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Column: Honeymoon's over. Is this rock bottom?
Replay: Post-Game Drink
Forde's Instant Impressions
Notebook: Mizzou defense melts down again
Joel will have another story coming soon, we'll have grades (I can guess what they're gonna be even though I didn't write it) and snap counts tomorrow. Here are my final thoughts:
1) I've seen the Norman Conquest and 73-0 to A&M and 66-0 to Kansas State and this might not have been that bad, but I'm not sure. At least those teams were good. This Tennessee team is...decent? The best comp came from a caller on the post-game show. This was 55-7 against Michigan State at the end of Gary Pinkel's second year. The next year, Mizzou went 7-5 and made a bowl game. Will Missouri bounce back from this and head in the right direction? As of today, I have no idea.
2) I wouldn't fire Steve Wilks this week. I'm not going to argue with someone that thinks they should. I just don't know what it solves. Unless there's a revolt and the players are refusing to play hard for him (I haven't heard anything along those lines, but again, if you watched the game today and that was your conclusion it's tough to refute), I don't know what firing him five games in changes. I'd give him the rest of the year. If the defense isn't measurably better by then, of course you have to fire him. Again, if you want him fired, I get it. Today was ridiculously bad. Tennessee as it sits right now should not make Missouri as it is right now look that bad ever. I'm not saying calling for his job is wrong. I just wouldn't do it because I don't see the point. You get one get out of jail free card with a coordinator hire. If Wilks ends up being Drink's, fine. But the next guy would have to work. If he doesn't, it's Drinkwitz that loses his job. And if I'm Drinkwitz, I'd rather give this guy a few weeks to show he can work before I have to go down that road.
3) Missouri is lacking talent, yes. But it's not this bad. There's no explanation for what happened today. It's not all talent. It's not all scheme. It's everything. If you drew up the worst possible way today could have gone, it wouldn't have been this bad.
4) The offense wasn't good today. Tyler Badie was mostly shut down, Keke Chism had two drops, Connor Bazelak had two picks and it could have been four and the offensive line was pretty awful. But focusing on that on a day the defense gave up 677 yards and literally only stopped Tennessee one time in 11 drives and that stop came inside the 1-yard line when I think the guy actually scored seems silly. I'm not giving the offense a pass, I just don't have the energy to go too hard on them on this day.
5) Speaking of Badie, why is he getting 24 touches and still on the field in the fourth quarter of this game? Three carries for Elijah Young? One each for BJ Harris and Dawson Downing? Michael Cox doesn't get on the field? Not a single look at what Brady Cook and Tyler Macon can do? Or the backups on the offensive line? Or literally anybody else who was wearing a uniform? I don't get it. Maybe Drinkwitz was thinking the starters put them in this hole so they could stay out and wear it (kind of like the starting pitcher that gives up eight runs in the first inning). But if you're not giving anyone else a look on this day, when are you doing it?
6) Erik Link should ask for a raise. His special teams were really good today.
7) No opinions are over the top today. No amount of anger or frustration or whatever you're feeling should be questioned. This was horrendous. This one would go on my list of top ten worst games in Missouri football history. Air your grievances tonight. You earned that if you watched that game.
Column: Honeymoon's over. Is this rock bottom?
Replay: Post-Game Drink
Forde's Instant Impressions
Notebook: Mizzou defense melts down again
Joel will have another story coming soon, we'll have grades (I can guess what they're gonna be even though I didn't write it) and snap counts tomorrow. Here are my final thoughts:
1) I've seen the Norman Conquest and 73-0 to A&M and 66-0 to Kansas State and this might not have been that bad, but I'm not sure. At least those teams were good. This Tennessee team is...decent? The best comp came from a caller on the post-game show. This was 55-7 against Michigan State at the end of Gary Pinkel's second year. The next year, Mizzou went 7-5 and made a bowl game. Will Missouri bounce back from this and head in the right direction? As of today, I have no idea.
2) I wouldn't fire Steve Wilks this week. I'm not going to argue with someone that thinks they should. I just don't know what it solves. Unless there's a revolt and the players are refusing to play hard for him (I haven't heard anything along those lines, but again, if you watched the game today and that was your conclusion it's tough to refute), I don't know what firing him five games in changes. I'd give him the rest of the year. If the defense isn't measurably better by then, of course you have to fire him. Again, if you want him fired, I get it. Today was ridiculously bad. Tennessee as it sits right now should not make Missouri as it is right now look that bad ever. I'm not saying calling for his job is wrong. I just wouldn't do it because I don't see the point. You get one get out of jail free card with a coordinator hire. If Wilks ends up being Drink's, fine. But the next guy would have to work. If he doesn't, it's Drinkwitz that loses his job. And if I'm Drinkwitz, I'd rather give this guy a few weeks to show he can work before I have to go down that road.
3) Missouri is lacking talent, yes. But it's not this bad. There's no explanation for what happened today. It's not all talent. It's not all scheme. It's everything. If you drew up the worst possible way today could have gone, it wouldn't have been this bad.
4) The offense wasn't good today. Tyler Badie was mostly shut down, Keke Chism had two drops, Connor Bazelak had two picks and it could have been four and the offensive line was pretty awful. But focusing on that on a day the defense gave up 677 yards and literally only stopped Tennessee one time in 11 drives and that stop came inside the 1-yard line when I think the guy actually scored seems silly. I'm not giving the offense a pass, I just don't have the energy to go too hard on them on this day.
5) Speaking of Badie, why is he getting 24 touches and still on the field in the fourth quarter of this game? Three carries for Elijah Young? One each for BJ Harris and Dawson Downing? Michael Cox doesn't get on the field? Not a single look at what Brady Cook and Tyler Macon can do? Or the backups on the offensive line? Or literally anybody else who was wearing a uniform? I don't get it. Maybe Drinkwitz was thinking the starters put them in this hole so they could stay out and wear it (kind of like the starting pitcher that gives up eight runs in the first inning). But if you're not giving anyone else a look on this day, when are you doing it?
6) Erik Link should ask for a raise. His special teams were really good today.
7) No opinions are over the top today. No amount of anger or frustration or whatever you're feeling should be questioned. This was horrendous. This one would go on my list of top ten worst games in Missouri football history. Air your grievances tonight. You earned that if you watched that game.
