Just going to keep a little bit of a running diary here. I'll go quarter by quarter. The first quarter is going to be the most detailed because that's when the game was decided.
FIRST QUARTER
Second play of the game was a drop by Chance Luper that should have been a first down. Still converted going back to Luper who was lined up in the backfield with Badie slot left. Like the formation, moving Badie around.
Next play is a flea flicker. Initial read isn't open. Bazelak slides left. Watching live I thought he could have run for a while. Upon further review, he probably couldn't have. Some quarterbacks could get outside and gain yardage here, but I don't think he has the speed so throwing it away probably wasn't a terrible idea.
The next play was a first down at the A&M 40 nullified by Tauskie Dove's illegal shift. Cost Mizzou 20 yards. The very next play was the interception. Badie was running a short pattern to the sideline, Daniel Parker was running an out further down the field. Tauskie Dove was the intermediate route and who I think Bazelak was targeting maybe. This is a weird route. Three guys are within seven yards of each other when Bazelak throws the ball and he doesn't really throw it near any of them. I don't know if Dove ran the wrong route, if Parker ran the wrong route or if Bazelak just made an awful throw. My best guess was Dove sat down when Bazelak didn't expect him to, but if Dove is supposed to be where Bazelak throws the ball, they've got three out routes within about ten yards of each other which would seem to just draw the whole defense to one place. It was so off I really can't tell what was supposed to happen.
A&M's first play is a handoff to Isaiah Spiller. Mizzou didn't win any one on one matchups up front. Chad Bailey and Devin Nicholson both slant right at the snap. Nicholson was simply shoved completely out of the play which left the gaping hole for Spiller.
On the A&M touchdown, Ainias Smith just beat Akayleb Evans one on one. Pretty difficult route to defend from the three yard line.
Here's where we get to the first real flash point in the game in my opinion. It's fourth and one at the Mizzou 34. The Tigers line up to go for it with one receiver to each side, Bazelak under center, Badie behind him and two attached tight ends. Everything about the formation screams run up the middle. Both tight ends shift to the right side and Dove motions from left to right. Here's the field at that point.
This is SCREAMING for a toss left to Tyler Badie. I'd be stunned if he couldn't beat the outside linebacker to the 35 yard line. And he makes enough guys miss that he's got a great shot to make that guy miss and take off for about 60. We never find out if that's what Missouri's plan is because Bazelak gives a hard count and Javon Foster moves early. I don't have any idea if Missouri was going to snap the ball or was just trying to draw A&M off. I liked going for it there. Punting the ball back to A&M with this defense is asking to be down 14-0. Going for it was the right move. I'd have liked to see Bazelak get up to the line and snap it fairly quickly, right around the time I took that screen shot. But again, I don't know what Mizzou's plan was and in the end it didn't matter.
The first big play on A&M's ensuing drive is 2nd and 10 at the 23. If Mizzou can contain this play it forces third and long (which theoretically should be good, though we saw examples yesterday of not mattering). It's a simple outside zone. Chris Turner is the unblocked defensive end. He doesn't crash down, kind of freezes in place. Calzada hands the ball off to Spiller.
I believe Turner played this fine. He isn't fast enough to make the play on Spiller, but he's forced the decision. The issue is the linebacker behind him, Jamie Pettway. Pettway is staring into the middle of the field and has actually taken a step that direction. He has already committed to Calzada keeping it. But why? There are seven other defenders on that side of the field. Let them handle that. Pettway needs to be wary of the handoff. Turner has taken the QB out of the play, but now Pettway needs to take the RB. He doesn't. Spiller gets 15 yards before he is touched and the Aggie drive is off and running.
Here's another angle. Pettway has no chance to contain Spiller here.
Two plays later, A&M goes four wide, Mizzou has six in the box. It's a straight handoff to Spiller. Trajan Jeffcoat is unblocked here but A&M is running away from him anyway. The tackle cut blocks Darius Robinson, the left guard stands up Mekhi Wingo. The right guard goes straight to Pettway and seals him off. The center pulls and blows Blaze Alldredge completely out of the play. Jaylon Carlies is the only player with any chance to stop Spiller, but he's sprinting full speed, Spiller simply puts a foot in the ground, cuts back, Carlies misses the tackle and Spiller scores from 48 yards out. 14-0 and the game is over 7:05 in. I mean, look at this hole.
After a pass interference penalty nullified another interception, Bazelak threw too high for Dominic Lovett on third down and forced a punt. Lovett got his hands on the ball, but it was only a four yard route and the ball was thrown pretty hard and high. Could have been thrown better, could have been caught. End result is a punt in a situation where Mizzou simply couldn't afford to give the ball right back.
Next A&M drive, Mizzou forces third and six. Isaiah McGuire beats his man clean off the edge (I thought he was the one defender who made some plays in the first quarter) but Calzada stands in and gets rid of it. It's underthrown by so much that Shawn Robinson runs into the intended receiver and gives the Aggies a first down on PI. Tough to blame Robinson too much, but it was a crippling penalty. Missouri should have been off the field there.
Very next play I can blame Robinson more. He has an arm around Devon Achane for a five yard loss. Achane gets away and gains 21 yards. A&M drives to the 20 and Mizzou has the Aggies in third and 15. This should be a field goal worst case scenario. Even A&M is conceding that. Mizzou has a bizarre formation here with Mekhi Wingo and Kobie Whiteside as the defensive ends and Trajan Jeffcoat and Chris Turner as the tackles. Maybe they've done this before, I don't know. Anyway, those four guys are effectively blocked. The tight end pulls and takes Devin Nicholson out of the play. The right guard absolutely blows up Shawn Robinson, who was Missouri's second linebacker in this formation, knocking him about four yards backwards, leaving a gigantic hole. Carlies is once again left as the last line of defense and can't make the one on one tackle. Maybe A&M was going to run all along. Or maybe they saw a formation with two defensive ends at tackle and a safety at linebacker and decided to run then. I don't know. Either way, 21-0 and if the game wasn't over before it certainly is now. I mean, look at this hole. Robinson was lined up as the linebacker to the bottom of the screen. In this screenshot, he is the defender in the upper left corner.
Mizzou's next drive was set back on the first play when Bazelak was sacked inside the five yard line. He actually had some time, but look at this and tell me where he's supposed to throw the ball
A&M has seven in coverage, Mizzou has three guys within 12 feet of each other and there's nowhere to go with the ball. Bazelak tried to scramble right, but the protection broke down late and he was sacked.
Michael Cox got 22 yards on the next play, then two on the play after that. He never touched the ball again. On the next play, 2nd and 8, Bazelak has time and a clean pocket, despite A&M bringing a delayed safety blitz. But Bazelak tries to throw to Dove and is intercepted by Antonio Johnson. Dove was never beyond arm's length from Johnson. He was covered perfectly and Johnson made the play. Nothing secret here. A&M's guy was better.
FIRST QUARTER
Second play of the game was a drop by Chance Luper that should have been a first down. Still converted going back to Luper who was lined up in the backfield with Badie slot left. Like the formation, moving Badie around.
Next play is a flea flicker. Initial read isn't open. Bazelak slides left. Watching live I thought he could have run for a while. Upon further review, he probably couldn't have. Some quarterbacks could get outside and gain yardage here, but I don't think he has the speed so throwing it away probably wasn't a terrible idea.
The next play was a first down at the A&M 40 nullified by Tauskie Dove's illegal shift. Cost Mizzou 20 yards. The very next play was the interception. Badie was running a short pattern to the sideline, Daniel Parker was running an out further down the field. Tauskie Dove was the intermediate route and who I think Bazelak was targeting maybe. This is a weird route. Three guys are within seven yards of each other when Bazelak throws the ball and he doesn't really throw it near any of them. I don't know if Dove ran the wrong route, if Parker ran the wrong route or if Bazelak just made an awful throw. My best guess was Dove sat down when Bazelak didn't expect him to, but if Dove is supposed to be where Bazelak throws the ball, they've got three out routes within about ten yards of each other which would seem to just draw the whole defense to one place. It was so off I really can't tell what was supposed to happen.
A&M's first play is a handoff to Isaiah Spiller. Mizzou didn't win any one on one matchups up front. Chad Bailey and Devin Nicholson both slant right at the snap. Nicholson was simply shoved completely out of the play which left the gaping hole for Spiller.
On the A&M touchdown, Ainias Smith just beat Akayleb Evans one on one. Pretty difficult route to defend from the three yard line.
Here's where we get to the first real flash point in the game in my opinion. It's fourth and one at the Mizzou 34. The Tigers line up to go for it with one receiver to each side, Bazelak under center, Badie behind him and two attached tight ends. Everything about the formation screams run up the middle. Both tight ends shift to the right side and Dove motions from left to right. Here's the field at that point.
This is SCREAMING for a toss left to Tyler Badie. I'd be stunned if he couldn't beat the outside linebacker to the 35 yard line. And he makes enough guys miss that he's got a great shot to make that guy miss and take off for about 60. We never find out if that's what Missouri's plan is because Bazelak gives a hard count and Javon Foster moves early. I don't have any idea if Missouri was going to snap the ball or was just trying to draw A&M off. I liked going for it there. Punting the ball back to A&M with this defense is asking to be down 14-0. Going for it was the right move. I'd have liked to see Bazelak get up to the line and snap it fairly quickly, right around the time I took that screen shot. But again, I don't know what Mizzou's plan was and in the end it didn't matter.
The first big play on A&M's ensuing drive is 2nd and 10 at the 23. If Mizzou can contain this play it forces third and long (which theoretically should be good, though we saw examples yesterday of not mattering). It's a simple outside zone. Chris Turner is the unblocked defensive end. He doesn't crash down, kind of freezes in place. Calzada hands the ball off to Spiller.
I believe Turner played this fine. He isn't fast enough to make the play on Spiller, but he's forced the decision. The issue is the linebacker behind him, Jamie Pettway. Pettway is staring into the middle of the field and has actually taken a step that direction. He has already committed to Calzada keeping it. But why? There are seven other defenders on that side of the field. Let them handle that. Pettway needs to be wary of the handoff. Turner has taken the QB out of the play, but now Pettway needs to take the RB. He doesn't. Spiller gets 15 yards before he is touched and the Aggie drive is off and running.
Here's another angle. Pettway has no chance to contain Spiller here.
Two plays later, A&M goes four wide, Mizzou has six in the box. It's a straight handoff to Spiller. Trajan Jeffcoat is unblocked here but A&M is running away from him anyway. The tackle cut blocks Darius Robinson, the left guard stands up Mekhi Wingo. The right guard goes straight to Pettway and seals him off. The center pulls and blows Blaze Alldredge completely out of the play. Jaylon Carlies is the only player with any chance to stop Spiller, but he's sprinting full speed, Spiller simply puts a foot in the ground, cuts back, Carlies misses the tackle and Spiller scores from 48 yards out. 14-0 and the game is over 7:05 in. I mean, look at this hole.
After a pass interference penalty nullified another interception, Bazelak threw too high for Dominic Lovett on third down and forced a punt. Lovett got his hands on the ball, but it was only a four yard route and the ball was thrown pretty hard and high. Could have been thrown better, could have been caught. End result is a punt in a situation where Mizzou simply couldn't afford to give the ball right back.
Next A&M drive, Mizzou forces third and six. Isaiah McGuire beats his man clean off the edge (I thought he was the one defender who made some plays in the first quarter) but Calzada stands in and gets rid of it. It's underthrown by so much that Shawn Robinson runs into the intended receiver and gives the Aggies a first down on PI. Tough to blame Robinson too much, but it was a crippling penalty. Missouri should have been off the field there.
Very next play I can blame Robinson more. He has an arm around Devon Achane for a five yard loss. Achane gets away and gains 21 yards. A&M drives to the 20 and Mizzou has the Aggies in third and 15. This should be a field goal worst case scenario. Even A&M is conceding that. Mizzou has a bizarre formation here with Mekhi Wingo and Kobie Whiteside as the defensive ends and Trajan Jeffcoat and Chris Turner as the tackles. Maybe they've done this before, I don't know. Anyway, those four guys are effectively blocked. The tight end pulls and takes Devin Nicholson out of the play. The right guard absolutely blows up Shawn Robinson, who was Missouri's second linebacker in this formation, knocking him about four yards backwards, leaving a gigantic hole. Carlies is once again left as the last line of defense and can't make the one on one tackle. Maybe A&M was going to run all along. Or maybe they saw a formation with two defensive ends at tackle and a safety at linebacker and decided to run then. I don't know. Either way, 21-0 and if the game wasn't over before it certainly is now. I mean, look at this hole. Robinson was lined up as the linebacker to the bottom of the screen. In this screenshot, he is the defender in the upper left corner.
Mizzou's next drive was set back on the first play when Bazelak was sacked inside the five yard line. He actually had some time, but look at this and tell me where he's supposed to throw the ball
A&M has seven in coverage, Mizzou has three guys within 12 feet of each other and there's nowhere to go with the ball. Bazelak tried to scramble right, but the protection broke down late and he was sacked.
Michael Cox got 22 yards on the next play, then two on the play after that. He never touched the ball again. On the next play, 2nd and 8, Bazelak has time and a clean pocket, despite A&M bringing a delayed safety blitz. But Bazelak tries to throw to Dove and is intercepted by Antonio Johnson. Dove was never beyond arm's length from Johnson. He was covered perfectly and Johnson made the play. Nothing secret here. A&M's guy was better.
