Here’s why one Mizzou Tigers football position has been a pleasant surprise in 2020
When the Missouri Tigers football team went through training camp, they knew the effect COVID-19 could have on practices. Players would be missing for reasons other than injuries.
Mizzou’s offensive line was hit hardest and starters and backups were juggled throughout the line. Who lined up where depended largely on who was available. On top of all those worries, the young offensive line had already lost experienced starters to the NFL or eligibility after last season.
Despite those challenges, Mizzou’s offensive line has shown flashes of production and grit through the first two weeks of the season. It hasn’t been an overwhelmingly dominant effort as MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz said there are areas to improve, but the line has been a relative surprise.
“There’s things that we can improve in both the run and the pass game and that just comes along with going through a season,” offensive lineman Case Cook said. “I think we’ve done a good job up front and obviously we need to pick it up a little bit. Just keep doing what we’re doing and keep going the way we have been.”
Mizzou has consistent linemen in at least four of the five spots, a sigh of relief after the camp chaos. As expected, it has been Xavier Delgado at left guard, Michael Maietti at center, Cook at right guard and Larry Borom at right tackle.
Left tackle, the most important spot on the line, has seen two linemen: Bobby Lawrence and Zeke Powell, who are listed as co-starters on the depth chart. Powell started against Alabama and played all the snaps while Lawrence did the same against Tennessee. Drinkwitz said Powell battled a foot injury last week, which is why Lawrence got the nod. The two are battling it out for the starting spot in practice this week, Drinkwitz said.
“We did a nice job of getting in third-and-1 situations and short yardage,” Drinkwitz said of the line. “They really did a nice job. They did a nice job on the goal line. We only had one sack.”
Drinkwitz said the Tigers still need to feed the ball more to Larry Rountree III, who has run through some open holes but also has created his own opportunities.
The line has blocked well in pass protection for Connor Bazelak and Shawn Robinson. The unit’s importance ramps up as Bazelak will start against No. 17 LSU. As a pocket-passer, Bazelak will need time to let routes develop downfield.
“Our offensive line has done a great job protecting me and Shawn,” Bazelak said. “Good job with the run game. But I think just having a consistent group in there is important. They get a feel for each other. I get a feel for them. I know what they’re going to do.”
The offensive line has adjusted depending on the quarterback. Robinson used his legs more on option looks and plays that stretched to the boundary.
“As offensive linemen, it’s our job to block until the ball gets out,” Cook said. “You can’t have that clock in your head regardless of what’s going on back there. Us as an O-line, whoever’s back there, we just think we gotta block and pass-pro for whoever it is.”
The Tigers’ front goes up against an LSU defensive line that’s breaking in some new starters and a new scheme under defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. While Glen Logan was a preseason All-SEC pick, the others around him are still a relative mystery after Tyler Shelvin opted out of the season.
Ali Gaye is a first-year starter who played last season at the junior college level. Andre Anthony and Siaki Ika were rotational pieces on the 2019 national championship team but are starting for the first time.
Cook said he and his MU teammates are still looking to generate consistency.
“Great effort, that’s the standard,” Cook said. “Playing hard, that’s what we do. That’s never going to change. That’s the bottom line, that’s the minimum. But there comes a time when we’re out there and running plays, you gotta be extremely locked in and your job.”