Missouri Football: Tigers look lost against Purdue

COLUMBIA, MO - SEPTEMBER 16: Quarterback David Blough (11) of the Purdue Boilermakers scrambles as defensive lineman Chris Turner (39) of the Missouri Tigers chases during the game at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MO - SEPTEMBER 16: Quarterback David Blough (11) of the Purdue Boilermakers scrambles as defensive lineman Chris Turner (39) of the Missouri Tigers chases during the game at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Every week, the Missouri Tigers look worse than the previous week. At the half, Purdue has shut-out Missouri, 28-0.

If Missouri is able to summon a come-from-behind win in the second half, it would mean the Tigers have to play as perfect of a half of football, as possible. They don’t have it in them.

I hope that last sentence comes back to bite me, but I fear that it won’t. Missouri has looked abysmal in all phases of the game, for a second week in a row.

Missouri looked unstoppable on offense in Week 1 against Missouri State, but when the rubber hit the road in SEC play, the Tigers crashed to earth on offense, while defense and special teams continued their downward trends.

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Every week, we’ve seen dashes of brilliance from all phases of the game. Special teams’ most consistent player being punter Corey Fatony, who has been nothing short of spectacular in his Week 3 performance.

The offense has shown that it’s capable of moving the ball, whether on the ground or through the air, but in the passing game, we continue to see the same mistakes from quarterback Drew Lock that we saw last year.

The running game has struggled to gain positive against a stiff Purdue defensive front. Meanwhile, the coaching staff has been adamant about dialing-up running back Ish Witter’s number, while I think Larry Rountree could prove a devastating combination with Damarea Crockett.

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The defense has also looked absolutely lost through 98% of the game, short of some pressure on the quarterback, and an interception late in the second quarter, the defense has been on life support.

After head coach Barry Odom fired defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross, Odom clearly isn’t ready to take on the added role. I’m not disagreeing with Cross’s dismissal, but the Tigers need a defensive coordinator.

Next: Missouri's keys to victory

We’ll see what the second half brings, as Missouri will somehow try to salvage a 28-0 lead by Purdue. So far, the offense has put up less than 100 yards in the first half.