Off east from the Blues in Memphis and the Country in Nashville, the Missouri Tigers set their sights on Knoxville, Tennessee, where a win would be some serious music to their ears.
With their final road test of the 2014 slate, Mizzou looks to take down Tennessee in what could amount to the penultimate game before their second straight SEC East title is claimed.
However, looking ahead has created some grim results (we dare not speak the name of that Big Ten school that starts with an “I”). There is no doubt: the Tigers have to come to play– and play well– against a much-Improved Tennessee team Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Nov 1, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Patrick Towles (14) is sacked by Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Shane Ray (56) during the second half at Faurot Field. Missouri won 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
While the typical issues of 2014 plagued them for some parts of the affair last weekend, Missouri found its offensive stride against Texas A&M, and finally looked the part in a hostile environment, staving off a tough fight from the Aggies. Quarterback Maty Mauk wasn’t perfect, but he showed flashes of brilliance, and more importantly he looked like a leader. This week, his Tigers will need more of that if they want to beat one of the scariest .500 teams in college football.
The Volunteers have come a long way since head coach Butch Jones took over. They’ve rebuilt their program from the ground up with solid recruiting, sound coaching and a true commitment to the development of their players.
The Volunteer offense hasn’t been super prolific this season. But they have a star-studded wide receiver core that has been masterful despite horrible offensive line youth– thanks to injuries– and changes at quarterback. When the impressive QB Justin Whorley was sidelined for the season, Tennessee didn’t miss a beat. Its current quarterback, Josh Dobbs, has had his ups and downs. But, being the starter last season, he brings a ton of experience to the table.
It doesn’t help that Tennessee calls the second largest stadium in college football its home, nor that their fans are as ruckus as any. It’s clear. This is no easy task. Mizzou will have to bring everything it has to hold on to their division lead in this tough SEC East battle and come within one win of being bound for Atlanta and the conference championship game.
The formula is simple: win and they’re in.
Winning this game is not simple. Here’s everything you need to know to get you ready for the challenging match up with Tennessee.
Match Up: No. 20 Missouri Tigers (8-2, 5-1 SEC) at Tennessee Volunteers (5-5, 2-4 SEC)
Venue: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville Tennessee
Time/Television: 6:30 P.M. CST, ESPN
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 3.5
The Game:
The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the surprise teams this season. While they are still just a .500 ball club, they have turned heads by playing teams tough, and nearly taking victories from teams believed to be better than them. The team’s best effort, in fact, may have been in a losing effort to Georgia– who Mizzou is locked in a race with for the SEC East– when the Vols played a back and forth, high-octane battle on the road in Athens.
It’s not just about the success on the field, it’s the confidence of the team. For better or for worse, most of that lies in Mauk’s hands.
Tennessee poses a considerable threat in the passing game, with wide receivers Von Pearson and Marquez North. It will no doubt look to expose a young but improving defensive secondary for Mizzou. If the Tiger defensive line continues to play at the rate it has all season, I expect there to be plenty of big stops for Mizzou. Defensive ends Shane Ray and Markus Golden have been a terror for poor offensive lines (or any offensive line, really). That could very well be the case here.
Defensively is where Tennessee has won ball games this year. In adjusted statistics, the Vols are the 19th ranked defense in the country (Mizzou is 15th). This points us to what should amount to a low scoring game, but both offenses have succeeded in situations where a defense is supposed to be superior. So we will see which offense comes to play for each team.
Russell Hansbrough was a phenom against A&M last week. His performance will be key against Tennessee. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Honestly, it’s an absolute crime that Missouri is the underdog here, even if it is on the road. 8-2, ranked 20th in the country, playing against a team that’s sub-.500 in conference play? What more do the Tigers need to do to get some respect? Well… play better offense, that’s what. But the Tigers are the better team here, and if they play like it, they’ll win.
The Match Up To Watch: Missouri Run Offense vs. Tennessee Run Defense
The Tigers finally figured out that running the football can do a team wonders last week. Even if fans found themselves yelling at the T.V. when they passed on obvious running downs, Mizzou also ran on obvious pass plays. And they scored not once, not twice, but three times on those attempts.
It’s been a formula that I’ve begged MU to go to all season (especially when the Tigers passing game has been obscenely mediocre): RUN THE BALL.
They found out that when the Tigers run against a bad rushing defense like Texas A&M, they’ll win. Unfortunately this week is a whole different animal. Tennessee is aggressive on that side of the ball. And they are sturdy on stopping the run, ranking 40th in the country in rushing defense and ranking 6th in the country in stopping the run on longer downs.
So Missouri will have to pass this Saturday. They will have no choice. Still, it’s absolutely vital that Missouri stick to their guns and stay balanced. A huge key to this game will be what kind of plays they’re able to break on the ground. Tennessee doesn’t give up many big plays to running backs. But when they do, those plays go for HUGE gains. I’m looking to Mizzou to run the ball with conviction and try to break a big one or two. It could be a key to winning the game.
The Tigers need the strong leadership from Maty Mauk to continue. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Running backs Marcus Murphy and Russell Hansbrough have proven that they’re up to the task all season long. Tiger fans should hope that both get plenty of touches, even if it isn’t as productive as the coaching staff would like. The worst case scenario is that it opens up the passing game, and Mizzou will be able to catch them being particularly aggressive and make them pay.
The Tigers Will Win If:
They find a rhythm on offense. It’s simple. But I think we can trust the Tiger defense to hold its own here– especially with the reinstated cornerback Aarion Penton returning. Missouri must simply play sound, in sync, balanced offense and limit mistakes. If they do that, we can expect enough scoring to win the game for Missouri. It will be tough to beat Tennessee’s defense. However, having offensive rhythm will go a long way.
The Volunteers Will Win If:
South Bound & Down
Their offensive line finds a way to slow down the MU pass rush. The team has started multiple freshman this year on the offensive line and they obviously felt the brunt of that throughout the season. But the team has grown and gotten healthier together. If they can somehow stave off big blitz packages and the monstrous sacks from Golden and Ray and co., it could mean more chances for them to make big plays down field. If that happens, Tennessee’s offense can get their own rhythm enough to score and keep the game in their hands. Mizzou must lean heavily on their defense– which as good as its been all season– scares me to no end.
Prediction:
Missouri won’t win without a good game from its Quarterback. Mauk cannot come out throwing picks all over the field and losing control back in the pocket. All of the above stuff is a wash if that’s the kind of game we see from him. It’s not just about the success on the field, it’s the confidence of the team. For better or for worse, most of that lies in Mauk’s hands.
However, from what we’ve seen the past couple of weeks, Mauk has found his groove. That makes me really want to take Mizzou, so I will. A gut feeling tells me Tennessee will play this game extremely close (the back and forth variety), and have its crowd in it early on. But three and a half quarters in, I like Mizzou to do precisely what it did last week and break away with some big plays late. Pick: Missouri 24, Tennessee 20