Missouri Tigers Offense Shows Growing Pains In Win
By Derek Franks
In a game that was, at times, difficult to watch, the Missouri Tigers finally found their groove on Saturday and edged an inferior-in-every-way Vanderbilt in Columbia on homecoming, 24-14.
It was far from convincing. But the Tigers did what was necessary to take down the bottom feeders of the SEC in front of a spirited– if sunbaked– crowd, and became bowl eligible in the process, improving their record to 6-2 (2-1 SEC).
Oct 25, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk (7) throws a pass during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Despite a nice record, the team hasn’t looked all that impressive. In the past four games, the Tigers have put the “OFF” in offense. Let’s look at the evidence.
1. The team was held scoreless for 3 and 3/4 quarters in its last-second, come-from-behind win over South Carolina.
2. The team gained only 97 total yards– yeah, 97 TOTAL– in the 34-0 loss to Georgia.
3. Mizzou scored in almost every way possible, other than on offense (for the exception of one touchdown) in a game where the team broke an all time record, scoring 42 points on just 119 yards of total offense.
4. Thanks in large part to penalties, Mizzou looked defunct with the ball against a dreadful Vanderbilt team in a 24-14 win, which was far too close for comfort for any Mizzou fan.
These four asterisks on the record are a “Mizzou Pessimist’s” ultimate argument. From that viewpoint, especially when compared to last season’s success, this has been a disappointing stretch for the Tigers. Add an embarrassing loss to a really weak Indiana team, and it makes it tough to swallow for someone with the this type of outlook.
Would have I preferred the Tigers score more than 24 points against a very porous defense? Yes. We all would. But the Tigers recognized here what had been poisoning them all season long. They were moving too fast.
But let’s look at this from a more optimistic perspective. Mizzou has a lot of work to do. However, on the eve of Halloween, it’s not as scary as it looks. The horror and nightmares that it all seems is really just a process of growth.
Quarterback Maty Mauk showed the biggest strides of improvement from the previous two games. The team leader was 11 for 24 for 140 yards and two touchdowns– not the best stat sheet by any means– but he made big plays when it mattered, threw much more accurately and was error free, throwing no interceptions. That last point was a welcome relief, as interceptions had been a thorn in Tiger fans’ side for past few weeks.
The Tiger QB also did masterful work on the ground, rushing for 57 yards.
Most significant about Mauk, he looked comfortable. As head coach Gary Pinkel said, he “got some of his karma back.”
It was good to see the Tigers use Russell Hansbrough and company with committed running strategy, and the Tigers rushed for 244 yards against Vanderbilt. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
What was the biggest sign of revival was the Tigers’ commitment to the running game, which controlled the game for its entirety. With the help of an improved performance from the offensive line, MU rushed for 244 yards, an unfamiliar look in Missouri in recent years. Clearly, Mizzou knew what it had to do to find its groove. Slow things down. Patience.
Patience paid off. No more was it evident than when the team trusted tailback Russell Hansbrough on fourth and two to run the ball, and he ran the ball ten more yards for a touchdown.
While at times, the pace was too slow for Tiger fans, and the team did run the ball in a couple of obvious passing situations, it showed that the Mizzou coaching staff finally devised a game plan that was perfectly fitting for the situation. And this factor definitely explains why we didn’t see a three-touchdown win, which was what Missouri was favored by.
Would have I preferred the Tigers score more than 24 points against a very porous defense? Yes. We all would. But the Tigers recognized here what had been poisoning them all season long. They were moving too fast. Trying to do too much. Not remembering that when trying to grow a young team, slow and steady always wins the race.
Still, there were definite issues that must be fixed.
This team had 14 penalties for 100 yards. This is the second straight 10+ penalty game. This is unacceptable. And it looked sloppy. Really sloppy. And that’s on the coaches.
Oct 25, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel leaves the field after the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Faurot Field. Missouri won 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
While the coaching staff did its part to devise a great game plan, they also did a poor job of preparing these young players and giving it enough discipline. This has plagued them all season long. This is me calling them out on this. Sloppy play = sloppy coaching.
In addition, the offense still made a few mistakes and didn’t execute in a way that we’d like. It missed several opportunities for big plays, not only with penalties but also dropped passes and confused route running.
The team also failed several easy third downs– another area that absolutely must be addressed in the coming days. The next opponent, Kentucky, plays a tough defense, particularly on third down. The game with Vandy was an improvement. The offense has a lot of things to still clean up.
Injuries for this team hasn’t helped matters. Wide Receiver Darius White was not an available weapon for Mauk in the Vanderbilt game. A hobbled Jimmie Hunt has underperformed, and OT Anthony Gatti’s season-ending injury, has forced Pinkel to mix up the offensive line all season. All of that taken into consideration, this offense has done pretty much everything it can to hold its own.
Production has wavered, and at times, poor play has sunk in. But in the last two games, the offense has shown up when it needed to.
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A victory here does not give Missouri fans solace since the team struggled out of the gate against a really bad team. The penalties made fans suffer a great deal. And the team still looked out of sync at times. But this team is young. It’s still learning. All of these things are going to happen. Is it too young to make it this year? Maybe. Has the coaching done its part to fix some of the problems? Not really.
But like a fine wine, things will get better with time.
Is this offense bad? I don’t think so. It has looked bad, sure. Has the offense had a bad season? There’s no questioning that. But overall, this is a talented– if shorthanded– bunch. It has showed its age many a time in 2014. But with each game, its age increases, and with each game, these players will learn.
The next four games aren’t “gimme games” by any stretch of the imagination. But each game is winnable. And with a little mix of improved offense, stone-cold defense, big plays in special teams and better coaching, it could all be the perfect recipe for the Tigers to run the table and push Georgia for the SEC East title.
Hang in there Tiger fans, it will all get better.