Missouri Tigers: 5 Worst Moments Of 2014 Football Season
By Derek Franks
If you’re like me, you’re still recovering from the sudden end to the college football season. Thus, we must reflect on it more.
The Missouri Tigers football program had a surprisingly successful 2014– very surprisingly, depending on who you ask.
If you ask me, I wasn’t so surprised. After all, in our 2014 football season preview, I had the Tigers getting to 10 wins. And Gary Pinkel’s squad raised me 11 wins.
Dec 6, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (27) against the Missouri Tigers in the fourth quarter of the 2014 SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Missouri 42-13. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
So, while very few had Mizzou amounting to much this year– Vegas had the Tigers finishing 4th in the SEC East— the team was able to overcome piles of adversity, tough losses, injuries and off the field issues to win its second consecutive SEC East title, play a tough SEC Championship game, and win a New Years’ Day bowl game. Not too bad, Mizzou Nation.
In fact, some might even argue that the biggest surprises actually appeared on this list– the top 5 worst moments of the 2014 football season.
You probably have already guessed what No. 1 is. But there are some other super huge events that occurred over the course of the season that dramatically altered what could have been something even better than an SEC East division championship.
Here are the top 5 most egregious, abdominal pain-inducing, “please erase these from my memory” moments of the 2014 football season for the Missouri Tigers.
5. Defense Allows a 75-yard Touchdown on Its First Play of 2014
For our first “worst” moment, we’re taking you way back to the first game of the season, when Murray State marched into Columbia and played the Tigers close for two and a half quarters.
Mizzou had tons of questions surround the offense and its youth going into the season. But the defense seemed like it was in pretty good shape, with the only question being at the linebackers position.
Despite playing an errant game across the board, Mizzou somehow found itself within a score with 13 minutes to play. But the game-long effort to shoot themselves in the foot continued and finally caught up with the Tigers
After the Tigers predictably drove right down the field and scored a touchdown on the opening drive, nobody saw what happened next. Right after Mizzou kicked away to Murray State– a touchback– Murray State’s first play from scrimmage? A 75-yard run on a broken play started as a near turnover and ended in a touchdown.
Three tigers missed tackles on the play, including two linebackers. This was a telling play for this team. Not only was it painful to see the defense give up a touchdown on its first play of the season, but it was very much a sign of things to come with regards to stopping the run down the road in 2014.
Of course, the Racers had no business being in the game, but they were.
4. Three Weeks Of Seriously BAD Offense
Not so much a moment, but a collection of moments, the Missouri Tigers’ offense spent three straight weeks looking like a fourth grade YMCA team.
While wins in two of those three games book-ended a horrible loss at home to Georgia (see below), it was still a jarring sight to see: Mizzou doing absolutely nothing with the football.
On the road at South Carolina, the Tigers started off well, scoring on their opening drive. But after that, their score remained stuck at 7 for almost the entirety of the game, as Mizzou could not go ANYWHERE on offense. This frustrating game was salvaged only by two late scores in the last three minutes to hold on to a win.
We all know what happened a week later– being shutout by the Bulldogs. After that, the special teams and defense carried the defunct offense as the Tigers put up 42 points on just 140 yards of offense and only 7 offensive points against Florida.
This was just a terribly agonizing stretch to be a Mizzou fan, watching a team full of talented players look like garbage, they were clearly better than that, as evidenced by winning 11 games in 2014.
3. Blowing A Close SEC Title Game Against Alabama With Stupid Mistakes
Most predicted an Alabama win in what was Mizzou’s second consecutive SEC Championship Game appearance. But the shear fact that with a little less than a quarter to play the Tigers were in the game, made this one a painful pill to swallow.
Despite playing an errant game across the board, Mizzou somehow found itself within a score with 13 minutes to play. But the game-long effort to shoot themselves in the foot continued and finally caught up with the Tigers.
This game stunk because there was a possibility that MU could have taken down mighty Alabama, but the Tigers ultimately beat themselves with bad turnovers, stupid penalties and a plethora of missed opportunities to score. Thus, a bad moment indeed when Bama pulled away and turned a tight game into a rout.
2. Being Absolutely Donkey-Punched Into the Ground By Georgia
Oct 11, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk (7) is sacked by Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jordan Jenkins (59) and linebacker Leonard Floyd (84) during the first half at Faurot Field. Georgia won 34-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
34-0. Need we say more?
Yes we do. 34-0– at home. Many might contend that this was the worst moment of the 2014 season. So much momentum had been built and the hype was high coming into this one after Mizzou’s come from behind road win over South Carolina a week prior.
Coming into this game, Mizzou was back into the title hunt, appearing on national television with an amped up fan base. To top it off, two days before the game Georgia’s superstar running back was suspended. The stars aligned for the Missouri Tigers.
That is, until kickoff. That’s when Mizzou decided to not show up. That aforementioned offensive cold streak was in full swing and the world also was introduced to UGA running back Nick Chub, who obliterated the Tiger run defense. Tough moment.
1. Pass Interference… The Loss To Indiana
We all know what the real worst moment of 2014 was. The Tigers decided early on in this season that they weren’t going to be an undefeated team when they vomited all over themselves at home against a really, really bad Big Ten team.
These sorts of things can’t happen. They didn’t happen. Surely, this was a dream– a nightmare. No, it was real. In a game that should have been a 54-7 final score, Mizzou instead did everything humanly possible to keep itself from winning. A terrible game plan, poor in game management and silly mistakes like penalties and badly played snaps on offense tormented Tiger fans as they winced in pain throughout the entire game.
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Despite it, Mizzou was in the game and scored late to get the lead. But again, mistakes came back to haunt the Tigers, including the ultimate moment, when corner back John Gibson was called for an iffy pass interference call on fourth and six.
Indiana would go on to score and the Hoosiers stunned the defending SEC East champs. Once again, the inability to stop the running game was a huge issue, as Tevin Coleman just punished the Tigers for 225 yards. Ouch.
In the end, Mizzou never really lived the Indiana loss down. It was the kind of game that kept the team from potentially playing in a ‘New Year’s Six’ Bowl game. It was the kind of loss, where when you’re getting beat by Georgia, you just give up because INDIANA already ruined your season. Young players– which MU had a lot of them– do that sort of thing.
The worst part about the Indiana loss was how much of a confidence killer it was. And Tiger fans will have to remember that really bad moment for a long time.