3 Key Takeaways from Missouri's Dominant Week 1 Victory

With Week 1 in the books, the Missouri Tigers delivered an absolutely dominant performance, securing a 51-0 shutout victory over the Murray State Racers on Thursday night. The game was effectively decided from the start, as Missouri's star power reigned supreme from the opening kickoff.

Missouri's offense was firing on all cylinders, though it's worth noting they were up against a Racers unit that finished 2-9 last season. As Head Coach Drinkwitz put it, "It took us four plays (to figure out Murray State)."

The offense looked solid, but here are three takeaways from their Week 1 performance:

1. Missouri has 2 great running backs

After losing Cody Schrader to the NFL, one of Missouri's biggest offensive question marks was at running back. Fortunately, it seems they've done a solid job filling the void, as multiple backs impressed in their victory. Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll split carries when the first-team offense was on the field, both displaying a lot of potential by finding holes and powering through tacklers. Noel finished with 11 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown, adding four receptions for 20 yards. Carroll averaged 5.8 yards per carry, totaling 54 yards on eight touches and finding the end zone. It’s safe to say the backfield looks secure with two veterans who have quickly embraced the culture at Mizzou.

2. Missouri's wide receiver room is extremely deep

Coming into the season, no position group had as much hype as the receivers, and they certainly delivered. Missouri had 11 different receivers record a reception, amassing over 300 yards through the air. Whether it was Luther Burden finding the end zone on the first drive or Mookie Cooper breaking a tackle for a 49-yard gain, the receivers showcased their talent. Although Theo Wease and Brett Norfleet were banged up, Coach Drinkwitz assured after the game that keeping them on the bench was purely precautionary. Marquis Johnson, Mekhi Miller, and Joshua Manning also contributed with receptions in the first half. The receiving corps is not only deep but also poised for continued success in the future.

3. Brady Cook looked good, but was shaky on deep passes

One thing to monitor for Brady Cook is his accuracy on deep balls. While he managed the game well and looked sharp in the first half, helping Missouri jump out to a 35-0 halftime lead, he missed a couple of potential deep-ball touchdowns. Cook finished with a solid stat line, going 19/30 for 218 passing yards, adding 22 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He made good decisions with the football but struggled with accuracy on long passes. On throws of 5 yards or less, Cook was 13/15, but on passes beyond 5 yards, he was just 11/20. While this critique may seem nit-picky, it’s worth discussing as the season ramps up.

Ultimately, it was a great team win, with Missouri getting contributions from nearly every position on the field. They pitched a shutout and moved the ball downfield with ease. It’s shaping up to be an exciting season for the No. 11 Missouri Tigers, who are poised to break into the top 10 in the next rankings after Florida State's week-zero loss.