Five takeaways from the Missouri Tigers’ blowout road loss to the Tennessee Volunteers
.JPG "A horde of Vols surrounds Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook as he scrambles for yardage during Saturday’s game in Knoxville, Tenn.")
Missouri’s defense had been the team’s strength all season. But it was no match for the high-powered offense of Tennessee and Vols coach Josh Heupel.
The Volunteers held serve at home with a 66-24 victory Saturday in Knoxville. No. 5 Tennessee had suffered its first loss a week ago against top-ranked Georgia and took out some frustration against the Tigers.
Tennessee rolled up 724 total yards vs. MU. The Vols punched in a touchdown with 36 seconds remaining to make the final score even worse than last year’s 62-24 tally.
It was the most lopsided defeat in Eli Drinkwitz’s three seasons in Columbia.
Here are five takeaways from a contest in which the Vols scored the game’s final 38 points.
Hendon Hooker’s big day
The Tennessee quarterback, playing his final home game, did nothing to hurt his Heisman Trophy chances. Hooker and the Vols’ offense sliced and diced an excellent Missouri defense. He passed for 355 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown. The uptempo attack wore down the Tigers’ defense.
Brady Cook’s good day
For three quarters, the MIssouri quarterback had his team in this game. Cook’s 38-yard touchdown strike to Dominic Lovett on MIzzou’s first possession of the third quarter trimmed the Vols’ lead to just four points, 28-24. Cook had his third touchdown pass of the day and the Tigers had more than two touchdowns in an SEC game for the first time this season.
Cook also had his best game as a runner, finishing with a career-best 106 yards. But the Mizzou offense stalled as the second half unfolded: The Tigers had five punts and a fumble on their final six full possessions. The Vols scored on all but one of the drives that followed those six Missouri possessions.
Tigers didn’t help themselves
Missouri had done a better job in recent weeks of cleaning up penalties. But the problem resurfaced Saturday. The Tigers finished with 14 for 120 yards. In one third-quarter possession, Mizzou was called for three false start flags.
When Dove flies
The Tigers overcame mistakes to post their second touchdown and trim Tennessee’s lead to 21-14 with five minutes remaining in the second quarter. The series opened with a delay of game penalty. How does that happen coming out of a media timeout? But a first-down completion to Luther Burden, who had scored Mizzou’s first touchdown on a 4-yard rush, got the drive on track. Later, Cook overthrow a wide-open Cody Schrader on a wheel route.
But the payoff was a terrific play. The Tigers faced a fourth-and-1 from the 43. Cook stepped back and floated a pass to Tauskie Dove, who went high between a pair of defenders to bring it down. Dove could have jogged to the end zone. It was Dove’s first touchdown since 2020, and the third of his career.
Tigers need to go 2 for 2
With Saturday’s loss, MIssouri fell to 4-6 overall and 2-6 in SEC play. The Tigers have two games remaining to reach .500 and qualify for a bowl game. Both are at home, starting with next Saturday’s contest against New Mexico State. After that, it’s a Nov. 25 (Friday) contest against Arkansas.
This story was originally published November 12, 2022 at 3:10 PM.