Missouri Football: Tigers face a must-win game against Purdue
After an embarrassing loss last week against South Carolina, Missouri finds itself in a must-win situation against Purdue, to salvage any chance of bowl eligibility – a task easier said than done.
Well, it’s been a rocky week for Missouri football. After the crushing 31-13 defeat at the hands of the Gamecocks, where the offense and special teams looked flat, head coach Barry Odom fired defensive Coordinator Demontie Cross, in what seemed more of a reactionary response than a smart one, leaves the team without a defensive coordinator this week.
All distractions aside, it’s time to focus on Purdue, which is coming off an impressive blowout win over Ohio, and a very close loss to Louisville, the week before. This is not the Purdue of the past few years, to say the least.
With head coach Jeff Brohm taking over after an incredible 13-1 record with Western Michigan last year, you can already see the improvements.
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This is a high-flying offense with quarterback David Blough, who has thrown for a 74% completion percentage on the season, while running back Tario Fuller has rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown against Ohio.
The Boilermakers’ offense will attack through the air and throw deep downfield against Missouri’s problematic secondary.
The key will be for the defensive line to bring pressure against Blough and hopefully rack-up more sacks than they did last week.
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Finally, the biggest shock last week was offense’s bad performance. Dropped passes, penalties and poor play calling all contributed to a pitiful performance, especially from Drew Lock, who needs to improve on his decision-making and play making ability against non-FCS defenses.
Offensive coordinator Josh Huepel needs to let Lock throw down the field instead of just throwing screens, because when he lets Lock use his arm, that’s when big plays happen for the Tigers. It should be especially easy against a weak Purdue defense.
This game will be a show for those who love offense, as both teams have awful secondaries and have solid passing attacks. Expect this to be close and entertaining, and I do believe Mizzou is the better team to pull off the win, but don’t be shocked if the Boilermakers walk away with this one. You can catch the game Saturday afternoon on SEC network at 3:00 PM CT.