Missouri vs. Auburn Preview
The Missouri Tiger are back on the road, this time to face the Auburn Tigers. This is only the third matchup between the two schools, but one of them was extremely memorable, as it carried National Championship implications. In the 2013 SEC Championships, Auburn managed to shut down Missouri’s potent offense in the fourth quarter, eventually winning the game 59-42 and advancing to the BCS, losing to first-ranked Florida State by only one point.
Speaking with a member of that Missouri team, Marcus Lucas, he had this to say about the 2013 Missouri Tigers and that year’s SEC Championship Game:
"“Being a half-quarter away from a national championship game, that game – is always going to be one you wish you had back. You wish you could’ve done just a little bit more.”"
Surely the University has recovered. After all, it was nine years ago. The Missouri Tigers have yet to sniff a game with the same importance, so the fan base and alumni still feeling that loss is to be expected. A regular season win here would not carry the same oomph, but would be a step in the right direction to healing some wounds, and more importantly, a sign to the rest of the SEC that the Missouri Tigers are for real.
It has been a long time since Mizzou had any real relevance or scared any would-be contenders in the SEC. If this is the year, they will need to beat teams on the road, especially teams that are beatable. Before the Tigers even considered competing with Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, and Georgia. All ranked teams they play this season, they need to beat Auburn on the road.
The Missouri Tigers are catching the Auburn Tigers at their weakest moment. Auburn is 12-12 the last two seasons, after going 9-4 the year prior. This team is in a different spot from where they were during some of the glory years. This is a great opportunity for Missouri to pounce and come away with a victory
The Keys to Victory for the Missouri Tigers
- Win the possession game: Mizzou must control the clock on both sides of the ball. The longer the defense is on the field, the worse the result.
- Improve on pass coverage: The Missouri Tigers have still yet to demonstrate they can cover one-on-one. Man coverage has been a sensitive area for the Tigers through three games.
- The Luther Burden Show: Luther needs to have at least 15 touches against Auburn. No matter how they get him the ball, receiving, rushing, or special teams, his involvement is key. The best player on the filed will always be Burden, Coach Drinkwitz needs to use him as such.
- Stop Tank Bigsby: Force Auburn to beat you through the air. If Mizzou can send help to the corners by getting the safeties involved deep, they win this game.
Missouri Head Coach, Eli Drinkwitz had this to say about his football team:
"“We need to get better, really, in all three phases at the fundamentals. Our team’s attitude and our focus is that that’s all within our control, and that’s what we’re focused on this week.”"
Prediction: Missouri 21 - Auburn 24
Game: Missouri Tigers vs Kansas State Wildcats
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2022
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium
Odds/Point Spread: Auburn (-7.5) – FanDuel Sportsbook
Over/Under: 51.5 – FanDuel Sportsbook
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