Have you ever heard the expression two steps forward, three steps back? Thus has been the case for Mizzou football for the better part of a decade. The Tigers rolled into rainy Manhattan, KS on Saturday with a chance to reignite a fanbase desperately wants to be ignited. Instead, Mizzou no-showed the game in route to a 40-12 bludgeoning from its former Big 12 rival.
So what’s next? Eli Drinkwitz talked about the blame residing on his shoulders for this mess and for Missouri fans, that will have to do for now. Sure you could talk about the four straight possessions which ended in interceptions. Yeah, feel free to bring up the lack of offensive line play and the horrible position the defense was in all game long.
Mizzou once again, blows chance at gaining program momentum
The fact is, this goes well beyond one embarrassing loss. The Missouri football program has not been capable of gaining any positive momentum for about eight years now. It’s an organization that has just managed to keep it’s head above water over the past three years with back-to-back-to-back .500 finishes which has included precious few major upsets or riveting moments.
“Just a disappointing day all around, from top to bottom.” Drinkwitz said after the game. “One game doesn’t define a season, how we respond to it will.”
These are words Tiger fans have heard before. A season ago, Missouri halted momentum early in the season with an overtime loss at Boston College and had to rally late just to make a bowl game. And now, with a new quarterback and a myriad of talented skilled position players, the Tigers laid an egg in a game that needed to, at the very least, be competitive.
Sophomore quarterback Brady Cook was shaky at best on Saturday, going 15 for 27 with no TD’s and two interceptions. Is Drinkwitz’s to solidify the quarterback position going to become a major detriment in year three?
The overall picture
Mizzou will play Abilene Christian next Saturday. The Tigers will win that game and will beat New Mexico State on November 19th. Beyond that? You’ve got one impossible game left (Georgia) with likely losses to Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky looming. That leaves Auburn, South Carolina and Vanderbilt as games that Missouri has a decent chance of winning. Without an upset and going 3-0 against the latter three opponents, that gets you to 6-6. That kind of feels like the ceiling right now.
A loss to a very solid Kansas State team should not shock anyone nor completely change expectations for the season. And yet…it kind of does. In two weeks Missouri will travel to Auburn to play a team that just beat San Jose State 24-16. There are, indeed, chances to circle the wagons and get this season back on track but the belief amongst many fans is simply not there two weeks into a season… again.
