Grades from Missouri football’s 51-32 loss to Miss. State and look ahead to bowl game
While the Missouri Tigers were riding high at 5-3, winners of five of their last six games, they were hoping for a smooth end to the 2020 regular season.
That didn’t quite go as planned as MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s Tigers dropped their final two games, including a 51-32 loss to Mississippi State. There’s no reason to panic, of course, as even a 5-5 record is far and above preseason expectations.
Drinkwitz said he was disappointed in the result but not in the team. He’s said all season to not “drink the Kool-Aid” as the hype around his team has accumulated. While MU finished on a two-game losing streak, he said there wasn’t any of that going around.
“I don’t think we drank any Kool-Aid,” Drinkwitz said. “I think the fact is we’re down to 52 players and the guy that was our starting quarterback for the first two games of the season is playing safety for us in the entire second half. We’re doing every single thing we can to play the game.”
Here are this week’s grades for the offense, defense and special teams, along with a look ahead to what to expect from a potential bowl game.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Shawn Robinson interception: Saturday wasn’t an appealing sight as MU’s many miscues and unforced errors made it an ugly game. If there was a bright spot, it was safety Shawn Robinson, who made the switch from quarterback to defensive back.
He tipped a KJ Costello pass into the air and then finished the play himself, grabbing the ball and falling with possession for the interception. It was his first career interception, of course, as he made his collegiate safety debut.
GRADES
Offense: C-. MU quarterback Connor Bazelak looked like he was pressing throughout Saturday, which Drinkwitz pointed out. Bazelak finished with 225 yards and two touchdowns, but had three interceptions. It was the second straight week Bazelak struggled, but that’s what happens with a redshirt freshman: growing pains.
Running back Larry Rountree III ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns as he continued his great season. It’s the first time MU has lost this season when Rountree rushed for more than 100 yards.
Defense: C-. The 51 points Mississippi State put up looks ugly. But it wasn’t all on the defense. There was a pick-six and a muffed punt on special teams directly leading to 14 points. There were other times where the defense stood strong despite poor field position.
The Tigers did force four turnovers, too. But of course, it wasn’t enough as Mississippi State threw it all over — and ran some — on Mizzou. It was another lopsided score the Tigers gave up as they look to fix those miscues. Part of that, yes, was that MU was missing pieces all over the defense and roster as a whole.
Special teams: F. The big black mark, of course, was Cade Musser’s muffed punt. It was a tough scene to watch as the normally sure-handed Musser called for the fair catch but couldn’t haul it in. Musser had stabilized Mizzou’s early-season punt problems, but his biggest mistake came in a transparent moment.
Kicker Harrison Mevis knocked in a 32-yard field goal to remain dependable. Punter Grant McKinniss had three punts, averaging 44.7 yards.
NEXT UP
Teams across the country have opted out of a bowl invite, saying it’s been a mental toll for their teams. Drinkwitz said he hasn’t thought of that, choosing to accept any invitation his team receives.
Bowl projections. Mizzou will find out on Sunday where it’s going. After the College Football Playoff committee sets the semifinals, the bowl invites will go out. Projections are picking MU to end up in the Outback Bowl or Citrus Bowl, which would be a nice trip to sunny Florida instead of cold Missouri.
Break? It’s been a long season for the Tigers, and Drinkwitz said he’ll work with his operation people and administrators to try and get his players home for the holidays. There’s always a risk with the pandemic, but Drinkwitz said he’ll try to get his players well-deserved time off.