1. Welcome back Albert Okwuegbunam. As much as anything in Missouri's three-game losing streak I felt like Drew Lock's best weapon had not played like Drew Lock's best weapon. Memphis might not have the best defense around, but a guy that size shouldn't be able to outrun the lot of them on two long touchdown passes. Albert O is quite good. Final line: 6 catches, 159 yards, 3 touchdowns. And a big reason Lock finished 23/29 for 350 yards anbd four scores.
2. I've been hard on Johnathon Johnson and I do not think that has been unfair. But he was targeted four times and caught four passes for 46 yards. The biggest of which was a hell of a grab on fourth and 1 at the 34 yard line with nine minutes to go in the second quarter. JJ's only drop came on a harmless third quarter punt return and he covered it himself.
3. The defense was not perfect. It is not going to be perfect. But it had three sacks and two takeaways and came up with some big plays when it needed to. That is the recipe. This defense is going to give up some yards and some points. But if it can make enough plays like it did today, that's going to be the path to 8 or 9 wins.
4. I think the way the Tigers played today showed that they still have confidence. A lot of people have lost it, but I think this team viewed the last three weeks as two losses to top ten teams and coming up one play short against a fairly evenly matched team in crazy weather. You are free to disagree with them if you want, but I think this team still believes it can be pretty good and played like it on Saturday.
5. The penalties are a concern, certainly. Especially the ones like the 15 yarder on Tre Williams on third down that was completely avoidable. However, a decent number of the penalties were at least penalties of aggression. Not all of them. Some of them were just bad. And 11 for 108 yards is too many (I'd almost not count the one against Adam Sparks because that was stupid). It didn't hurt them today in the end. It will hurt them if they do it again next week against Kentucky.
6. Missouri took care of business. More impressively than most of us expected, but this was a game they always should have won. And now the biggest one of the season comes. Kentucky gives Missouri another opportunity at a good Power Five team with a winning record. Regardless of what they do against Vandy tonight the Wildcats should come into Faurot as a ranked team. Next week largely determines if this can still be a pretty good season or if it's just kind of blah.
2. I've been hard on Johnathon Johnson and I do not think that has been unfair. But he was targeted four times and caught four passes for 46 yards. The biggest of which was a hell of a grab on fourth and 1 at the 34 yard line with nine minutes to go in the second quarter. JJ's only drop came on a harmless third quarter punt return and he covered it himself.
3. The defense was not perfect. It is not going to be perfect. But it had three sacks and two takeaways and came up with some big plays when it needed to. That is the recipe. This defense is going to give up some yards and some points. But if it can make enough plays like it did today, that's going to be the path to 8 or 9 wins.
4. I think the way the Tigers played today showed that they still have confidence. A lot of people have lost it, but I think this team viewed the last three weeks as two losses to top ten teams and coming up one play short against a fairly evenly matched team in crazy weather. You are free to disagree with them if you want, but I think this team still believes it can be pretty good and played like it on Saturday.
5. The penalties are a concern, certainly. Especially the ones like the 15 yarder on Tre Williams on third down that was completely avoidable. However, a decent number of the penalties were at least penalties of aggression. Not all of them. Some of them were just bad. And 11 for 108 yards is too many (I'd almost not count the one against Adam Sparks because that was stupid). It didn't hurt them today in the end. It will hurt them if they do it again next week against Kentucky.
6. Missouri took care of business. More impressively than most of us expected, but this was a game they always should have won. And now the biggest one of the season comes. Kentucky gives Missouri another opportunity at a good Power Five team with a winning record. Regardless of what they do against Vandy tonight the Wildcats should come into Faurot as a ranked team. Next week largely determines if this can still be a pretty good season or if it's just kind of blah.
