Here’s one reason Mizzou could be ‘fortunate’ by facing Mississippi State in finale
Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz admitted the Tigers are in luck to be lining up against a very specific Mississippi State offense.
The Bulldogs feature the “Air Raid,” a staple passing attack of first-year coach Mike Leach, who brought the principles from the Pac-12 to the SEC. As the name suggests, Mississippi State will throw just about every down.
“It’s a different type of challenge,” Drinkwitz said. “The past couple weeks we’ve really had a difficult time stopping the run. Not being disciplined in our fits. Not being able to pound gaps the way we need to. That’s really not going to show up this week.”
Mizzou (5-4) is prepping for Mississippi State (2-7) amid a busy week, but the Tigers are also down healthy bodies. Drinkwitz said they’re at around 56 scholarship players available, which includes a battered defensive line. It’ll be the 2020 regular season finale at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for Mizzou, though Drinkwitz said they plan to accept a bowl invite.
MU defensive linemen Kobie Whiteside, Chris Turner, Markell Utsey and Trajan Jeffcoat are all questionable going into the game. That’s a heavy blow for the Tigers, who struggled mightily against Georgia (316 rushing yards) and Arkansas (292 yards) stopping the run.
Of course, Mississippi State won’t pose the same threat: The Bulldogs far and away lead the SEC in pass attempts. That doesn’t mean there aren’t run game elements, though. Drinkwitz said the Bulldogs throw screens instead for their variation of the run game.
That means less action around the line of scrimmage — which might not be such a bad thing, Drinkwitz said.
“It’s fortunate that we’re playing a heavy pass (offense),” Drinkwitz said, “because I don’t think we can sit in the trenches this week with as beat up as we are.”
That puts more pressure on Mizzou’s secondary, where the Tigers are nursing injuries there, too. Senior safety Tyree Gillespie and cornerback Jarvis Ware are both out, meaning MU will rely on sophomore Jalani Williams and true freshman JC Carlies to fill their spots, respectively.
It’s a time to shine for the MU secondary — and show a glimpse of the future.
Mississippi State started the season with what looked to be a momentous win over LSU. But the Bulldogs have faltered, losing seven of their next eight games, including an exodus of opt outs and transfer players.
The Bulldogs feature quarterback Will Rogers, who took over for Stanford transfer KJ Costello earlier in the year. Wide receiver Jayden Walley leads the team with 562 receiving yards, including three straight 100-yard games. Drinkwitz pointed out running back Jo’quavious Marks, who leads the Bulldogs with 53 receptions, a dangerous weapon out of the backfield.
Mizzou’s defense is looking for a bounce-back performance after the past two weeks. The Tigers had put together stellar performances against South Carolina and Vanderbilt, but the past two games in Arkansas and Georgia saw gaudy point totals for the opposition.
“Just on first down, they like to throw the ball a lot so it’s easy to get the four-yard gain on first down,” MU linebacker Nick Bolton said. “Just trying to win first down, just trying to set us up. We weren’t good on first downs last week, so we have to find a way to get stops when we can on first downs.”
Drinkwitz said the Bulldogs will do whatever it can to make it an ugly game Saturday. That means playing an unconventional style on defense, one predicated on movements, blitzes and pressures to keep the offense off-balance.
That’s once again where MU quarterback Connor Bazelak slots in, limiting mistakes against the pesky Bulldogs. The Mississippi State defense has held it together in some games, keeping the score close before what usually amounts to a loss.
Mizzou will once again be short-handed Saturday, but the Tigers don’t want to use any excuses. Mississippi State has also dealt with its own roster issues, playing well below the SEC’s 53-player roster threshold in multiple games this season.
“When you make excuses, I think people look at you differently,” Bazelak said. “People don’t care. I’m sure a lot of you don’t care if I make an excuse and we still lose. The fans and everybody else wants wins, no matter what the circumstance is. … Everybody wants wins.”