Mizzou offense looking to fix mistakes after season-low performance
For the opening half of the season, the Missouri offense hummed, scoring at a pace that ranked among the nation’s best. There were stumbles, but the final score always reflected points on the board — and most of the time, wins.
Then came arguably the season’s worst performance Saturday. Missouri, favored by three touchdowns, was upended in a 21-14 loss at Vanderbilt. The offensive balance between pass and run tipped in the defeat, neither phase generating a consistent rhythm.
Quarterback Kelly Bryant never looked comfortable, his uneasiness displayed in the stats and amount of times he was forced to scramble. The running game never materialized. Larry Rountree III was tripped up for 29 yards rushing, a roadblock on his way up MU’s career rushing list. The offensive line had an up and down day. Albert Okwuegbunam, a likely future pro, had just two receptions, though one went for a touchdown.
There was little to be proud of. While there were aspects of turning the page afterwards, offensive coordinator Derek Dooley said failure needed to be acknowledged.
“You also can’t deny what happened,” Dooley said of the loss. “The important thing is to take what happened unemotionally, learn from it and let’s make sure we don’t make that mistake again.”
After watching film, Bryant said he should’ve taken more checkdowns. Instead of forcing throws — like a key red zone interception — there were other options elsewhere to keep the chains moving. The quarterback stressed how he should’ve taken what the defense gave him.
It’s why the offense faced many long third-down looks. While they went 3 for 15, the poor conversion rate was because they were forced to deal with improbable odds. Between missed plays on first and second down, it left the Tigers facing low-percentage opportunities on third down.
“With those self-inflicting wounds, they just happen over and over again,” center Trystan Colon-Castillo said. “You kind of get out of that groove, don’t get into that rhythm. That’s how we work as an offense. When you get that first down, we get rolling.”
The Tigers have an opportunity to restart their offense against a solid Kentucky squad, a defense allowing 23.3 points per game, 47th in the nation.
MU coach Barry Odom pointed out how a crux of the Tigers’ problems were because the offensive line didn’t get a push. That showed up largely in the rushing totals.
The trenches will again likely be muddied up, this time facing a noticeably massive Kentucky defensive front. Colon-Castillo pointed out defensive tackles Quinton Bohanna (6-foot-4, 361 pounds) and Calvin Taylor Jr. (6-9, 310 pounds).
“They’re huge, I’m going to be honest with you,” Colon-Castillo said. “They’ve got a really, really good defense. All the games they’ve played so far, for the most part, have been pretty low-scoring.”
For a program that’s dealt with its share of failures — including that controversial 15-14 loss last year to the Wildcats — Odom and his teams have done well in bouncing back from adversity. That comes from some of his fundamental values, which includes behind honest with his players and seeing how they do with the bluntness.
“I feel like every week you have a choice because you’re one week from getting embarrassed, you’re one week away from a great win,” Dooley said. “It’s a decision you have to make on how you’re going to prepare and how you’re going to approach the game.”