">As we noted, Turner (#39) falls into the playside B gap and takes on the running back with his inside shoulder, funnelling the play inside. He gets off the block and has a chance to make the play, but misses the tackle.</li>
<li id="0x6Qia">Turner turns the ball inside to an unblocked man, Bledsoe (#18), but <span>Akial Byers</span> (#97) gets driven back into Bledsoe’s path.</li>
</ul>
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</figure>
<p id="SIHYAF">One last look.</p>
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</figure>
<h3 id="iUwpCT">Play #3</h3>
<p id="ScgPmB">These last two plays are the same as the Ole Miss play we began with. Gran saw something he liked in when breaking down that film.</p>
<p id="Jty4wC">On this snap Walters presents his 5-1 with the strong safety on the weak edge.</p>
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</figure>
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</figure>
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</figure>
<p id="XwzBB3">The defensive line slants to the field, away from the Counter Trap which hits the boundary side of the formation.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="fQCcen">Here’s what the slant looks like against the play.</p>
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</figure>
<p id="SfaqSY">With seven in the box, Mizzou is in good shape numbers-wise. But once again the slant hurts the Tigers. </p>
<p id="zXK7GC">The interior linemen are ripping to the left, the same direction the Wildcat linemen want to take them. They are easily washed down, out of the play.</p>
<p id="tT2hhi">Byers (#97) is the unread, unblocked player. But Byers’ slant to the outside keeps him from changing direction and forcing a toss to the running back who is accounted for by Nicholson (#58).</p>
<figure class="e-image">
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</figure>
<p id="QpPhUA">Once again, the Tigers have two players outside the box near the running back, leaving the Wildcat offensive line to block Mizzou’s five box defenders.</p>
<p id="Y59mji">And block them they do, springing Bowden for a 28 yard TD.</p>
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</figure>
<h3 id="HXHGGz">Play #4</h3>
<p id="fMcnCv">This is, again, the same play as the Ole Miss QB Counter Trap we began with. Same formation, same scheme. </p>
<p id="1mG9gf">Also the same defense, and same defensive breakdown. </p>
<p id="RdcbIY">The Same. Exact. Play.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
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</figure>
<p id="4xMaao">Mizzou is in its 5-2, so they have the numbers to stop a quarterback run.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ywCa5jfds54EzPk-PooVTIAdcKw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19323560/KY_QB_CT_4_ALIGNMENT.png">
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/InYQin0zSnAX_5chi4JoRPh43BI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19323566/KY_QB_CT_4_TIGHT_IMAGE.png">
</figure>
<p id="646Ior">Here’s how the play develops.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GNmV9L7hYUD3kTRELbWadT90TDo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19323128/KY_QB_CT_4_GIF.gif">
</figure>
<p id="UWhIsc">Notice in the diagram below that strong safety Oliver (#20 in red) is the read man. If he were to crash inside the ball would go to the running back on a sweep. Mike linebacker Nicholson (#58 in green) can’t be blocked by the scheme.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qCwM1gCHxORA67zT_SfzPPZJZz0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19323583/KY_QB_CT_4_BLOCKING.png">
</figure>
<p id="fCoJNP">The next diagram shows the lack of coordination between the EMOL and backside linebacker that, as we mentioned above, is so important.</p>
<p id="TNXsOY">Oliver peels with the RB, but instead of reading the linemen, which are taking him to the ball, Nicholson gets his eyes in the backfield. This causes him to hesitate and step to the outside. Again, the Tigers have two players concerned with a single piece of the option. That leaves them outmanned elsewhere.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6utnngiNGUbXjfDPqwPf26Mn1e0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19323608/KY_QB_CT_4_BREAKDOWN.png">
</figure>
<p id="gAorLJ">Ultimately Nicholson’s absence probably doesn’t matter. Bolton takes on the block properly, with his inside shoulder, trying to funnel it inside. But Bowden slips outside of Bolton anyway.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-kQ0_27_plyg_Gsril5Of1gW-0k=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19323129/KY_QB_CT_4_TIGHT_GIF.gif">
</figure>
<h2 id="epwgZ9">Conclusion</h2>
<p id="tLnNoS">The quarterback run game puts tremendous pressure on a defense, whittling the margin for error razor-thin. But the Tigers had a significant role to play in their own undoing.</p>
<p id="XeAVyZ">In terms of scheme, slanting the line put them in bad position several times. Lack of discipline against misdirection was a killer, as Tiger linebackers continually took the bait. And when Mizzou was able to get a body off a block, Bowden often squirted through their grasp.</p>
<p id="anliWl">While he couldn’t do enough to address all these issues, it is clear this unit misses Cale Garrett’s leadership, discipline, and instincts. </p>
<p id="6PWZ74">But Garrett ain’t walking through that door, so this defense needs to clean up the issues, or sink further into the morass this season is becoming.</p>
<p id="91yQPa"></p>
<p id="vPeUGC"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2019/10/30/20934723/missouri-mizzou-tigers-kentucky-wildcats-defense-quarterback-rushing-running-breakdown-analysis-playTim Bussen2019-10-30T06:30:00-05:002019-10-30T06:30:00-05:00The reason this loss hurt worse than the others
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Missouri at Kentucky" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9n3UIOEcMtX8eQwQc4bkiYYyxdE=/0x0:3189x2126/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65581302/usa_today_13575994.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mizzou has found new and interesting ways to lose over the years. This one felt new, and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience.</p> <p id="0B5kHn">It’s one thing to lose. It happens to teams every week.</p>
<p id="0ogXIM">Losing stinks. It’s no fun for anyone. Not for the coaches, not for the players, not for the fans and not the administration. </p>
<p id="b75IUF">All around, losing stinks.</p>
<p id="okTJYm">But certain losses hurt worse than others. A loss that keeps you out of the college football playoff? That has a certain bite to it that hits a little different. Same goes for a loss against your rival. Those L’s sting worse than your run-of-the-mill September game.</p>
<p id="I99TGY">I think the experience we had as Mizzou fans over the weekend against Kentucky was the worst kind of loss.</p>
<p id="Ysxbcx">It was new. It was different. And it felt awful.</p>
<p id="dl0kRR">For the first time under Barry Odom - <em>at least for me</em> - it felt like the team didn’t have the same kind of passion when they walked on the field. I don’t know what it was. But I’ve never once questioned the effort from Mizzou’s players under Odom. </p>
<p id="EKAWwF">That’s a credit to both the players and the staff. There have been times over the past few years when it would have been easy to mail it in. Despite that, I’ve never felt like the guys had a lack of faith in the direction of the program. Heck, I wrote just last week that Odom is a “<a href="https://www.rockmnation.com/2019/10/23/20927959/barry-odom-vanderbilt-kentucky-success-mizzou">wartime coach</a>” who thrives in adverse situations. </p>
<p id="RRhYe5">For whatever reason, that didn’t come through against Kentucky. This was the second week in a row Mizzou flat out didn’t show up against a vastly inferior opponent.</p>
<p id="xiVsta">Former Rock M Nation legend Bill Connelly coined a metric called <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/10/13/16457830/college-football-advanced-stats-analytics-rankings">S&P</a>+. To dumb it down to its simplest form, S&P+ measures the quality of a team. One of the things I love about what Bill does with this is he’s able to measure how well a team performs in any given week relative to that team’s previous performances.</p>
<p id="xEwl10">Mizzou played at their 17th percentile against Vanderbilt, and followed it up with a 9th percentile performance against Kentucky.</p>
<p id="0D8w6d">To put it another way, we more or less just saw the floor for what Missouri is capable of in back-to-back weeks on the road against arguably the two worst teams in the SEC.</p>
<p id="gdATt1">I don’t know if it was effort. I don’t know if it was execution. I don’t know if it was coaching. It was likely a combination of all of the above.</p>
<p id="ySOhDl">But I’ve seen bad coaching. I’ve seen bad execution.</p>
<p id="KZWeGd">This was the first time I’ve wondered if the team was pulling in the same direction. That’s why this one felt different. That’s why this one hurt worse.</p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2019-mizzou-football/2019/10/30/20939532/mizzou-football-analysis-kentucky-players-coaches-accountabilityBrandon Kiley2019-10-29T15:15:00-05:002019-10-29T15:15:00-05:00PODCAST: Mizzou Football is in Need of Some Answers, and Tom Hart has got some of ‘em
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Missouri at Kentucky" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ozBPBlyJDgag82eG50rkpNf8JUM=/0x0:4428x2952/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65577781/usa_today_13575988.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The SEC Network’s Tom Hart joins Mitch and Bennett this week on The Fifth Down, where they’re talking about what in the world is going on with Mizzou football, the SEC as a whole, fave CoMo hotspots, and so much more!</p> <p id="d6icOd">Welcome back to another round of The Fifth Down with Mitch Hill and Bennett Hughes! Special Guest this week.... joining the show is Tom Hart, who many know from the SEC Network and heard his voice on the call Saturday Night against Kentucky. Plenty to go over with Tom (starts at 2:15). Topics include: what is up with Mizzou, thoughts on what has happened on the field this season, where Mizzou is and where they are going, as well as some other takeaways from Mizzou @ Kentucky and the SEC season as a whole. </p>
<p id="DeDLCs">Post interview, Mitch and Bennett give their thoughts on what Tom had to say, which includes an interesting nugget about Albert O. And really, there is some doom and gloom going on, but, hey, Bye Week is here! It’s the perfect time to get everything right again before the Tigers take on Georgia.</p>
<h1 id="Xj3jb0">
<strong>Episode Breakdown:</strong> </h1>
<p id="YkBIU9"><strong>0:00 - 2:15</strong>: Welcome! Our motto this week: “Hello Darkness, my old friend.” (editor’s note- I miss having happy mottos) The guys preview Tom Hart’s interview a bit and then get right into it! Welcome, Tom Hart!</p>
<p id="0yH3mu"><strong>2:16 - 4:58</strong>: Getting Tom on the show this week was exactly how one would expect to book a guest in 2019— Twitter DMs. Turns out, they work out better for Bennett in terms of podcasting than they do with the ladies. Tom says there are worse times in Mizzou football than what we’re currently going through— 1985— but it has not been a great showing for the football team the last few weeks, even with some poor weather on Saturday. Tom talks about pouring water on a football to simulate the wet ball drills... in a room full of electronics (not a great idea, my man).</p>
<p id="25o2c9"><strong>4:49 - 10:57</strong>: College Football changes week to week, but what the hell is going on with these Tigers? They haven’t shown much fight, and there’s not much sense of urgency. Barry Odom has that urgency, but why doesn’t his team? What can Mizzou do going forward? Talking the O-Line, what Kentucky has been known for this season (hint- it’s not what they did on Saturday), and playcalling peculiarity. Tom thought the line was a bit high going on since UK is better than both WY and Vandy, but still came away surprised with the result. What really did them in? Tom talks about that truly unfortunate fake punt... yikes.</p>
<p id="6Iidyl"><strong>10:58 - 15:08</strong>: Discussing road difficulties, is it really that big of a difference? Kentucky and Vandy are not “the Big 3.” Those are environments where playing on the road will really get to you... not at Kentucky. Not at Vanderbilt. What’s going on with Albert O? Why wasn’t his name called? Tom shares a bit of info he learned after talking with Mizzou coaches that may surprise some (if not a lot) of you.</p>
<p id="iorH7g"><strong>15:09 - 20:24</strong>: Thinking big picture, what is the ceiling for Mizzou in the SEC under Odom and just for the program in general? What’s the biggest threat to this? Can Mizzou consistently be an 8-10 win team, or are fans just expecting too much? How does Mizzou compare to other SEC schools in terms of finances, alumni base, fan support, facilities, and coordinators— the best coordinators make SEVEN figures! When you examine that staffs at say, Bama, LSU or Clemson, how does Mizzou compare?</p>
<p id="dqsLHB"><strong>20:25 - 24:48</strong>: What is the biggest story line in the SEC this season? Looking at Alabama and LSU, these are two teams on the precipice. Georgia is underperforming and Fromm is a one-dimensional quarterback. LSU is <em>the </em>story— they have their QB, they have an OC who makes plays that work for Burrow, and things are moving in the right direction.</p>
<p id="2y5Zdm"><strong>24:49 - 35:00</strong>: To wrap things up with Tom Hart, the guys have some rapid fire questions for him about Columbia, and Tom is nervous... he didn’t study. Favorite Mizzou game attended in football and basketball? Favorite players? Favorite bar when he was a student? Favorite off-the-radar restaurant (editor’s note- I worked there)? Booches vs. Shakes? Who wins? Best/most memorable game ever called? Aside from Columbia, favorite college town? 19-20 year old Tom- pick a sorority to do a philanthropy with (another editor’s note- mine was second, yessssss). Thank you, Tom Hart! </p>
<p id="WGcb3S"><strong>35:52 - END</strong>: Mitch and Bennett have a whole lot of final thoughts... about Odom, digesting some of the ideas Tom Hart brought up, what happened against Kentucky in their eyes, and just some general therapy for anyone that might need it as we head into the bye week. </p>
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https://www.rockmnation.com/2019/10/29/20937970/podcast-mizzou-kelly-bryant-barry-odom-sec-tom-hartMitch HillKaren Steger2019-10-29T08:00:00-05:002019-10-29T08:00:00-05:00Beyond the Box Score: How to Disappear Completely
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pJ_WxuHzb9Q8d4l2Z2-4SJqtZ5o=/0x0:920x613/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65573766/Beyond_the_Box_Score_2019.0.0.0.0.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>I’m not here. This isn’t happening.</p> <div id="CKLSpt"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nZq_jeYsbTs?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="eUNcSG">I’ll have more complete thoughts later. For now, let’s listen to the most depressing song I can think of while looking at the most depressing performance of the year.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CbZInGlT11233hOy-JU169Z3a9I=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19326400/Capture1.jpg">
<figcaption>Advanced Box Score</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="4lU0Ly"><em>That there, that’s not me</em></p>
<p id="a3ET1f"><em>I go where I please</em></p>
<h2 id="uXz72o"><strong>Missouri Offense</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WPMOAfXbl-VwLNP1awpWVJSw-gU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19326494/Capture2.jpg">
<figcaption>Missouri Offense vs. Kentucky Defense</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="nfNOPr"><em>I walk through walls</em></p>
<p id="fUnu4W"><em>I float down the river</em></p>
<ul><li id="g1w2op">Third Down Conversions</li></ul>
<p id="e11tpb">Missouri converted 4 of their 14 third downs thanks to an average of 8-yards-to-go. Every team this year - except Ole Miss - have kept the Tigers under a 50% conversion rate; SEMO, Troy, Vandy, and Kentucky kept the average-yards-to-go on third down over 8. It’s a season-long problem that has not been fixed.</p>
<p id="3oCLRr"><strong>Winner</strong>: Kentucky</p>
<ul><li id="oCV1Ti">Passing Down Success Rate</li></ul>
<p id="REfWcV">18%. Better than last week’s 9%, worse than the 28% against Wyoming. Notice a trend?</p>
<p id="ZdYHgW"><strong>Winner</strong>: Kentucky</p>
<ul><li id="OZuwWW">Passing Completion Rate</li></ul>
<p id="Io0n9Y">48% for the game. The Tigers had a better completion rate in passing situations than in standard downs. Which is mostly just an interesting point rather than an indicator of anything that can save a super disappointing performance against a team that gave up higher completion rates outside of Saturday.</p>
<p id="HmgR0i"><strong>Winner</strong>; Kentucky</p>
<h2 id="gj3aPS"><strong>Missouri Defense</strong></h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vzYzVRc3fa9t-jFE5h--ilCrNZA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19326517/Capture3.jpg">
<figcaption>Missouri Defense vs. Kentucky Offense</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="R5cA9f"><em>In a little while I’ll be gone</em></p>
<p id="coNHRY"><em>The moment’s already passed, it’s gone</em></p>
<ul><li id="JDhrDv">Rushing Success Rate</li></ul>
<p id="hqryuO">38% for the Wildcats on the whole. But you know what actually counts here: Mr. Bowden’s success rate running was 48%, getting the necessary yards per down a whopping 57% of the time and <em>averaging</em> 11 yards after the line got him nearly 3.5. Bowden was an incredible and obvious weapon that the Tigers couldn’t figure out how to stop.</p>
<p id="uzJQDu"><strong>Winner</strong>: Kentucky</p>
<ul><li id="S6eVpo">Havoc Rate</li></ul>
<p id="W7dqcx">Kentucky limited Missouri’s defense to a 15% havoc rate. The lowest this season was a 6% at Wyoming...after that, the lowest was a 14.5% against both Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. Do you think Missouri is missing <span>Cale Garrett</span> and his 28.5% havoc rate?</p>
<p id="j8cuJ1"><strong>Winner</strong>: Kentucky</p>
<p id="llJTGF"><em>Strobe lights and blown speakers</em></p>
<p id="QSqqKj"><em>Fireworks and hurricanes</em></p>
<h2 id="4OcQI5"><strong>Extra Points</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li id="qCZnK4">Missouri wide receivers dropped 6 of the 19 passes targeting them. <span>Kam Scott</span> contributed 3, <span>Dominic Gicinto</span> had 2.</li>
<li id="p9AImu">Missouri defensive ends combined for 7 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. <span>Tre Williams</span> provided the TFL, <span>Chris Turner</span> contributed 1 tackle.</li>
<li id="ifW6jq">
<span>Albert Okwuegbunam</span> was targeted one time.</li>
<li id="Od5Zcj">Success Rate of plays in which <span>Kelly Bryant</span> was the quarterback: 30%. Success Rate of plays in which <span>Taylor Powell</span> was the quarterback: 38%</li>
<li id="sM6lZj">At 10p central time on October 12th, Missouri was alone in 1st place in the SEC East. After playing 2 of the 3 worst teams in the SEC, Missouri is now 3rd.</li>
</ul>
<p id="iEvG1Q"><em>I’m not here. This isn’t happening.</em></p>
<p id="QThiJ1"><em>I’m not here.</em></p>
<h2 id="zSCu5s"><strong>The Conclusion</strong></h2>
<p id="z274pM">Kentucky won every matchup and dominated from start to finish. Go figure.</p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2019-mizzou-football/2019/10/29/20935519/mizzou-football-stats-analysis-beyond-the-box-score-how-to-disappear-completelyNate Edwards2019-10-28T06:30:00-05:002019-10-28T06:30:00-05:00How are we supposed to talk about Missouri?
<figure>
<img alt="Missouri v Kentucky" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O6Fkht0NezcLgNxdKHQvkr7sFxA=/0x0:3504x2336/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65566075/1183659996.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In eight weeks, Missouri has looked both unbeatable and completely helpless. How exactly are we supposed to talk about this team moving forward?</p> <p id="4rGpKf">Ideally, you’d always like for your favorite team to be really good. It’s not the end of the world if they’re pretty bad, though.</p>
<p id="e55kSo">Think about it this way: if your team is always good, you don’t have anything to worry about. Whether it’s consistently competing for championships or steadfast quality with occasional shots at greatness, it’s nice to consistently win more than you lose.</p>
<p id="DxYScZ">On the other hand, it’s not the worst thing if your team is... well, the worst thing. Sports are sort of like real-life video games — if you fail too much, you can always start over (though, admittedly, without a completely clean slate). Professional teams get the added bonus of drafting. If you lose a lot, you’ll likely end up with a good player to help your league achieve parity. It’s not as simple with college sports and recruiting, but you’re always only one lucky hire away from a winning culture.</p>
<p id="47HnUA">The added benefit of being either definitively good or bad is the peace of mind it allows fans to have. New England Patriots loyalists may quibble about Tom Brady’s diet or whatever thing they could possibly have to be upset about, but they’re all pretty cool with how things are run up there. At the same time, Pittsburgh Pirates’ fans can disagree on management versus roster talent versus inherent market disadvantage, but they all agree on one thing: “Damn, our team sucks. We should do something to fix it!”</p>
<p id="LRyihO">That’s a lot of preamble to get to the idea that the Missouri Tigers, headed into their second bye week, are neither of these things. And that makes them incredibly hard to talk about.</p>
<p id="GjgWPJ">We here at Rock M Nation have had internal conversations over the past few days and have come to the realization that we may have been a little too high on this team. You can say it’s because we’re fans and not journalists, but go ahead and look over how professional types were looking at the Tigers headed into this year. Even after the Tigers lost to Wyoming, they were spoken of as a sort of sleeping Beast in the East.</p>
<p id="RJLmFm">It’s not as if the hype was all fabricated from thin air, either. Lest we forget amongst the thick cloud of mid-October, the Tigers were a really good football team for about a month and a half. Bill C’s SP+ had them as a Top 15 team. The defense was shutting down everyone they faced, including a team that would eventually topple Georgia in Athens. Kelly Bryant had the offense humming like a well-oiled machine. Missouri was absolutely <em>pummeling</em> anyone in their path, and no one could say they looked anything less than dominant.</p>
<p id="3HkyVM">But after some break-checking in the wake of Vanderbilt, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Tigers have looked like a completely different team these past two weeks. </p>
<div id="eIlJsi">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mizzou's SP+ percentile performances by game:<br><br>@ Wyo: 70%<br>WVU: 87%<br>SEMO: 93%<br>S Caro: 58%<br>Troy: 93%<br>Ole Miss: 78%<br><br>...<br><br>...<br><br>...<br><br>...<br><br>@ Vandy: 12%<br>@ UK: 11%<br><br>No idea.</p>— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPN_BillC/status/1188541020797067271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2019</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="0Jqj8m">Wide receivers can’t get open. Tucker McCann forgot how to kick a football that wasn’t snapped directly to him. The line crumbles when the opposing linemen glare too intently. </p>
<p id="ciROAu">You can chalk it up to a simple home-road mentality, but even that feels too bizarre to explain it. Even in the Wyoming loss, Missouri looked somewhat good. They simply fell victim to rotten turnover luck and a defense that hadn’t yet tuned up. Say what you like about Barry Odom or Derek Dooley or Kelly Bryant or whomever — there’s little precedent for a team to crumple like the Tigers have in the past two weeks.</p>
<p id="DohxcE">Which gets back to the original point — how are we supposed to talk about these Tigers? Are they the borderline elite team we saw in the first six weeks, going through the world’s worst rut? Or are they the team that could barely stand up against two of the SEC East’s weakest programs? They’re probably neither, but that doesn’t leave us with a lot of ground on which to stand.</p>
<p id="SVyysg">Missouri fans are a skeptical breed. Maybe it’s the “Show Me” branding that Barry Odom stressed so heavily. Maybe the state’s motto really says something about her people. Either way, many Tiger fans have been slow to support this year’s team. That earned them reprimands from a lot of people, <a href="https://www.rockmnation.com/2019/10/25/20931313/in-the-huddle-missouri-tigers-football-fans-fanbase-support-criticism">including on this site</a>. But after another week in which the Tigers looked helpless and hopeless, it’s time to admit they might’ve been onto something.</p>
<p id="k4mlk2">As the rain poured and the clock dwindled in Lexington, Missouri Twitter was ablaze with fans aligning themselves with different ideas about this team. Some said it was all on Odom. Some wondered if Drew Lock had covered up for talent deficiencies. Some maintained their support of a program that seems to be stalling.</p>
<p id="XUD0ek">The only consensus was no consensus. It would’ve been easy to reach one if Missouri was outrightly bad. It would be even easier if Missouri was undoubtedly good. </p>
<p id="8fbDfD">But for right now, Missouri is positively neither, leaving fans, media and everyone in between to wonder how in the hell we’re supposed to make sense of what we’ve seen.</p>
<p id="VjMAai"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2019/10/28/20935583/mizzou-football-tigers-kentucky-wildcats-barry-odomJosh Matejka2019-10-27T17:00:00-05:002019-10-27T17:00:00-05:00College Football Recap: What Has Happened To Mizzou?
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<img alt="Missouri v Kentucky" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/N8J783Xw3x8DYpg5k2jxs6IWdCA=/0x0:3888x2592/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65563953/1183662434.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>You’re not alone, Albert O. We’ve had the same reaction the past couple weeks. | Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Plenty of good things happened in college football on Saturday. Mizzou fans wouldn’t know what that feels like.</p> <p id="WwYlrC">To switch things up, I thought I’d deter from my normal coverage of the college football world as a whole to instead focus on the pain we’ve all felt watching this team play lately.</p>
<h1 id="E5RPMw">What We Learned</h1>
<h3 id="VTJra6">This Missouri Tiger Football Team Has Given Up</h3>
<p id="LThssS">I hate to say it. </p>
<p id="ibUwNE">I wish I did not have to say it. I hope I’m wrong, and I probably am. </p>
<p id="BEHCmP">This is an awfully big accusation, but it’s the only reason I can conjure for what we have seen each of the last two weeks. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Go anywhere you can find comments from Mizzou fans. </p>
<p id="BJSARS">It’s one thing to lose back-to-back games. It’s another to lose back-to-back games to Vandy and Kentucky. And it’s completely a whole other thing to lose back-to-back games while looking like you don’t want to be in the stadium.</p>
<p id="DuoKD7">I really can’t explain it. </p>
<p id="QP3zGQ">There’s no need for statistical breakdown or supporting evidence. So much has already been presented, and I trust more what I see with my own two eyes than any numerical proof.</p>
<p id="M3RTHg">Plus, how do you empirically prove that someone has quit? You don’t. It’s just a gut feeling.</p>
<p id="4JxRw8">Three weeks ago, I had a good feeling about this team. The Tigers had just walloped Troy, and I spent much of the drive back from Columbia thinking up scenarios in which we would squeak out of the middle part of the schedule largely unscathed, positioned to make a charge for the East.</p>
<p id="C9wtfZ">What a fool I am. </p>
<p id="cJGt2H">There’s no need to throw any one player under the bus. The blame deserves to be spread thick but also evenly. The defense, perhaps a lot worse off without <span>Cale Garrett</span>, doesn’t have the same swagger – albeit against better competition. The offense, well, we haven’t seen them since the Ole Miss game.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Missouri v Kentucky" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YW4NN-vSbaucFVRCMc8JdlhFT2g=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19323212/1183659996.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>When Kentucky running back Asim Rose scampered in from 20 yards out to put the Wildcats up by 12 Saturday night, you kinda knew that was going to be plenty to beat Mizzou.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="H1upvH">The staff appears to have lost its players. Which is probably the most disheartening and discouraging thought.</p>
<p id="dSWYk1">Before the season, much like many others, I thought 10 wins were within reach. Now, I think seven is the goal. But how disappointing is that, especially given the position this program was in two weeks ago? </p>
<p id="d1ydgd">Seven wins is a step back. </p>
<p id="qtKIl6">We should be talking about a step – if not a leap – forward. </p>
<p id="qMGrdA">This is year four. Losses will still happen. But they cannot happen in this manner and also mean that something is not amiss.</p>
<h1 id="pg16F4">What We’d Still Like to Know</h1>
<h2 id="nRiqQT">Has Something Happened Behind the Scenes That We’re Not Being Told?</h2>
<p id="cElnHX">So, what’s to blame, exactly?</p>
<p id="n2anOt">Something internal has to be at play here, right? There’s got to be a catalyst to explain how this team went from potentially blowing out Ole Miss to laying face-down in a ditch.</p>
<p id="3xQjJF">A college football locker room, if the coaching staff so chooses, can be a pretty air-tight environment, despite today’s disruptive social media ecosystem. </p>
<p id="1p26gG">We all remember how impressive it was for that 2013 team to keep Michael Sam’s story on the hush. What if a similar scenario is at play here, but of the nefarious sort?</p>
<div id="CKGLhC"><div data-anthem-component="poll:8916943"></div></div>
<p id="cfF4Cj">It’s obvious that Garrett’s absence has had an impact, but is there something else? Has the NCAA spoken to the university about its final decision on MU’s appeal? Likely not. You would think something like that – regardless of the decision -- would only galvanize a team – not rot it from the inside out.</p>
<p id="xjlcqB">But, if not that, then what? I have no answers. We can only speculate.</p>
<p id="D7XXew">It could be that this team has a leadership problem, something that the 2013 squad certainly did not lack. Is there an insufficient amount of talent? The soft underbelly of the schedule could have been a smoke screen, but I shutter to think about the possibility that Mizzou’s talent level is not on par with that of Vandy or Kentucky.</p>
<p id="lmWZ6F">What happened during that six-day span between the team’s win over Ole Miss and when they boarded the bus for Nashville? It could be nothing. Maybe this team is what it is: not good. Maybe I’m wildly grasping for anything that could explain how this season has gone awry so quickly.</p>
<p id="9yXeVU">Or, maybe there really is something more to this than playing really bad football.</p>
<h1 id="EPAiBC">What We’d Like to Forget</h1>
<h2 id="M6JG9X">This All Too Familiar Feeling</h2>
<p id="6yDSeG">We probably should not be surprised things have gone down this way. We’ve all been here before.</p>
<p id="VB2Zqo">I tend to be a Mizzou apologist at times, but it’s easier to dull the pain of losing by pretending that you saw it coming. When Mizzou was a leg up on Georgia and Florida two weeks ago, I sort of assumed the worst. But that consisted of getting blown out by both the Bulldogs and Gators.</p>
<p id="cx5N3Z">Now that the worst has played out in much more unexpected fashion, all actually feels right. Like it should have happened this way all along. This will take most of the sting out of what happens the rest of the way.</p>
<p id="CN9hPT">Being a Mizzou fan is never easy, but it helps when you’ve become conditioned to assume the worst before it even happens.</p>
<p id="1iVOvy">The last two Saturdays have been dreadful. The bye week – usually the kiss of death for Barry Odom – comes at a perfect time for him, the program, and for us.</p>
<p id="coUHDn">I’d hate to waste another weekend watching what I’ve been exposed to the last two weeks.</p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2019-mizzou-football/2019/10/27/20935129/college-football-recap-mizzou-barry-odom-players-quit-ncaa-appealRyan Faller2019-10-27T14:18:17-05:002019-10-27T14:18:17-05:00If it wasn’t already clear, we now know this isn’t a special Missouri team
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Missouri at Kentucky" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r2WdNM36iejdbKiMaxVZ3WbtzPs=/0x0:4020x2680/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65563367/usa_today_13576055.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After another disappointing loss, it’s time to admit I was wrong about this team.</p> <p id="HU9YvI">I was wrong about this team.</p>
<p id="FRIi73">A lot of us were.</p>
<p id="xh8yqC"><span>Kelly Bryant</span> was supposed to keep the offense relatively stable after Missouri lost <span>Drew Lock</span> to graduation. The offensive line wasn’t supposed to regress this much after losing starters <span>Kevin Pendleton</span> and <span>Paul Adams</span>. The defense wasn’t expected to be the best in the country, but it also wasn’t supposed to carry the load while the offense collapsed.</p>
<p id="ASRDip">Hope for a special season was gashed after last week’s loss to Vanderbilt, and any hope that might’ve remained is now gone after Saturday’s 29-7 loss to Kentucky.</p>
<p id="YJuH0L">The Tigers looked so good throughout their five-game home stand, good enough to make us think the Wyoming loss was a fluke. They pretty much dominated opponents for 20 straight quarters, winning each of the five games by no less than 11 points.</p>
<p id="RaYLky">But this doesn’t look like the team some of us thought could make a run at double-digit wins this season. This doesn’t look like a team that will give Georgia or Florida any trouble. Heck, this doesn’t even look like a team that should make quick work of Tennessee and Arkansas anymore.</p>
<p id="8H9NVr">Offensive coordinator Derek Dooley’s play-calling was head-scratching at best for the second straight week, as he called for a lot of passes even with the rain pouring down. Multiple short yardage plays that probably should’ve been runs ended up, well, not being that.</p>
<p id="DCeOic">The Tigers were assessed multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, mixed in with demoralizing holding or false start flags. There was very little discipline to be found.</p>
<p id="8ukKqL">The defense played well enough early on, shutting Kentucky out in the first quarter. But when the offense failed to move the ball, the defense seemed to lose its fire. That’s when <span>Lynn Bowden</span> — the Wildcats receiver turned quarterback — began running all over the field, picking up 204 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.</p>
<p id="2vF7ct">The special teams also clearly needed to improve after last week. But if I’m going to sugarcoat it a bit, the special teams did not improve.</p>
<p id="XY7wWB"><span>Tucker McCann</span>’s slump continued, as he missed a 45-yard field goal attempt that would’ve given Missouri the lead in the first quarter. The kick and punt return units failed to do anything, picking up a combined 12 yards. And just to kick the group when it was already down, Kentucky punter <span>Max Duffy</span> turned a fake punt into a 26-yard gain — right after <span>Nick Bolton</span> made what seemed to be a momentum-shifting stop.</p>
<p id="NEs9bM">So, now we’re eight games in and the Bulldogs and Gators sit on the horizon, how do we see this Missouri team?</p>
<p id="qowzCQ">It’s a team who can beat up on bad opponents when it’s playing in front of a home crowd, but can’t get important wins on the road (or even just win on the road, for that matter). It’s a team whose defense keeps them in it early on, but if the offense isn’t helping out, it cracks under pressure and can’t pick up important stops when the team needs them most. It’s a team that isn’t sure whether to choose the air or the ground, and then makes the wrong choice at the wrong time.</p>
<p id="fTo12h">Of course, there have been bright spots. Bolton is probably the lone Tiger who has been consistently great. <span>Albert Okwuegbunam</span> has generally played well when he actually gets the ball (though he did have a pretty bad drop on Saturday). <span>Tyler Badie</span> has been even better this season than in his breakout rookie campaign.</p>
<p id="ODR9BC">But I predicted a 10-2 team before the season.</p>
<p id="Q0UGu4">I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong.</p>
<p id="moxn5l">This won’t be a special season. Unless this team surprises everyone against Georgia in Athens or Florida at home, it won’t even match its win total from 2018.</p>
<p id="x4Ed41">This just isn’t that special team many thought it could be a little over nine weeks ago. </p>
<p id="LxdVvc">They can still be a good team, they really can. There’s enough time left in the season to somewhat right the ship and still prove that this is a good team, but Missouri has a lot of work to do to not be considered a step back in Barry Odom’s tenure.</p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2019-mizzou-football/2019/10/27/20934284/missouri-tigers-football-kentucky-disappointing-lossRyan Herrera