Quick links to everything else:
Forde's Instant Impressions
Post-Game Drink Replay (it was a doozy)
Post-Game Video
Mitchell: Mizzou runs out of lives
My column: Loss shows where Mizzou must improve
We've probably covered most of this somewhere above, but here are my final thoughts:
*Missouri's offensive line isn't good enough. I didn't even think Connor Wood played, but a caller told me he came in for two plays, got beat and went out. Xavier Delgado was there most of the night. Mizzou's best lineman is Case Cook or Mike Maetti. Neither is an NFL player in all likelihood.
*The offensive line is still better than the defensive line. Missouri has a bunch of guys there. I don't remember many plays made outside of a sack by Isaiah McGuire in the first half. I'm curious to see how many yards after contact Kentucky had because I think it was the yards BEFORE contact that caused the problem. UK just ran the ball straight at Missouri and there wasn't a single thing Missouri could do about it.
*Linebacker is a problem. Chad Bailey was noticeably struggling, but he was out there because the coaches obviously thought he was a better option than Devin Nicholson. Missouri only plays two linebackers at a time, but right now, the position still has no depth.
*Wandale Robinson makes a big difference in the Kentucky offense. He had eight touches and averaged 22 yards per touch. He killed the Tigers. If Missouri has a receiver like Robinson, I haven't seen it yet.
*Tyler Badie has replaced Larry Rountree. He won't go about it quite the same way, but he's option 1, 2 and 3 for this offense. He's clearly the best thing they have when they have the ball and they're going to ride him till he can't ride no more this season.
*People got mad this week when Kentucky was predicted to win this game. But the fact is, Kentucky has more talent (22 four-stars, a five-star and three Power Five transfers in the last five classes vs nine four-stars for Mizzou, five of whom are true freshmen, and one Power Five transfer), more experience, was at home with a wild crowd. Every factor pointed to Kentucky having the edge in this game. I'm all for optimism, but to pretend that it was stupid to think Kentucky could do what it did tonight was just refusal to pay attention.
*Missouri deserves credit for having a chance to win that game in the final five minutes. Plenty had given up on them at least twice (at 14-0 and 28-14). They fought back and gave themselves a chance. They didn't get it done and it's not a moral victory, but it also shouldn't be ignored.
*Connor Bazelak had a lot to do with that comeback. He went out and made plays tonight. He threw for 294 and 4 touchdowns and even his only pick was less a bad throw and more a great play by Jacquez Jones. He also ran for 36 yards, which is nearly twice as many as he ran for all of last season. He's not a great runner and he doesn't have to be. He just has to make people think maybe he'll do it. That will open up some things for the offense.
*I've been hard on Mizzou's tight ends and I still don't think they have an all-conference guy or anything, but Daniel Parker and Niko Hea both made some plays tonight and proved to be valuable outlets for Bazelak. They combined to catch 8 passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns, both by Parker.
*Jaylon Carlies is a DUDE. He's gonna make a whole bunch of plays over the next two or three years.
*Nothing about tonight changes my outlook on the season. So far, Mizzou has played two games that have gone exactly as I expected them to go. Mizzou should beat North Texas, SEMO, Vandy, and South Carolina. It should lose to Georgia, Florida and A&M (yes, I know the Aggies looked awful today and it's not impossible Missouri would win that game, but the Tigers will be underdogs). That means you're 5-4 with Arkansas, Tennessee and BC as the remaining games. Those three are the difference between 5-7 and 8-4. Same as it's always been when I looked at this schedule. Tune up, get healthy next week (don't even play Bazelak if he's less than 100%) and then shoot your shot at BC and see if you can get it done.
*We'll have a grade card and snap counts tomorrow and catch up on the board.
Forde's Instant Impressions
Post-Game Drink Replay (it was a doozy)
Post-Game Video
Mitchell: Mizzou runs out of lives
My column: Loss shows where Mizzou must improve
We've probably covered most of this somewhere above, but here are my final thoughts:
*Missouri's offensive line isn't good enough. I didn't even think Connor Wood played, but a caller told me he came in for two plays, got beat and went out. Xavier Delgado was there most of the night. Mizzou's best lineman is Case Cook or Mike Maetti. Neither is an NFL player in all likelihood.
*The offensive line is still better than the defensive line. Missouri has a bunch of guys there. I don't remember many plays made outside of a sack by Isaiah McGuire in the first half. I'm curious to see how many yards after contact Kentucky had because I think it was the yards BEFORE contact that caused the problem. UK just ran the ball straight at Missouri and there wasn't a single thing Missouri could do about it.
*Linebacker is a problem. Chad Bailey was noticeably struggling, but he was out there because the coaches obviously thought he was a better option than Devin Nicholson. Missouri only plays two linebackers at a time, but right now, the position still has no depth.
*Wandale Robinson makes a big difference in the Kentucky offense. He had eight touches and averaged 22 yards per touch. He killed the Tigers. If Missouri has a receiver like Robinson, I haven't seen it yet.
*Tyler Badie has replaced Larry Rountree. He won't go about it quite the same way, but he's option 1, 2 and 3 for this offense. He's clearly the best thing they have when they have the ball and they're going to ride him till he can't ride no more this season.
*People got mad this week when Kentucky was predicted to win this game. But the fact is, Kentucky has more talent (22 four-stars, a five-star and three Power Five transfers in the last five classes vs nine four-stars for Mizzou, five of whom are true freshmen, and one Power Five transfer), more experience, was at home with a wild crowd. Every factor pointed to Kentucky having the edge in this game. I'm all for optimism, but to pretend that it was stupid to think Kentucky could do what it did tonight was just refusal to pay attention.
*Missouri deserves credit for having a chance to win that game in the final five minutes. Plenty had given up on them at least twice (at 14-0 and 28-14). They fought back and gave themselves a chance. They didn't get it done and it's not a moral victory, but it also shouldn't be ignored.
*Connor Bazelak had a lot to do with that comeback. He went out and made plays tonight. He threw for 294 and 4 touchdowns and even his only pick was less a bad throw and more a great play by Jacquez Jones. He also ran for 36 yards, which is nearly twice as many as he ran for all of last season. He's not a great runner and he doesn't have to be. He just has to make people think maybe he'll do it. That will open up some things for the offense.
*I've been hard on Mizzou's tight ends and I still don't think they have an all-conference guy or anything, but Daniel Parker and Niko Hea both made some plays tonight and proved to be valuable outlets for Bazelak. They combined to catch 8 passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns, both by Parker.
*Jaylon Carlies is a DUDE. He's gonna make a whole bunch of plays over the next two or three years.
*Nothing about tonight changes my outlook on the season. So far, Mizzou has played two games that have gone exactly as I expected them to go. Mizzou should beat North Texas, SEMO, Vandy, and South Carolina. It should lose to Georgia, Florida and A&M (yes, I know the Aggies looked awful today and it's not impossible Missouri would win that game, but the Tigers will be underdogs). That means you're 5-4 with Arkansas, Tennessee and BC as the remaining games. Those three are the difference between 5-7 and 8-4. Same as it's always been when I looked at this schedule. Tune up, get healthy next week (don't even play Bazelak if he's less than 100%) and then shoot your shot at BC and see if you can get it done.
*We'll have a grade card and snap counts tomorrow and catch up on the board.
