*Maybe I'm still just in vacation mode, but I can't drum up too much anger about today. Yes, it was frustrating to lose a game they very well could have won (I think saying should have won might be a stretch, but easily could have won). But those things happen. Missouri was 3-0 in one score games before today and today they lost one. Most teams do. The elite teams don't. Missouri isn't elite.
*The one play that changes this is the snap infraction on Connor Tollison. That shouldn't happen twice in a season and it's happened four times in six weeks. I asked Eli Drinkwitz about it and he said "I don't have a good answer for you." I appreciate the honesty. That just can't happen. It's the kind of thing that should cost a guy his job...if Missouri has someone else it thinks can fill the role. The problem is Missouri doesn't. They decided Cam'Ron Johnson wasn't the answer at center. I'm not at all convinced he's the answer at guard either.
*You can nitpick other things, but until that penalty Missouri was driving to take the lead and probably win the game. It was crippling.
*Speaking of jobs that should be lost, Brett Norfleet should start the last six games at tight end. Jordon Harris should be his backup. Four drops by a senior earn you the bench the rest of the year.
*I feel like I say this all the time, but in this job you root for people. I root for Mookie Cooper. He's a really good kid I got to know when we did the video series last spring. Happy to see him having success when most of us (me included) had given up on him.
*I'm done doubting Cody Schrader. Kid just gets it done.
*It's not panic time defensively, but some of my offseason worries are coming true. Everyone just assumed this defense was automatically going to be better than last year. It isn't. The safety play is a problem. The pass rush, when Missouri doesn't blitz, is a problem. Missouri has an offense that's much better than it was a year ago so the defense can afford a step back. It can't afford three or four steps back. Today I give Jayden Daniels and LSU a ton of credit. That's the best QB and the best offense Missouri will face all season long. I'm not ready to say Missouri isn't good on defense. But I don't want to see anymore 40-point days. Because Missouri doesn't face anybody else as good on offense.
*I refuse to go too hard on a 4th and 32 playcall because how many plays do you have for that situation, but why didn't Missouri either throw the ball deep or at least have Luther Burden involved if they were going to throw it short? If you're just giving up all hope of getting a first down on that play, you might as well punt and gain 30 yards of field position.
*I won't listen to Brady Cook slander. He made a handful of bad throws today including two that really hurt. you throw the ball 50 times, it's going to happen. He had more than 400 yards of total offense and is a top five QB in this league. He's not perfect.
*If I'd told you two weeks ago Missouri would have the ball with a chance to beat LSU with three minutes to play, 100% of you would have taken it. It just didn't happen. It's frustrating, sure. But this team is a lot closer to being really good than I thought it was before the season. Today is frustrating, but not discouraging. I think this is an 8-win team. I think it's a team more likely to win nine than seven. If you want to wallow in the negative, feel free, but I'm not there yet.
*It was fun to see this place packed and rocking. People are excited about Mizzou football again. They're jacked for Mizzou basketball. It's a good time to be a Mizzou fan, today's result notwithstanding. Let's have some fun over the next few months, huh?
*Column and video are on the front. Jarod has a full notebook. We'll have snap counts and a grade card tomorrow and be back in the full swing of it. I'm going to watch Kentucky/UGA.
*The one play that changes this is the snap infraction on Connor Tollison. That shouldn't happen twice in a season and it's happened four times in six weeks. I asked Eli Drinkwitz about it and he said "I don't have a good answer for you." I appreciate the honesty. That just can't happen. It's the kind of thing that should cost a guy his job...if Missouri has someone else it thinks can fill the role. The problem is Missouri doesn't. They decided Cam'Ron Johnson wasn't the answer at center. I'm not at all convinced he's the answer at guard either.
*You can nitpick other things, but until that penalty Missouri was driving to take the lead and probably win the game. It was crippling.
*Speaking of jobs that should be lost, Brett Norfleet should start the last six games at tight end. Jordon Harris should be his backup. Four drops by a senior earn you the bench the rest of the year.
*I feel like I say this all the time, but in this job you root for people. I root for Mookie Cooper. He's a really good kid I got to know when we did the video series last spring. Happy to see him having success when most of us (me included) had given up on him.
*I'm done doubting Cody Schrader. Kid just gets it done.
*It's not panic time defensively, but some of my offseason worries are coming true. Everyone just assumed this defense was automatically going to be better than last year. It isn't. The safety play is a problem. The pass rush, when Missouri doesn't blitz, is a problem. Missouri has an offense that's much better than it was a year ago so the defense can afford a step back. It can't afford three or four steps back. Today I give Jayden Daniels and LSU a ton of credit. That's the best QB and the best offense Missouri will face all season long. I'm not ready to say Missouri isn't good on defense. But I don't want to see anymore 40-point days. Because Missouri doesn't face anybody else as good on offense.
*I refuse to go too hard on a 4th and 32 playcall because how many plays do you have for that situation, but why didn't Missouri either throw the ball deep or at least have Luther Burden involved if they were going to throw it short? If you're just giving up all hope of getting a first down on that play, you might as well punt and gain 30 yards of field position.
*I won't listen to Brady Cook slander. He made a handful of bad throws today including two that really hurt. you throw the ball 50 times, it's going to happen. He had more than 400 yards of total offense and is a top five QB in this league. He's not perfect.
*If I'd told you two weeks ago Missouri would have the ball with a chance to beat LSU with three minutes to play, 100% of you would have taken it. It just didn't happen. It's frustrating, sure. But this team is a lot closer to being really good than I thought it was before the season. Today is frustrating, but not discouraging. I think this is an 8-win team. I think it's a team more likely to win nine than seven. If you want to wallow in the negative, feel free, but I'm not there yet.
*It was fun to see this place packed and rocking. People are excited about Mizzou football again. They're jacked for Mizzou basketball. It's a good time to be a Mizzou fan, today's result notwithstanding. Let's have some fun over the next few months, huh?
*Column and video are on the front. Jarod has a full notebook. We'll have snap counts and a grade card tomorrow and be back in the full swing of it. I'm going to watch Kentucky/UGA.
