Mizzou football report card: Grading the Missouri Tigers’ loss to Texas A&M

The Missouri Tigers faced a top-5 team Saturday in Columbia. And after the game, there was no question just how Texas A&M earned that ranking.

Mizzou tried keeping up with the No. 3 Aggies for as long as it could, but ultimately fizzled out. The Aggies scored 24 points in the second half to put this one out of reach.

Freshman quarterback Matt Zollers was given his first career start, walking into a difficult situation against an undefeated SEC team.

Here’s how we graded Mizzou in the 38-17 loss...

Missouri offense: D

It was a brutal day for Zollers and company against the Aggies’ defense.

Seventeen points overall doesn’t look so terrible, but Mizzou’s offense had only scored seven through three quarters. Garbage-time scores couldn’t save this grade with the game already out of hand.

Zollers threw for just 77 yards, completing 7-of-22 passes. That’s just 32%.

The Tigers did have their ground game to lean on. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko knew that was an area his team would have to limit, calling it the “blueprint of what (coach) Eli Drinkwitz’s offense is” on Tuesday.

And the Aggies figured it out. The Tigers rushed for 207 yards, with Jamal Roberts and Ahmad Hardy taking the bulk of it. But they were the only signs of life from the offense.

One big play that went the wrong way: Zollers was sacked for a loss of 14 yards in the second quarter, with the play resulting in a fumble that Texas A&M turned into a score on its next drive.

In all, Mizzou only had 284 yards of offense across just over 24 minutes of possession.

Grade: D

Missouri defense: C

Missouri’s defense earned a compliment from the head coach. “I thought they kept us in it as long as they could,” Drinkwitz said.

That’s probably the best way to sum it up.

Down 14 at halftime, the game was in reach for Mizzou. The Aggies only put up 23 yards on the ground across 16 carries in the half. Mizzou’s defensive front was, like Drinkwitz said, keeping the Tigers in it.

But A&M scorched the Tigers for 316 yards and 24 points in the second half.

Overall, Mizzou’s defense allowed 11 explosive plays. The Tigers allowed five explosive passing plays for a total of 129 yards, and six on the ground for 176. Two of those were Texas A&M touchdowns.

Grade: C

Missouri special teams: C-

Here’s your special teams fact of the day: Mizzou has allowed three successful fake punts this season.

On fourth-and-3 in the third quarter, Texas A&M called a fake punt and Dalton Brooks took the ball for 48 yards to the Mizzou 18. The Aggies added a field goal at the end of the drive.

In other news, though, Mizzou might have gotten its best kick of the season.

The Tigers trotted out a new face for their long attempts, sending out sophomore Oliver Robbins. In the fourth quarter, Robbins drilled his first career field goal from 49 yards. However, even his day wasn’t perfect.

Robbins was short on a 50-yard kick in the second quarter, but the Tigers were bailed out by an offsides penalty. After moving up 5 yards, the Tigers went for a fourth-and-5 but failed to convert.

Connor Weselman had an active day with five punts, averaging 37.6 yards per punt.

Grade: C-

Area for improvement

It’s obviously early for Zollers, but a clear area of improvement is getting the freshman comfortable in big situations. Saturday was a prime example.

But it’s not just on the young QB. Drinkwitz noted that the offensive line has to do a better job at protecting him.

Player of the game: Donovan Olugbode

Olugbode had 74 yards across three receptions.

The freshman receiver has been a bright spot for Mizzou’s offense this season, and he’s become a promising sign for what’s to come in the offense.

If Zollers can hit his stride, he’ll have a real weapon to work with, potentially for years.

Maddie Hartley

The Kansas City Star

Maddie Hartley is a former journalist for the Kansas City Star, The Star, KC Star