Missouri defense shows improvement in loss to No. 2 Georgia

Just looking at the scoreboard after Missouri’s 43-29 loss to No. 2 Georgia, you’d think the Tigers’ defense collapsed for the second time in as many weeks.

But scores can be misleading. The Tigers’ defense allowed 29 points — the same amount their offense scored. Missouri’s offense and special-teams units each surrendered a touchdown, and that proved to be the difference.

“We leave the game with a sour taste in our mouth just because of the self-inflicted wounds we put ourselves through,” Missouri linebacker Cale Garrett said. “I thought we had a genuine chance to win this game and had them on their heels at times. ... It’s a little bit frustrating to be that close to winning a game and then losing just because of things on our side.”

Georgia had won all of its games this season by at least 24 points, and quarterback Jake Fromm hadn’t throw a pass in the fourth quarter. Missouri’s defense kept the game close enough for Fromm to throw three times in the final quarter on Saturday.

A week ago, Missouri’s defense allowed 37 points and 572 passing yards to then-winless Purdue. Last year, Georgia hung 53 points on Missouri, none of which came off of turnovers or special-teams plays.

Despite the defensive improvements, linebacker Terez Hall said he was unsatisfied with giving up 29 points. He said Georgia didn’t do anything Missouri hadn’t planned for.

“A lot of times I feel like people think we play to play. Like, ‘Oh, Mizzou is playing this team, so keep it close,’” Hall said. “No, man. We came to play. We didn’t prepare a full week beating up on each other just so we can go out and lose in a close game.”

Coach Barry Odom said Missouri’s first-half defense was as strong as he’s seen the unit play all season. The Tigers only allowed two field goals, one of which came after Georgia returned an interception to Missouri’s 7 yard line. The Bulldogs had just 148 yards of offense in the first half, only 66 passing yards.

On Georgia’s first series of the game, Missouri defensive back Christian Holmes picked off Fromm for the first interception of his college career. The play came a week after Purdue receiver Jared Sparks beat Holmes on a fourth-quarter pass to the end zone, though officials ultimately ruled that Sparks had dropped the pass.

Holmes said he anticipated Fromm’s throw after doing prep-work for Georgia. The defense had prepared for the play multiple times during practice.

“I’ve been here long enough, I’ve made plenty of plays in practice to get me ready for the game,” Holmes, a redshirt sophomore, said. “So when it happens in the game it’s nothing that I didn’t expect.”

Ultimately, the Bulldogs wore the Tigers’ defense down. Fromm threw for three touchdowns in the second half, one of which came when Mecole Hardman shook cornerback Joshua Bledsoe to haul in a 54-yard reception.

“Fundamentally you can’t play good defense if you do that,” Odom said. “You give up big plays, and it’s usually going to result in a touchdown.”

Georgia had the ball nearly three minutes more than Missouri in the second half, and its run game started to make a mark. The Bulldogs rushed for 103 yards in the final two quarters.

Though Missouri never sacked the quarterback, the defensive line pressured Fromm, and the Tigers collected four tackles for a loss. Three of those came from defensive lineman. Terry Beckner Jr. exploded up the middle on a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter, and he and linebacker Terez Hall dragged down Brian Herrien to force a turnover on downs.

“The defense was balling their tails off,” offensive lineman Kevin Pendleton said. We need to answer that call and rally together as a team.”

Cornerback Adam Sparks and defensive end Nate Anderson each notched six tackles for the Tigers. Safety Cam Hilton had three tackles, one for a loss, but he was limited in the second half with a fractured thumb he had sustained in the Purdue game.

“Defensively we did some good things,” Odom said. “Was it good enough? No, because we didn’t win the game.”

This story was originally published September 22, 2018 at 5:33 PM.