How a healthier Mizzou Tigers football team out-muscled Vandy in the trenches
This is the Missouri team the Tigers were trending toward becoming before a slew of injuries in the trenches slowed down progress.
Mizzou outmatched Vanderbilt 41-0 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in winning its second straight game. The shutout was indicative of the on-field play: The Tigers (4-3) dominated the Commodores (0-8) in just about every facet of the game. History was also made Saturday as Vandy kicker Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in an NCAA Power Five conference football game.
Mizzou’s dominant stretch started in the trenches, where it returned key starters or depth pieces — and it showed.
Left guard Xavier Delgado and right tackle Larry Borom returned to an offensive line that had seen its numbers trickle. A slew of defensive linemen — Kobie Whiteside, Trajan Jeffcoat and Markell Utsey — all suited up and played on Saturday after absences.
Their collective resurgence allowed MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s squad to thrive Saturday as the Tigers put together their most complete outing of the season. Mizzou is getting healthy at the perfect time to finish a pandemic-ridden season strong.
“I commended those guys for fighting to get back for their teammates,” Drinkwitz said. “We’re down guys. When you’re not playing, it puts stress on everybody because everybody is having to do more. So to get Kobie Whiteside and Trajan Jeffcoat back, Xavier Delgado and Larry Borom back in a trench-driven league, that’s four more good players that can spread the load.”
The running game was back operating like an efficient machine after having nearly disappeared over the past two contests. Running back Larry Rountree III rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns against Vandy. That conquering ground performance allowed the passing game to flourish: Quarterback Connor Bazelak completed 30 of 37 passes for 318 yards. The always-versatile running back Tyler Badie had 102 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown.
Drinkwitz said he was able to use Borom as his dominant blocker in some schemes, a luxury given that Borom missed the past two games. Borom, a redshirt junior, has been one of the pleasant surprises on an offensive line that had surpassed expectations.
Delgado was back solidifying the left guard spot, which MU had to dig deep into its depth chart to fill after subsequent injuries.
“I thought they played great,” Bazelak said of the offensive line. “I thought I saw big improvement in the run game from last week obviously and in pass protection. They played great, and it shows in the stats with Larry (Rountree) and Badie and Elijah (Young) getting the ball and a bunch of yards throwing the ball. That’s a credit for them.”
Linebacker Nick Bolton said the defense came in with the goal to lay a “goose egg” on the Commodores, which is exactly what they did. The Mizzou defense continued its suffocating ways, allowing just 196 total yards, 13 first downs and — most importantly — zero points.
The defensive line was at its healthiest point in at least the past few weeks, Drinkwitz said, as they returned contributors. MU fell below the positional threshold at defensive line, which prompted the postponed Georgia game.
While the Tigers brought back enough players to travel to South Carolina, they were still dealing with depth issues. That’s why Bolton said it was great to have his teammates causing disruption up front with the linebackers then cleaning up the remaining mess.
“All them boys being back, they were vicious up front today,” Bolton said. “They caused havoc in the run game and on pass downs. It kind of makes it easier for everybody else on the football field. Even the back-end included.”
The next part of Mizzou’s evolution lies in its consistency. The Tigers were at the same spot last month, coming off a two-game winning streak over LSU and Kentucky. It appeared like their talent and coaching were meshing well, then the injuries and ineffectiveness hit.
Of course, availability is 2020’s major issue amid a pandemic. The Tigers are getting healthier and returning more bodies, but that’s contingent on other factors out of their control, whether that be injuries or positive COVID-19 tests.
Drinkwitz still pointed to a few issues, like the short-yardage runs where the Tigers weren’t able to move the chains. MU had one turnover Saturday, but had opportunities to grasp more takeaways.
They’ll regroup quickly, Drinkwitz said, pointing to the upcoming rivalry game. Mizzou faces Arkansas on Dec. 5 at Memorial Stadium, part of the SEC’s most recent round of rescheduling. Drinkwitz wasn’t too worried about getting above the .500 mark for the first time this season, instead renewing his focus on the “1-0” mindset he’s instilled into his program on a weekly basis.
“They’re doing a nice job,” Drinkwitz said of the defense. “They’re as healthy as they’ve been in a while on the defensive front. We’ve got a really good rotation at corner right now. Then you got Nick Bolton anchoring that thing, hammering out 10 tackles a game like it’s nothing. You’ve got a pretty good special unit right now.”
This story was originally published November 28, 2020 at 5:02 PM.