Stout defense faltered as Missouri Tigers lost big at Tennessee: here’s our report card
Well, that was discouraging for Mizzou.
The Tigers haven’t had a successful season, but they played every SEC team tough in four previous losses, including to top-ranked Georgia, by no more than one score.
Then Saturday happened. Missouri fell at Tennessee 66-24. The Vols scored the game’s final 38 points and quarterback Hendon Hooker accounted for 405 total yards.
Here are the Mizzou grades from a loss that dropped the Tigers to 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the SEC.
Player of the game
For 2 1/2 quarters, Brady Cook kept the Tigers within striking distance. He had lofted touchdown passes to Tauskie Dove and Dominic Lovett for his first multiple-TD pass game against a Power Five opponent. He also finished with a career-best 106 rushing yards. But on this day the Tigers needed to win a scoring duel against the Vols, and that wasn’t going to happen.
Play of the game
The touchdown pass to Dove came on a fourth-and-1 from the Vols’ 43. Dove made a nice adjustment between two defenders to come down with the ball. He covered the final 20 yards on foot for his first touchdown this season.
Stat of the game
Tennessee ran up a school-record 724 total yards. The total continued to climb toward the end of the game as the Vols, looking for style points, continued to throw. Missouri surrendered the most total yards in a game since Oklahoma posted 750 in a 77-0 victory in 1986.
REPORT CARD
Offense C
Missouri landed its largest point total against a Power Five opponent this season. The 389 yards also was a season best. For the first time this season, the Tigers got three touchdowns against an SEC opponent. But coming up empty on their final six possessions left Mizzou with no chance of keeping up.
Defense F
So good all season, so bad on Saturday. A week after giving defensive coordinator Blake Baker a contract extension, Missouri was not prepared to handle Josh Heupel’s uptempo style. Mizzou got a couple of fourth-down stops in the first half. But the game went into blowout mode in the second half and Missouri couldn’t stop Tennessee.
Special teams: C
Harrison Mevis made his only field goal attempt and Jack Stonehouse was busy, punting nine times. Nathaniel Peat, who returned kicks at Stanford, got his first attempts for the Tigers.
Coaching F:
Drop this loss on the desk of Eli Drinkwitz and Baker. When the game reached a critical intersection, just after Mizzou scored to close the deficit to 28-24, Tennessee answered immediately with a 68-yard strike from Hooker to a wide open Jalin Hyatt. The onslaught was on.
Next: Missouri plays host to New Mexico State on Saturday. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU.