Rock M Nation - Mizzou Football in 2022: Week 3 vs. Abilene ChristianA Blog for Ol' Mizzouhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50319/rmn-fav.png2022-09-20T11:00:00-05:00http://www.rockmnation.com/rss/stream/231150142022-09-20T11:00:00-05:002022-09-20T11:00:00-05:00Making The Play: Abilene Christian
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<p>It turns out that Dominic Lovett is <em><strong>also</strong></em> him. </p> <p id="QV2fCM">I had a feeling that Missouri would take care of business against Abilene Christian. I think most of us did. Though, in a lot of ways, it was unimpressive. The offensive line continues to be an issue for this offense. There are some issues at QB as well, but at this point it’s hard to tell how much of it is because of the offensive line. </p>
<p id="EFA3Ab">Still though, there were some positives. </p>
<p id="bag3Td">The defense continued its streak of solid play. If not for a garbage time, 49 yard touchdown, they would have given up just 259 yards. That is a very good performance and hopefully this defense can continue to grow as a unit. </p>
<p id="5fL9e4">Oh, and Missouri has <em><strong>two </strong></em>All-World Wide Recievers. </p>
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<p id="mYuDm4">All of the spotlight has been on Luther Burden III, and deservedly so. He’s been as awesome as advertised. It’s just that Dominic Lovett looks like the one who is going to end up being this team’s de-facto number one receiver. This idea isn’t unique; it has been written about <a href="https://www.rockmnation.com/2022/9/7/23338345/dont-sleep-on-dominic-lovetts-breakout-performance">before</a>. Now though, we’re seeing more proof of concept with this idea. </p>
<p id="VmwhkG">But through three games against varying levels of competition, Lovett has been Missouri’s most steady passing option. In each of the three games this season, he has at least three catches and over 65 yards in each one. </p>
<p id="GsRfsL">This past weekend, he showed off more of the ability that has him receiving such praise:</p>
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<p id="LTprNu">His downfield prowess has been clear, especially when you see his speed, but since he has made the transition to working out of the slot, Lovett has been able to show off more of his possession skills. Turns out, he’s pretty damn good at that aspect of his game, too. </p>
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<p id="J4GvcY">Having Lovett provide this kind of production while the offense is.... in as much flux as it is, is huge. He’s been a reliable weapon for Brady Cook and has kept defenses from being able to totally key in on Burden as well. He’s been a huge boost to the passing game despite the struggles that they’ve had to deal with on that side of the ball. </p>
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<h3 id="Gnccmu"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/iAirDry">Follow me on Twitter @iAirDry!</a></h3>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2022/9/20/23362410/making-the-play-abilene-christian-missouri-dominic-lovettAaron Dryden2022-09-20T09:00:00-05:002022-09-20T09:00:00-05:00Beyond the Box Score: Missouri Didn’t Lose to a FCS Team
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<p>They keep saying a win is a win. I guess it’s true.</p> <p id="FjcVMV">Did you have a good time? Hopefully the breakfast tailgate was good! Little mimosa action, maybe? Breakfast tacos would certainly be my choice while tailgating for an 11am kick. Or you could skip over the early morning familiars and go straight to brats and burgers and various heavy dips; nothing wrong with that. It seemed like a nice day; hopefully the sun wasn’t beating down too hard on you all in the stands. And there were a lot of people there, which is nice! A record crowd in the Drinkwitz era, from what I’m told. Hopefully the lines at Faurot weren’t too unbearable and the food lockers were functioning well. And, of course, you had the opportunity to stick around Columbia and visit your favorite haunts, maybe take a walk around The Quad, see what your old dorm looked like, all that good stuff. Saturdays in the fall are great for nostalgic romps and experiencing the good stuff that Columbia has to offer. Luckily, there are seven of these days for 2022 and I hope you all had a great time with this one and all the others that are upcoming!</p>
<p id="6S2v4U">Oh, right. Yeah, I need to write a Beyond the Box Score post. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp since you said I had to...</p>
<p id="gk9HR9">The game sucked and this season is in peril. Hi! Hello! Welcome to the BTBS for Abilene Christian. </p>
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<figcaption>Advanced Box Score</figcaption>
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<p id="mUjRGR">ACU is an ok FCS team. The Wildcats are a dynamite defense with a glitchy offense that should never get close to beating an SEC team. And, to be fair, they really weren’t close to winning this game at any point.</p>
<p id="wmSVA5">However, Missouri was also never far enough away to comfortably put in the backups and freshmen to get some experience. And when they finally did put in the second stringers on defense, they immediately got torched for a touchdown. So, yeah, this team is not nearly as good as we believed heading into the season. What that means for the win-loss record is yet to be seen but...well...ask anyone on the internet, I’m sure they’d be happy to give you their opinion.</p>
<p id="e6OKAQ">The advanced box score reflects a comfortable Missouri win and, to be fair, it <em>was</em> a rather comfortable win. But you don’t play FCS opponents in Year 3 of a coach’s tenure and expect a “comfortable win.” You expect it to be a blowout of epic proportions, with 40ish points at halftime and nary a starter on the field from the 3rd quarter on. Missouri played well enough to bury ACU but could not sustain drives reliably nor could they finish drives. And that’s how you get a 34-17 score when Missouri generated <em>ten</em> (10!) scoring opportunities.</p>
<p id="Ynli5d">I didn’t post any keys to winning the game - because Missouri should win this game 10 times out of 10 - but we’ll still revisit the performances on both sides of the ball and I’ll point out some interesting numbers to look at.</p>
<h2 id="Y9i6T5"><strong>When Missouri Has the Ball</strong></h2>
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<figcaption>Missouri’s Offense vs. Abilene Christian’s Defense</figcaption>
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<li id="REa499">First off: there are many ways that the college football product is light years better than the professional version of the sport, but one of those is not in box scoring. While the NFL replays and fixes box scores over several game reviews with dedicated pros, the college version tends to have an athletics department employee eyeball it in about three seconds, jot it down, and move on. Over my multiple viewings I had a few runs/passes reapportioned and reclassified so don’t be alarmed if what you see here differs from what you’ve seen on ESPN/whatever medium you use.</li>
<li id="sDelsx">Missouri finished the day with a 46% success rate throwing the ball and a 37% success rate running the ball. That is the second-best success rate through the air so far this year and the worst success rate running so far this year. Against an FCS team.</li>
<li id="yV9YqS">The big problem? ACU’s defense notched a 20% havoc rate thanks to <em>nine</em> (9!!!!) tackles for loss, including one sack. Louisiana Tech finished with 7 TFLs against Missouri and <a href="https://www.bringonthecats.com">Kansas State</a> wound up with 10, so, congrats to ACU on doing an equally bang up job against Missouri’s offensive line as their FBS brethren.</li>
<li id="wBijlB">Seriously: Mizzou’s o-line allowed a 24% stuff rate (runs tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage) in this game. For reference, the Tiger o-line had a 29% stuff rate against K-State and 14% against Louisiana Tech. In fact, Missouri’s stuff rate for the young season is sitting at 18.8% - 122nd in the country - and that’s during one of the easiest stretches of the schedule! At this point poor run blocking is no longer a bug, it is simply a feature.</li>
<li id="uTp6u1">On another note: poor Elijah Young. Of his seven carries he was tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage on four of them. In fact, he has been stuffed on six of his twelve carries, easily the worst of the running backs. And the most maddening part is that he has the best highlight yards (number of yards gained after running 4 yards) of any of the running backs on the roster. Either he’s the lone back who can’t create running lanes from poor blocking or the o-line really hates him in particular. </li>
<li id="9xhOxs">Through three games Dominic Lovett is clearly the best receiver on the roster and it’s not even close. He has the most targets (23), most catches (16), best catch rate (69.6%), and best yards per target (11.9). Burden is your best offensive weapon and does have 17 targets on the year - second most on the team - but a good chunk of those passes have come at or behind the line of scrimmage. We saw how effective Burden was when running routes downfield against ACU; I’d like to see him get some more targets on downfield routes as the Tigers get into SEC play.</li>
<li id="znspP0">Of the nine penalties Missouri was called for, eight came on offense and six were against the offensive line. Six penalties were of the “Holding” variety, and even Barrett Banister got in on the fun of holding on to a guy while run blocking. The run defense might stink, but hey, at least they are also cheating while doing it!</li>
<li id="JVRcnW">My only goal for the offense was to see the young guys play. The guys that Drinkwitz recruited as high schoolers who got to see the field on offense were Connor Tollison (starter, 70 snaps), Luther Burden (starter, 33), Dominic Lovett (starter, 25), Elijah Young (22), Mekhi Miller (13), B.J. Harris (7), Tavorus Jones (3), and Ryan Hoerstkamp (2). Missouri ran 70 offensive plays.</li>
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<h2 id="9Eqorp"><strong>When Abilene Christian Has the Ball</strong></h2>
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<figcaption>Missouri’s Defense vs. Abilene Christian’s Offense</figcaption>
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<li id="jifelL">Abilene Christian had a 29.0% success rate when they threw the ball and a 29.6% success rate when running the ball. As it should be. The numbers are exactly what you’d want from your defense in this situation so...like...good job but also, thank you for doing what was expected of you? I love FCS games because they are almost certainly a win but there’s nothing you can learn from the situation.</li>
<li id="eyA8hq">The Tiger defense had a bounce back week in terms of havoc, finishing with 19%; not as good as the ungodly 43.5% against LaTech but certainly much better than the 6.7% against K-State. Still, 3 TFLs, one forced fumble, three passes defensed and an interception isn’t a whole lot against an overmatched foe. Speaking for myself, I would have preferred to see at least 5 TFLs against ACU, if not more.</li>
<li id="hbQxB5">Should we talk about sack numbers? There are plenty of ways to caveat it - we’re only three games in, K-State hardly threw the ball, ACU threw the ball super quick - but with 25% of the season complete Missouri has 4 sacks, all of which came against Louisiana Tech. And zero of those sacks came from gentlemen named Trajan Jeffcoat or Isaiah McGuire. Again, the caveats are above, but this defense is going to have to carry the water this year and disruption is the calling card of Blake Baker defenses. I’d like to see more pressures and sacks occurring against Auburn to give me potential hope for the defensive future.</li>
<li id="hpjdMt">My only goal for the defense was to see the young guys play. The guys that Drinkwitz recruited as high schoolers that got to see the field on defense were Kris Abrams-Draine (starter, 45 snaps), Ennis Rakestraw (starter, 44), Daylan Carnell (21), Arden Walker (20), D.J. Jackson (10), Dameon Wilson (10), Tyler Hibbler (8), and Johnny Walker, Jr. (5), Missouri’s defense was on the field for 68 plays.</li>
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<h2 id="eI7WrW"><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2>
<p id="9dTv6T">Missouri won a game and we learned nothing about this team we didn’t already know. If you didn’t see your favorite backup of youngster on the field on Saturday then it’s almost certain you won’t see him on the field this year. And that just stinks. Not only that this team isn’t good enough to pull away from a mediocre FCS team, but that the Drinkwitz staff has so little care for the long-term health of this football program that they refuse to play the bountiful high school talent that’s littered on their bench. Hopefully they take these five days to figure out who their best offensive linemen are - instead of, you know, a live-game scenario to figure it out - and let’s hope this team can stick together during the roughest stretch of the schedule. </p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/beyond-the-box-score/2022/9/20/23361696/beyond-the-box-score-missouri-didnt-lose-to-a-fcs-teamNate Edwards2022-09-20T07:00:00-05:002022-09-20T07:00:00-05:00The Revue: An unconvincing performance casts a pall of Doubt over the season
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<p>Can we ever truly know our purpose (as Mizzou fans)? </p> <p id="N08emQ">Confession time: <strong>[author’s note: I promise I won’t make this whole thing Catholic despite the movie I chose] </strong>I’ve been really happy with where The Revue is at this season. </p>
<p id="NZSDWz">I’ve been writing this column for the past four years and have really struggled for the better part of two with nailing down a format that I like and think works. The movie bits are fun, but can’t sustain a whole piece. The awards things were a step in the right direction, but needed some tweaking. Now though, with the Disrespect Index and Watchability rankings? I feel like we’re cooking with gas, my friends. Gas and a possibly expired Photoshop license.</p>
<p id="Ofp7lf">So leave it to Mizzou to annihilate my rhythm three games into the new season.</p>
<p id="ab1gCC">This is only an easy column to write when there’s a strong emotional tie that gets developed to the game in question. A 52-24 shellacking of Lousiana Tech? Perfect! Let me riff on how Luther Burden sent a bunch of poor fools back to middle school. Get your ass handed to you in Manhattan? No problem, just do some self-deprecation for a few thousand words.</p>
<p id="0RBEgW">But games like Saturday’s? A (barely) three-score win over a middling FCS team? Well... </p>
<p id="jAuiOO">I’ve long thought that apathy is the worst enemy of a college program, mostly because I’ve been unlucky enough to experience head-on in not one but two revenue sports. What luck! You can get jazzed about success. You can get pissed about failure. But mediocrity? Well apparently in Missouri there’s a lot of stuff going on, so if you’re mediocre, more than a few people are happy to imbibe in their favorite past times such as hunting and tweeting angrily about the Chiefs. </p>
<p id="Jiox4z">Unfortunately, Mizzou has been in the third position for quite a long time. Eli Drinkwitz seemed like he might have the answers. But after these past two weeks? Your guess is as good as mine. And you don’t even have to write this column!</p>
<h1 id="Kul7dg">The Revue</h1>
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<p id="9d6gnI">Writing The Revue is difficult for games like Saturday for this one simple truth: I don’t generally remember movies that are boring and forgettable.</p>
<p id="e8ne6T">Do you know what I mean? It’s the sort of movie when, after it’s over, you think, “That was fine. I don’t particularly remember anything I just watched and I’m not sure I’ll ever think about it after tonight.” That’s how I felt about the Mizzou game, and I watched from end-to-end. So I’m not going to write about that sort of movie, even though that’s what it inspired in me. </p>
<p id="AzAZYT">Instead, I’m going to write about how it reminded me of another movie, a movie that appropriately carries religious imagery due to Mizzou’s opponent last week. And that movie is <em>Doubt</em>. How did <em>Doubt </em>make me feel? Weird and sad, which pretty much tracks with how I felt on Saturday night!</p>
<p id="DcxnN1">The last few weeks have seen the pendulum of fan sentiment swing pretty wildly in Columbia. While fan optimism was nearly at a tenure high before the Louisiana Tech game, things have taken a turn for the <em><strong>yikes</strong></em> in the past two weeks. Don’t believe me? You should see some of the emails we’re getting! </p>
<p id="xMj7Od">What was very recently a trusted, sturdy foundation has collapsed into a void of nothingness, leaving many of us Mizzou fans feeling a little queasy and frustrated... apologies to any of my lapsed Catholics or Evangelicals for whom this is hitting too close to home. Similarly to <em>Doubt</em>, in which the foundations of a church are shaken by an accusation that can’t be substantiated but whose influence spreads regardless, a few small insecurities have quickly withered away at the trust Mizzou fans are feeling in their institutions. </p>
<p id="FlkBPz">And... yeah, that’s pretty much it! I genuinely wish this was a funnier Revue but there was nothing funny about Saturday’s “win” over Abilene Christian. It came and it went and it made us all feel a little gross because of what we think it may portend. Here’s to hoping we’re wrong and that <a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/StcoOF6BqGZ1NxAdfS/giphy.gif">the institutions we hold dear can be trusted to make us happy!</a></p>
<h1 id="zvlPDi">Watchability Meter</h1>
<p id="PhwnEB">If you’ll recall from Pregamin’ — which I’m sure you read, and thank you so much for that — you’ll remember that Abilene Christian is affiliated with the churches of Christ, which are notable for their insistence that baptism in water is essential for Christian salvation. </p>
<p id="Hs5Aiu">I find this funny — funny as in “ah crap,” not funny as in “ha ha” — due to the fact that I had fully planned on making a whole bunch of baptism jokes in the event that Mizzou wasted the Wildcats on Saturday. Of all the words you can use when someone/some team wastes their opponent, I think one of my favorites is a form of “baptize” or “baptism.” It’s especially good when describing a lethal dunk — “Keyon Dooling baptized Ashante Johnson in front of 16,300 worshipers tonight” — but is a pretty versatile descriptor otherwise.</p>
<p id="jA1RU9">Unfortunately Mizzou’s performance, much like the Churches of Christ’s soteriology, was thoroughly unconvincing. At no point did I feel like Mizzou was baptizing anyone, although I suppose you could say they were taking a massive step into troubled waters, but that’s stretching it even for the joke’s sake. Missouri hobbled through much of Saturday like a dead man walking... again, which means they could’ve used a baptism of some sort in theological terms? I don’t know, I started out the weekend hoping the baptism stuff would be funny and now it just feels weird and ominous? The fact that I spent more time thing about this bit than I did enjoying the game is pretty telling.</p>
<p id="pmbOGO">Anyway, Missouri gets <strong>two and a half baptism tanks out of five</strong> for their watchability over Abilene Christian. It’s up to you to decide whether that third tank is half full or half empty.</p>
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<h1 id="bFrorF">Disrespectful Play Index</h1>
<p id="VolrtL">It’s difficult to gauge just how disrespectful you can be against an obvious inferior opponent. No disrespect to Abilene Christian, who made life far too difficult for a team as talented as Missouri... but we don’t need to kid ourselves. There’s a massive talent deficit here, and Missouri <s>could’ve</s> sleptwalked through that game and still walked away with a multiple score victory. Sure, the Tigers could’ve showboated a bit, but they didn’t, which leaves the Disrespectful Play Index with a bit of a head-scratcher.</p>
<p id="6vr78m">We do have one play that stands out, which earns its “disrespectful” mantle because of the absolute gall the executer had to be that purely talented. Talent deficit or not, people don’t make plays like this very often.</p>
<p id="xvev2e">As a reminder, here are the six categories we use to determine how disrespectful a play was, along with the ranges of scores each is assigned.</p>
<p id="nzU0iw"><strong>Category 1:</strong> How difficult/impressive was the play? (0-20)</p>
<p id="9SF241"><strong>Category 2: </strong>How hard did the defense try? (0-20)</p>
<p id="TqGuAm"><strong>Category 3: </strong>How much did his teammates help? (0-5)</p>
<p id="oUym7T"><strong>Category 4: </strong>What did the player do immediately afterward? (0-20)</p>
<p id="iE26HV"><strong>Category 5:</strong> How did everyone not involved react? (0-15)</p>
<p id="s3pfHz"><strong>Category 6:</strong> Is there a backstory/context to consider? (0-20)</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ennis Rakestraw, Jr.'s first career INT set-up the Banister first down and Nathaniel Peat's second TD as a Tiger.<br><br>Tigers up 24-3 | 3Q, 8:32<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/aHIgpesO6R">pic.twitter.com/aHIgpesO6R</a></p>— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/MizzouFootball/status/1571199483173818368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2022</a>
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<p id="KVefa5">The nerve of Ennis Rakestraw! To come back after an ACL injury and do something like that with a bigger receiver draped all over him? With one hand? That may not be malicious, but it is disrespectful, my friends.</p>
<ul><li id="3JXDH1">
<strong>Category 1:</strong> How difficult/impressive was the play?</li></ul>
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<figcaption>Pretty typical screen, right? WRONG</figcaption>
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<p id="b1gGGK">This is pretty obviously a screen play in which No. 5 is trying to pin Rakestraw back to make space for his teammate. The pass is poor on the QB’s part, but Rakestraw still needs to fight through that pick to get to it. He manages to get a hand on it and tip into into the air, where the ball hangs for a cartoonishly long time. Then he has to fight off his grappler (more on that in Category 2) just to get in position to make the catch, which he manages to do while falling down. Do football plays get much more difficult than that? Maybe, but it’s hard to think of one right off the dome. <strong>18/20</strong></p>
<ul><li id="vlX627">
<strong>Category 2: </strong>How hard did the opponents try?</li></ul>
<p id="cwmQUQ">Remember when I said earlier that the receiver was grappling Rakestraw? You may think I was exaggerating. If so, look at this picture.</p>
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<figcaption>O Ennis, Where Art Thou?</figcaption>
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<p id="nGPXvm">Tell me where you think he is. I’ll give you a hint... you can’t see him. Not one piece of his being is in this frame because the receiver has completely swallowed him up. You know how in <em>Lord of the Rings</em> when Gollum would jump on Frodo or Sam’s back to try and get the ring? This is like that except Gollum is twice as big as the hobbits. It’s obscene. The man has completely and totally enveloped Rakestraw into the void. Our man Ennis is in the ethereal realm.</p>
<p id="pykurR">And yet, he still made the catch. <strong>20/20</strong></p>
<ul><li id="qyOMLg">
<strong>Category 3: </strong>How much did his teammates help?</li></ul>
<p id="55G0o7">This was about as much of a solo play as you can make. I don’t think any of them have conjuration magic — that’s a D&D joke for my fellow nerds out there — but even if they did, they wouldn’t be close enough to help him out. Ennis Rakestraw was involuntarily Houdini’d and reappeared as the only Tiger within 5 yards to make the play. Remember, we’re scoring on an inverse, so this is a <strong>5/5</strong></p>
<ul><li id="72Nojg">
<strong>Category 4: </strong>What did the player do immediately afterward?</li></ul>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lj14GoTQ1MAtJxvaMrhDcm3lHKI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24035894/Screen_Shot_2022_09_19_at_10.19.56_AM.png">
<figcaption>“There he goes... there he goes again... racing through my brain... and I just can’t contain...”</figcaption>
</figure>
<div id="wWYO6d"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2249%;"><iframe src="https://tenor.com/embed/16255364232136157414?playertype=card" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="P7es4A">My man is Gumping his way off the field. In reality, he stopped at the back of the end zone, but I respected the way he took his ball and left the field of play entirely. <strong>14/20</strong></p>
<ul><li id="GLgV5L">
<strong>Category 5:</strong> How did everyone not involved react?</li></ul>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1MLA4HqrjsuWvGuhDHIcufZAC1g=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24035892/Screen_Shot_2022_09_19_at_10.20.30_AM.png">
<figcaption>Martez with the leg kick</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="eQO8Gx">Another week, another “football players” are boring score here. That being said, I did enjoy how excited everyone got when Rakestraw came down with the ball. I count one, two, three, four players who raise their arms in sync. It reminded me of this <em>beautiful </em>moment from a Blues game.</p>
<div id="7TeQYe"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DJ8fPCl7c2A?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="PcfkYm">Mizzou’s play isn’t as impressive, but it’s better than the usual football celebration fodder that we get, so we need to grade on a curve here. <strong>11/15</strong></p>
<ul><li id="DODf7y">
<strong>Category 6:</strong> Is there a backstory/context to consider?</li></ul>
<div id="P4OnH3">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mizzou?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mizzou</a> CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (<a href="https://twitter.com/EnnisRakestraw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EnnisRakestraw</a>) just caught his first interception since returning from a torn ACL, and a ton of his family is here to see it for Family Weekend! Here’s their celebration after the play!<a href="https://twitter.com/KOMUsports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KOMUsports</a> <a href="https://t.co/VPj6V6qupn">pic.twitter.com/VPj6V6qupn</a></p>— Nate Brenner (@NateBrenner4) <a href="https://twitter.com/NateBrenner4/status/1571199472280952832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="vuyPmJ">Rakestraw’s family celebrating says it all here. Rakestraw is coming back from a major injury that derailed what was looking to be an otherwise promising sophomore year.</p>
<p id="7JCN7c">But there’s more to consider as well. As I wrote in MV3, Rakestraw represents something a little bigger in regards to Mizzou’s program. He was first big recruiting win Drinkwitz had at Mizzou — hell, the reaction to his commitment went viral on sports media. Rakestraw was good enough to start as a true freshman and, well, he performed like a true freshman in the SEC probably should. At a time when hope seems to be in short supply, Rakestraw’s spark of brilliance offered a glimmer of hope. If Drinkwitz’s recruits start producing like that, Mizzou will be in good shape. <strong>17/20</strong></p>
<p id="1D9SKD"><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Ennis Rakestraw, Jr.’s interception was<strong> 85 percent disrespectful</strong> to Abilene Christian.</p>
<h1 id="MXiabn">Superlatives and Awards</h1>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X4-MGym-PiQCxxOPKovEPJYDpNI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24035735/mostlikelyto.png">
</figure>
<p id="Vbqs1u"><strong>Best Punt Returner: </strong>Was it ever actually in question?</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 17 Abilene Christian at Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y1dgwidBUfEhdqU1cFwYWRxZFL0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24035737/1243305571.jpg">
</figure>
<p id="EHlT8O"><strong>Most Improved Player: </strong>It may be a little early to determine this, but it’s hard not to think Chad Bailey is high on the list right?</p>
<div id="upNODc">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highest overall-graded SEC LBs through Week 2:<br><br> Ventrell Miller, Florida - 80.2<br> Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama - 78.3<br> Chad Bailey, Missouri - 77.2<br> Aaron Beasley, Tennessee - 76.6<br> Drew Sanders, Arkansas - 75.7 <a href="https://t.co/k5OeIBPH22">pic.twitter.com/k5OeIBPH22</a></p>— PFF College (@PFF_College) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1570527826335641601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="XRZWYq">And that was before he had a pass defended and two recovered fumbles against Abilene Christian!</p>
<p id="loQmYK"><strong>Most Likely To... Bounce Back: </strong>Even when Thiccer is struggling, he’s thriving.</p>
<div id="Lq9k2i">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Harrison Mevis: school record holder for 50+ yard field goals made.<br><br>45 field goals in his career, good for fifth all-time. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/54nkyZYMb8">pic.twitter.com/54nkyZYMb8</a></p>— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/MizzouFootball/status/1571248175016726531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
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</div>
<p id="GL5VNu"></p>
<p id="3GXhI2"></p>
<p id="e2Uz7d"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2022/9/20/23360929/the-revue-unconvincing-performance-casts-pall-of-doubt-over-mizzou-football-seasonJosh Matejka2022-09-19T11:00:00-05:002022-09-19T11:00:00-05:00Are we watching a re-run of the 2015 Mizzou football season (on the field)?
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Abilene Christian at Missouri" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nLx_6Qmh1KAqrEATo9SsriDrSvU=/0x0:7159x4773/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71387556/usa_today_19063710.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>All of this feels a bit too... familiar?</p> <p id="AnubEj">I’ve been thinking about this stat since the end of the Abilene Christian game. Did you know the last time Missouri scored 34 or fewer points against an FCS opponent was 2015? In fact, those are the only two instances in which Missouri has scored fewer than 37 points against an FCS opponent in the last 20 years. </p>
<p id="Qlc8xI">It’s the kind of company you don’t want to keep. Missouri fans are experiencing a bit of deja vu. </p>
<p id="Q0oXFd">2015 was a season in which the on-field product simply did not match the preseason expectations. A young quarterback looked overwhelmed, an offensive line with multiple players looked overwhelmed, and the defense tried its best to keep scores respectable.</p>
<p id="AAftki">Sound familiar? As I started to look deeper into the on-field memories of the 2015 season, I couldn’t help but see the similarities.</p>
<p id="34HC8I">Going into 2015, Missouri fans were full of optimism. Why wouldn’t they be? The team was coming off back-to-back SEC East titles with a returning starter at quarterback and a defense full of returning production. But things went haywire almost immediately. Russell Hansbrough hurt his ankle in the Tigers’ season-opener. So did Evan Boehm. Both players fought through the pain, but they weren’t the same. Maty Mauk’s start to the season on the field was as uneven as his behavior off of it. </p>
<p id="Cof1YV">The team started 3-0, but the wins were far from awe-inspiring. Mizzou beat SEMO 34-3, followed it up with a nail-biter 27-20 win at Arkansas State and then they set offense back 50 years in the worst football game I’ve witnessed in person, a 9-6 victory against <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UCONN</a>. That’s when the winning, more or less, came to an end. The offensive line was too much to overcome. Quarterback play was too much to overcome. The defense could only hold things together with toothpicks and bubblegum for so long. The losses started to pile up, and the end of the season couldn’t come quick enough.</p>
<p id="M6E3xi"><em>(Obviously, there were also off-field issues that played into the end-of-season scenario. I don’t care to get into those at the moment. Let’s focus on the on-field similarities.)</em></p>
<p id="6BEc8t">Missouri’s 2022 season, much like 2015, started with legitimate reasons for optimism. The team isn’t coming off back-to-back SEC East titles, but they are coming off two of the best recruiting classes in program history. The defense doesn’t return a ton of production, but it brought in a new group of starters that provided a whole lot of hope. The wide receiver room got a much-needed overhaul, enough to potentially mask over the deficiencies at quarterback.</p>
<p id="dYqsIf">It just hasn’t come together. The Tigers struggled to pull away from an FCS opponent. Kansas State out-dueled the Tigers much like Florida did in 2015. What lies ahead is a gauntlet of a schedule which is unlike anything Missouri had to face back in 2015.</p>
<p id="dOtPPU">For me, Missouri’s 2015 season is remembered as the end of an era. A defense that ranked among the best in the country was not enough to prop up an offense that ranked among the worst. This defense isn’t as good as the 2015 version, but the offense has some unfortunate similarities. Missouri finished the 2015 season with five wins due to a soft schedule. At this point, all I can do is hope Missouri can match that win total in 2022.</p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2022/9/19/23360076/are-we-watching-a-re-run-of-the-2015-mizzou-football-season-on-the-fieldBrandon Kiley2022-09-19T09:00:00-05:002022-09-19T09:00:00-05:00AP Top 25 and SEC Power Rankings After Week 3
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Georgia at South Carolina" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eVkvQkI4cXpAzarf47Lnf2XSYBE=/0x0:2700x1800/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71386913/usa_today_19064004.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Week 3 wasn’t the most exciting of the College Football season, but with conference play starting to heat up — Week 4 should be a good one. Here’s a look at the latest AP Top 25 and SEC Power Rankings. </p> <p id="KCeEOw">It was a rather underwhelming Week 3 slate of the College Football season that had just two Top 25 matchups and only one ranked team fall to an unranked team (Washington over <a href="https://www.theonlycolors.com">Michigan State</a>), along with plenty of blowout games. That does, however, set us up for a intriguing Week 4 to look forward to as conference play really starts to heat up. </p>
<p id="JnS0XV"></p>
<p id="w3SQeu">Here is<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll"> this week’s AP Top 25 poll</a>, with eight SEC teams ranked and four in the Top 10: </p>
<ol>
<li id="RY6Xr9">Georgia (3-0)</li>
<li id="ZCumOg">Alabama (3-0)</li>
<li id="FeRh9a">
<a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com">Ohio State</a> (3-0)</li>
<li id="nJ5EQ5">Michigan (3-0)</li>
<li id="Um2kGm">Clemson (3-0)</li>
<li id="AhQOiq">Oklahoma (3-0)</li>
<li id="bU1loE">USC (3-0)</li>
<li id="psw63P">Kentucky (3-0)</li>
<li id="WXKx0q">
<a href="https://www.cowboysrideforfree.com">Oklahoma State</a> (3-0)</li>
<li id="kiPmyJ">Arkansas (3-0)</li>
<li id="KUBEZI">Tennessee (3-0)</li>
<li id="3nsTuA">North Carolina State (3-0)</li>
<li id="9cdrjq">Utah (2-1)</li>
<li id="L4Dee8">Penn State (3-0)</li>
<li id="ie1rXL">Oregon (2-1)</li>
<li id="Tm0Gmp">
<a href="https://www.redcuprebellion.com">Ole Miss</a> (3-0)</li>
<li id="JvKsBn">Baylor (2-1)</li>
<li id="N1MlZj">Washington (3-0)</li>
<li id="ABqkI0">
<a href="https://www.vanquishthefoe.com">BYU</a> (2-1)</li>
<li id="9D1oSU">Florida (2-1)</li>
<li id="MToKsY">
<a href="https://www.bloggersodear.com">Wake Forest</a> (3-0)</li>
<li id="0rhjEy">Texas (2-1)</li>
<li id="8oC8Ca">
<a href="https://www.goodbullhunting.com">Texas A&M</a> (2-1)</li>
<li id="JnJpYO">Pittsburgh (2-1)</li>
<li id="kz0BAh">Miami (FL) (2-1)</li>
</ol>
<p id="PfpXbP"><strong>Others receiving votes:</strong></p>
<p id="qoaEYi">Michigan State 91, <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/">Florida State</a> 85, Appalachian State 77, North Carolina 72, <a href="https://www.cougcenter.com">Washington State</a> 62, Cincinnati 52, <a href="https://www.buildingthedam.com">Oregon State</a> 49, Minnesota 48, Kansas 23, Syracuse 7, <a href="https://www.andthevalleyshook.com">LSU</a> 6, Wisconsin 4</p>
<p id="KeueL4"><em>Top 25 match ups on the schedule for Week 4</em>: </p>
<ul>
<li id="iWTe1E">No. 5 Clemson at No. 21 Wake Forest — 11:00 a.m. CST (ABC)</li>
<li id="lqobSs">No. 20 Florida at No. 11 Tennessee — 2:30 p.m. CST (CBS)</li>
<li id="nAtmDT">No. 10 Arkansas vs No. 23 Texas A&M in Arlington at AT&T Stadium — 6:00 p.m. CST (ESPN)</li>
</ul>
<p id="5TWqEB"></p>
<h2 id="JLVMSG"><em><strong>My Updated SEC Power Rankings After Week 3 </strong></em></h2>
<ol>
<li id="Hp2Mky">
<em>Georgia</em>: The Bulldogs are far and away the best team in the country right now after a 48-7 road win over South Carolina. Might have to drop them after allowing a touchdown, though. Kidding, of course.</li>
<li id="s99fM1">
<em>Alabama</em>: An easy 63-7 win over UL Monroe but Bryce Young throwing two interceptions might be a bit of a concern.</li>
<li id="D1NOOp">
<em>Tennessee:</em> Just an electric offense under Josh Huepel led by quarterback Hendon Hooker. Maybe the only team in the division that can compete with Georgia. College Gameday comes to Knoxville on Saturday for the match up against Florida. </li>
<li id="AZQmWi">
<em>Kentucky</em>: Did what they needed to do in a 31-0 win against Youngstown State. The Wildcats can get even better as they will get running back Chris Rodriguez back in their SEC opener at Ole Miss on October 1st. </li>
<li id="S3c03g">
<em>Arkansas</em>: The Razorbacks get dropped two spots because they got a legitimate scare against Missouri State in Bobby Petrino’s return to Fayetteville. However, the Bears are a really good FCS team. </li>
<li id="CuWlPE">
<em>Ole Miss</em>: I know <a href="https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com">Georgia Tech</a> is bad, but shutting out a Power Five opponent 42-0 on the road is still impressive, </li>
<li id="1e2A8V">
<em>Texas A&M</em>: It wasn’t pretty, but the Aggies bounced back with a 17-9 win over a Top 25 Miami team after the loss to Appalachian State. </li>
<li id="Qp52oK">
<em>LSU</em>: Brian Kelly got a much-needed win in his SEC opener against <a href="https://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.com">Mississippi State</a>. Holding a Mike Leach led offense to only 16 points was an impressive defensive performance. </li>
<li id="XwJhoz">
<em>Florida</em>: After the big-time win over Utah, things are trending in the wrong direction for the Gators after losing to Kentucky and barely escaping a bad South Florida team. </li>
<li id="mFjEHx">
<em>Mississippi State</em>: The Bulldogs had a letdown in Baton Rouge in a game they were favored to win. Schedule only gets tougher for Mike Leach’s group.</li>
<li id="GhfxVC">
<em>South Carolina</em>: The Gamecocks shouldn’t really get penalized for losing big to Georgia, but it’s been a rough start to the Spencer Rattler era to say the least. </li>
<li id="ZfzQ9G">
<em>Auburn</em>: After barely beating San Jose State, the Tigers were blown out 41-12 at home by Penn State. Things are really getting ugly for Bryan Harsin. It’s a winnable game for Missouri on Saturday. </li>
<li id="wXG1U3">
<em>Missouri</em>: Plenty of red flags after a 34-17 win over FCS Abilene-Chirstian. An average offensive line probably makes Mizzou a competent team. </li>
<li id="tpFV3l">
<em>Vanderbilt</em>: The 3-1 Commodores are vastly improved, and they deserve credit for that. However, the wins have come against Hawaii, Elon, and Northern Illinois. Need to see more against legitmate competion before I can move them up. </li>
</ol>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2022/9/19/23359608/missouri-tigers-mizzou-college-foootball-ap-top-25-poll-week-4-sec-power-rankings-georgia-alabamaSammy Stava2022-09-19T07:30:00-05:002022-09-19T07:30:00-05:00MV3: Playmakers top the ballots after Abilene Christian win
<figure>
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 17 Abilene Christian at Missouri" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FBbil2aZSXEZKLBnboS3FTS3sak=/0x0:4833x3222/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71386592/1243308730.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>Big days from two receivers and one corner punctuated Mizzou’s 34-17 win over Abilene Christian.</p> <p id="bO34ZQ">Here’s the thing about ugly wins: they’re still wins. And in college football, wins mean that at least one or two players had big days.</p>
<p id="jUzqoH">It’s no secret that Mizzou wasn’t all that convincing against Abilene Christian this past weekend. But while the team performance could have been stronger, there were more than a few players deserving individual praise. And as so happens around game three or four in a new year, a crop of players is starting to separate itself as the guys we’ll see a lot on these lists. Only five total players were voted for this week, and the three who made the list received the vast majority of all first and second place votes. </p>
<h1 id="44wwXu">1. Luther Burden III</h1>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Abilene Christian v Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UxHqH9i9bdRz0hXyroOZ4NI2bN0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24035027/1243307774.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="rUAqpq">Did Luther Burden fail to register a receiving touchdown for the second straight game? Sure. Did it matter? Absolutely not. Burden took his first career college punt return to the house and managed 111 total yards as the team’s main returner. He also managed 6 catches for 58 yards — along with an extra 8 yards rushing — and still looked like the most talented player any time he touched the ball. Burden had a rough week against Kansas State, but he was never going to stay down long.</p>
<h1 id="S4yrCA">2. Dominic Lovett</h1>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Abilene Christian v Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EQ2FNqbb0gwcjQ_tb2TCFfaAtWQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24035030/1243307794.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="Fv8Uoh">As BK put in his immediate takeaways, Dominic Lovett has avoided the sophomore slump in a major way. The receiver had a career day, totaling 132 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 7 catches. Lovett looked faster and shiftier than any one of ACU’s defenders and appears to be a legitimate deep threat for the Tigers. If they can start taking advantage of his talents, they’ll have a dynamic 1-2 punch with he and Burden.</p>
<h1 id="ew5W3W">3. Ennis Rakestraw, Jr.</h1>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Abilene Christian v Missouri" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/trt5lZdQDsYGj1PEo5CoYRWpDo0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24035034/1243307703.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="mPpXzL">What a game for the redshirt sophomore. A symbol of Eli Drinkwitz’s early recruiting success at Mizzou, Rakestraw has been a figure of immense scrutiny throughout his time in Columbia. Saturday was his strongest game in black and gold, highlighted by a high-difficulty interception that helped keep the Wildcats at arm’s length. It feels like Rakestraw can still build on the immense potential he brought to Missouri... even if it’s one step at a time.</p>
<p id="EFPtxg"><em>Others receiving votes: Chad Bailey, Ty’Ron Hopper</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="FZjlCx">
<p id="T2P2a4">Now it’s your turn! Tell us who your MV3 are in the comments or <a href="https://twitter.com/RockMNation"><strong>on Twitter!</strong></a></p>
<p id="qjaunB"></p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2022/9/19/23360493/mv3-playmakers-top-the-ballots-after-abilene-christian-mizzou-football-winJosh Matejka2022-09-18T12:00:00-05:002022-09-18T12:00:00-05:00Mizzou football continues to reshape defensive identity, this time against Abilene Christian
<figure>
<img alt="Syndication: Columbia Daily Tribune" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XdA0l_reQ7hgA2T-4CbTvKRCTw4=/0x0:3133x2089/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71383971/usa_today_19066972.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Madeline Carter/Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption>
</figure>
<p> With Abilene Christian’s 17-point effort, Mizzou Football held an opponent under 20 points for the first time since 2020.</p> <p id="W2Uwmx">Mizzou fans spent the offseason fantasizing about a rejuvenated defense that could aid in its pursuit of a SEC East division crown, especially after last year’s squad gave up over 30 PPG and nearly 230 yards of rushing per contest. </p>
<p id="4f3KV0">The 2022 Tigers gave glimpses of what could be on Saturday, albeit against FCS foe Abilene Christian, during a 34-17 victory in Columbia. Mizzou pressured the Wildcats into nine punts and forced two turnovers while making the Abilene Christian offense look as uneasy as the 53, 253 in attendance baking under the 90 degree heat. </p>
<p id="RqWq84">“I thought our defense played really well, specifically in the third quarter, forcing those two turnovers,” Drinkwitz said. “</p>
<p id="I9zIwY">The weather conditions offered a stark contrast to the torrential downpours in Manhattan, Kansas last week, which resulted in a 41-point showing for the <a href="https://www.bringonthecats.com">Kansas State</a> offense. Looking for a bounce-back effort, the Tigers’ defense warmed up to the opportunity under the radiant September sun. </p>
<p id="05TTzq">Mizzou held Abilene Christian to 17 points, but those numbers do not tell the full story. The Wildcats’ first touchdown did not actually come on offense; instead, a Brady Cook fumble in the end zone resulted in the score. Then, on Abilene Christian’s only other touchdown drive, the Tigers had their defensive backups in the game time wound down in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p id="KuHqaW">So... Mizzou’s starting defensive unit actually held the Wildcats to only <strong>3</strong> points. </p>
<p id="DRwUwH">While this outcome is to be expected against an FCS opponent, Abilene Christian entered the game with back-to-back victories where it scored over 20 points. The Wildcats also managed a 50% third down conversion rate and tallied 389.5 yards per game throughout their victories over Lamar and Prairie View A&M.</p>
<p id="LwianL">Against the Tigers, however, Abilene Christian netted 308 total yards, but did not earn one possession inside the red zone. The Wildcats finished 3-13 (23.1%) on third down and failed to convert on their only fourth down attempt. Despite out-gaining Mizzou in yardage during the first quarter (113 yards to 109), the visitors added only 195 yards over the final three quarters. </p>
<p id="U8cCww">The main difference between that opening period and the rest—Mizzou’s rushing defense. </p>
<p id="9A9nvW">“We obviously were doing badly at tackling in the first half [and] coach hit on that in the halftime meeting,” Ennis Rakestraw, Jr. said.</p>
<p id="4ix12a">The Tigers allowed 7.5 yards per rush in the first quarter, but only 2.3 YPR the rest of the way. A majority of those rushing yards occurred on Abilene Christian’s 10-play, 77-yard drive that resulted in its field goal. On that drive, Jeremiah Dobbins recorded 50 rushing yards, aided by a 20- and 22-yard rush. </p>
<p id="gCrIw5">Dobbins finished the game at 74 rushing yards, emphasizing the impact the defense made as the game progressed. In fact, the only other rush that resulted in a gain of at least 10 yards came on a 15-yard rush in the third quarter from Anthony Smith. For a defense that ranked near the bottom of the FBS in rush defense last season, Mizzou stood its ground against an inferior opponent. </p>
<p id="Vn3JmD">Outside of the rushing department, Rakestraw grabbed his first career interception in the third quarter and added a forced fumble as well. Chad Bailey recovered the fumble to force Abilene Christian’s second turnover of the game. Ty’Ron Hopper added five total tackles, including two for loss, while 11 other defenders notched at least two tackles. </p>
<p id="4RO8yN">“Two really good plays for [Rakestraw Jr.],” Drinkwitz said. “That’s his first career interception, and so I know he’s really excited about that.”</p>
<p id="TUi5zh">The defense forced seven three-and-outs and only allowed 11 first downs. Abilene Christian’s lone offensive touchdown was Maverick McIvor’s 49-yard touchdown pass to Blayne Taylor with less than two minutes remaining against Mizzou’s back-up units, pointing out a possible weakness in Blake Baker’s system. </p>
<p id="Mqu1LN">“I thought we did pretty good, [but] we still have a lot to work on,” Josh Bailey said. “We got a lot of three-and-outs, we got off the field on third down, but we have to make tackles too.”</p>
<p id="LJqzNN">However, the Tigers’ defensive success throughout the week three victory represents a positive with the team headed into a matchup against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers of Alabama scored 42 points in their opening victory over Mercer, but have just 36 points since then. With confidence and a reformed group, Baker’s unit has an opportunity to flip the script on last year while writing a new story on Mizzou’s defensive identity for 2022. </p>
<p id="N9G9P9">“We all we got, so I’d do anything for this team,” Rakestraw Jr. said. </p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2022/9/18/23358757/mizzou-defense-limits-abilene-christian-in-victoryBrandon Haynes2022-09-17T15:26:21-05:002022-09-17T15:26:21-05:00Tigers bounce back behind big days from Lovett, Burden
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<img alt="Abilene Christian v Missouri" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r_Bito6omt6zh0zEfjcTraXXP6E=/0x0:4532x3021/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71381236/1243307541.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The former East St. Louis teammates combined for 3 touchdowns and over 200 yards of offense on the day.</p> <p id="kLGk1n">The Tigers looked to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at the hands of K-State when they played another team of Wildcats on Saturday. Amidst so much negativity and question marks surrounding the program, Mizzou aimed to calm down the critics against an FCS opponent. Abilene Christian was in town for Family Weekend, and Mizzou put on a show for all of the visitors on campus.</p>
<p id="HRZki3">The game started with some fireworks. After the Wildcats went 3-and-out on their opening drive, Luther Burden stepped back to field the ensuing punt. He got the corner thanks to some great blocking and scored untouched from 78-yards out, making his presence felt early on.</p>
<p id="dlgvr8">“That’s just what he do; he’s touchdown Luther,” said high school teammate Dominic Lovett. “I’m proud of him.”</p>
<p id="VXsGfX">The Tigers got the ball back, but their drive stalled at midfield. The Wildcats were pinned at their own one after a questionable fair catch, but they worked out of the hole. Running back Jermiah Dobbins led the way with nearly 40 yards on the drive, and it took a Kris Abrams-Draine leaping pass breakup to force ACU to hit a field goal. The Wildcats were hanging in the game at 7-3 with 5:54 left in the first quarter.</p>
<p id="ybhwAq">After a holding call pinned them deep, Brady Cook completed a deep ball to Lovett that he caught in stride. He scampered past two defenders for a 79-yard touchdown, and he finally gave the Tiger faithful the explosive passing play they were looking for.</p>
<p id="vyZrLH">“The young man (Lovett) is a competitor,” Eliah Drinkwitz said. “He wants to let everyone know that he is from East St. Louis, too.”</p>
<p id="GHTMED">Abilene Christian continued to run the ball well, while the Tigers could not get any push up front. Mizzou had just 40 rushing yards in the first half compared to ACU’s 81, which kept them in the game. Those struggles caused the Tigers to opt to punt on two 4th and 1s during the first half instead of going for it.</p>
<p id="UyNBNa">However, it was a 4th and 1 stop by the Tiger defense that turned the tide of this game. </p>
<p id="iBmasv">Brady Cook completed a 19-yard ball to Mookie Cooper and then a wheel route to Cody Schrader for 25 yards after taking over possession. The drive then stalled in the red zone, but Harrison Mevis capped it off with a 31-yard field goal.</p>
<p id="lqaqYh">The Tigers went into the half leading 17-3, but outside of a couple of explosive passing plays, the offense was largely stagnant. The defense, meanwhile, was hanging in there despite giving up some yards. </p>
<p id="Y1A58N">“We gotta go back and look and see who the best 5 guys are,” Drinkwitz said regarding the offensive line. “We gotta go figure that out, cause penalties and poor execution won’t win in this league.”</p>
<p id="OsjLFD">The second half opened up with a promising drive that stalled out near midfield. Cook nearly hit Lovett for another electric touchdown, but he overthrew him by about two yards.</p>
<p id="OEBMxa">The defense picked up the slack, and then some. Ennis Rakestraw tipped a screen pass to himself for an interception, a huge play for the veteran who missed almost all of last season with injury.</p>
<p id="Ht08L1">“The first thing I thought about was my mom, and thanking God for being able to be here,” Rakestraw said.</p>
<p id="ntwcbn">The offense would turn that turnover into points. A completion to Barrett Banister that set them up inside the 10-yard line was followed by Cook ducking a defender and firing to a wide-open Nathaniel Peat for a touchdown.</p>
<p id="T2zmc2">“The energy is always going to be there with this offense, the effort is always going to be there,” Cook said.</p>
<p id="5yIYTt">The defense seemed like they enjoyed that result, so they decided to get another turnover, this time Chad Bailey forcing and recovering a fumble.</p>
<p id="0rBHOl">“My linebacker coach likes to call that hustle stats,” Bailey said. “It wasn’t my play but Ennis made a good wrap-up and I got to clean it up.”</p>
<p id="HPeEO1">The offense chose to open with two Burden wildcat plays, one of which was a reverse pass from Cook to Lovett for 25-yards. “These are plays we’ve been repping, even if they don’t get called in games,” Cook said. However, the drive ended with a rare Harrison Mevis miss from 52-yards out.</p>
<p id="SzFcqN">The Tigers regained possession back deep in their own territory, and that spelled trouble. Cook was drilled in the end zone and lost the ball, resulting in a fumble recovery touchdown for the Wildcats. The lead was cut to 24-10 with just under four minutes remaining in the third quarter.</p>
<p id="zB4HED">A response was needed, and they got it. Cook led a drive down the field with his arm and legs, and finished it off with a hot-read to Lovett on a slant with a blitz coming, his second touchdown of the day.</p>
<p id="bj8oeM">Harrison Mevis did not have his best day on the field. In fact, it might have been one of his worst. He missed another field goal halfway through the fourth quarter, this one from 39-yards out. The scoreline remained 31-10 with eight minutes to go in the game.</p>
<p id="1dZHYC">The defense and rushing attack salted away the game, and Mevis got some redemption by hitting a 52-yard field goal. But Abilene Christian wasn’t done, and tacked on a late touchdown. The game finished with a scoreline of 34-17 in favor of the Tigers.</p>
<p id="Z29tKm">Cook responded well to a rough performance against K-State in this game. He had 292 yards and 3 TDs on the day, and he looked comfortable completing some downfield passes, despite a couple of misses. Burden and Lovett were the stars of the show offensively, as they were top two in receptions and yards for the day and had three touchdowns between them.</p>
<p id="5fhBhI">“Lu brought me out of my shell with emotions and energy,” Lovett said. “Everybody has helped me come out of my shell this season— my mom, dad, coaches.”</p>
<p id="zOX6W2">The running game struggled early on, but they wore down the Wildcat defense in the second half to finish with 195 yards. After being tested in the first half, the Tiger defense bowed up in the second and only allowed 111 rushing yards on the day.</p>
<p id="wMK9Si">“Offensively, we’re still a work in progress,” Drinkwitz said. “We can’t get behind the chains with penalties.” Penalties were a major issue for Mizzou today. The Tigers had 9 of them for 85 yards (mainly holding calls, while the Wildcats only had one. </p>
<p id="IKovii">Mizzou will travel to the plains to take on Auburn (2-0) at 11 a.m. next weekend. Catch the Tigers SEC opener on ESPN next Saturday. </p>
https://www.rockmnation.com/2022/9/17/23355604/missouri-tigers-football-bounces-back-behind-big-days-from-lovett-burdenParker Gillam