Stein & Summers is a rock solid real estate firm with over 46 years of success that can be attributed to our willingness to go the extra mile in service and expertise. With offices in Kansas City and St. Joseph, we provide a full range of services in residential, commercial, multi-family, investment and agricultural real estate. Confidence comes from feeling you’ve been taken care of, so when you see our sign you can rest assured that one of our agents will be ready to provide the best care for any of your real estate needs.
1) Let's go ahead and start where you guys want to start, which is the coaching front. I don't have an update on whether Barry Odom is going to get fired, what it will take to save his job or any of that. I did request a statement this week from Jim Sterk on Odom's future beyond this season. I don't know if I'll get one. Honestly, I don't think there's really any advantage to him giving me one at this point in time. But I asked for one, mostly to give him a chance to say "Barry Odom is going to be the head coach next year" to end the speculation. I'm not saying he will say that or even that he should say that. I have no idea. But if he knows it, he might as well say it. If he doesn't say it, that at least leaves open the possibility that Odom will not be the head coach next year. If I get anything from Sterk this week, I will obviously pass it on.
2) If Missouri beats Tennessee this weekend, this discussion is over. Not the discussion of should he be the coach. You guys are going to continue to have that every single day until he's gone. But the discussion of will he be the head coach. If he beats Tennessee he's almost certainly going 7-5 and that means he's staying without question. The issue really becomes what happens if he doesn't beat Tennessee?
Now, I've always been a guy that says if you're trying to determine the head coach's future on one game you should just fire him. It can't be as simple as if he beats Tennessee he stays and if he loses he goes. If that's the case, he needs to go. But I don't think that's the case. I don't think a firm decision has been made. If a firm decision has been made, I think it's much more likely that decision is to keep him.
3) It's time to ask the question: Is this the worst offense in recent Mizzou history? For the season, it's not going to be. The Tigers scored at least 30 points in each of the first six games of the season, which means they could have been shut out in the final six games and still easily been better than the 2015 offense, which averaged 13.6 points and only scored 163 for the entire year (which would rank 129th out of 130 teams this season, ahead of only Akron). But I can make the argument that for the last two and a half games, the Tigers have been every bit as bad and maybe worse than that 2015 team was during its worst stretch. Here's a comparison of the streaks of offensive futility (defined as the number of consecutive drives without scoring a touchdown):
2015: 47 drives—30 punts, 2 end of game, 6 fg, 3 missed fg, 3 INT, 3 downs
2019: 30 drives—21 punts, 2 end of game, 2 downs, 2 fg, 1 fumble, 2 int
So Mizzou still needs to go at least the entire Tennessee game and probably the first quarter of the Arkansas game without an offensive touchdown to match the ridiculously awful, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad 2015 offense as far as sheer number of drives without crossing the goal line. But I might argue the 2019 version that has not scored six points in one play since a 74-yard screen pass to Tyler Badie with 12:20 remaining in the third quarter against Kentucky has actually been more futile during its stretch of eye-gouging hideousness.
The 2015 team punted on 63.8% of its possessions over 14 quarters without a touchdown (they scored in the third quarter against South Carolina, then next got a touchdown in the second quarter against Mississippi State four games later). The 2019 team has punted on 70% of its possessions in the last two and a half games. The 2015 team was in position to score on 19.1% of its drives over that 47 drive stretch (6 field goals, three missed field goals). The 2019 team has been in position to score on just 6.7% of its drives (two field goals). I know that discounts a couple of drives that might have ended on downs inside the 10 or whatever, but I assume those numbers are pretty equal over both seasons. As bad as the 2015 offense was for those four games, it was in position to score THREE TIMES AS OFTEN as this one has been. The final note: The 2015 offense was led by a true freshman who wasn't ready to play. The 2019 offense has been led by a fifth year senior and a redshirt sophomore. It should be better. It isn't. In fact, it is arguable it's been worse.
4) So how do you split the blame? As I've said over and over, it's almost impossible to separate one factor from another. I mostly absolve the running backs. They haven't been fantastic, but they've been good enough to have a serviceable offense. I'll go through the major issues I have with the other groups:
Quarterback: Kelly Bryant holds the ball too long. He's slow to make decisions. He has to have a receiver wide open before he throws it. I saw at least a couple plays where he had guys wide open and didn't see them on Saturday. It's going to happen to every quarterback sometimes. It happens to him more often than good quarterbacks. The QB play has absolutely been a major problem the last four games.
Offensive line: Bryant doesn't have much time in many cases. The running backs don't have anywhere to go. There are tons of penalties. It's been awful.
Wide receivers/tight ends: They aren't very good, but they don't even get that many chances. They're far more reliant on the other groups. You can have a good offense without great receivers. Missouri has done it a lot in recent memory. You can't have good receivers without the rest of the offense being good.
Scheme/coaching/playcalling: Here's when I knew the Florida game was over: Missouri takes over on its first possession down 3-0. Screen pass for minus-one, quick pass to a wide receiver for minus-2, incomplete pass. It was over then. The offense wasn't going to get better and wasn't going to be given a chance to get better.
I hope Larry Rountree was hurt in that game. If not, seven carries is a fireable offense. He averaged 4.3 yards a carry. It's not great, but it's good enough to keep trying it. Missouri had 70 snaps. With a bad quarterback and bad receivers against a good defense. It threw called 50 pass plays and gave its running backs 14 touches. For the last three games, the game plan clearly should have been run the ball even if it doesn't work, shorten the game, give the opposing offense as few chances as possible to score and make sure your defense is fresh when it gets on the field. In those three games, Missouri has called 128 designed passing plays and 69 designed running plays (assuming the PFF breakdown is accurate). That is 64.9% passing and 35.1% running. There is not a single justifiable explanation for that.
The week after Barry Odom told us they might have to force the ball to Albert Okwuegbunam he had no catches and one target at Kentucky. The week after he told us they would need to lean more on Rountree he had seven carries and was on the field for 28 of 70 (40%) offensive snaps. Either Odom's message isn't getting communicated to Derek Dooley or he's telling us one thing and Dooley another (or just leaving Dooley to his own devices and not telling him anything).
In the end, I put equal blame on scheme and quarterback play with the offensive line making it a near three-way photo finish. Even if Barry Odom's job isn't on the line in the last two weeks, there ought to be at least two offensive coaching jobs on the line (Dooley and Brad Davis).
1) Let's go ahead and start where you guys want to start, which is the coaching front. I don't have an update on whether Barry Odom is going to get fired, what it will take to save his job or any of that. I did request a statement this week from Jim Sterk on Odom's future beyond this season. I don't know if I'll get one. Honestly, I don't think there's really any advantage to him giving me one at this point in time. But I asked for one, mostly to give him a chance to say "Barry Odom is going to be the head coach next year" to end the speculation. I'm not saying he will say that or even that he should say that. I have no idea. But if he knows it, he might as well say it. If he doesn't say it, that at least leaves open the possibility that Odom will not be the head coach next year. If I get anything from Sterk this week, I will obviously pass it on.
2) If Missouri beats Tennessee this weekend, this discussion is over. Not the discussion of should he be the coach. You guys are going to continue to have that every single day until he's gone. But the discussion of will he be the head coach. If he beats Tennessee he's almost certainly going 7-5 and that means he's staying without question. The issue really becomes what happens if he doesn't beat Tennessee?
Now, I've always been a guy that says if you're trying to determine the head coach's future on one game you should just fire him. It can't be as simple as if he beats Tennessee he stays and if he loses he goes. If that's the case, he needs to go. But I don't think that's the case. I don't think a firm decision has been made. If a firm decision has been made, I think it's much more likely that decision is to keep him.
3) It's time to ask the question: Is this the worst offense in recent Mizzou history? For the season, it's not going to be. The Tigers scored at least 30 points in each of the first six games of the season, which means they could have been shut out in the final six games and still easily been better than the 2015 offense, which averaged 13.6 points and only scored 163 for the entire year (which would rank 129th out of 130 teams this season, ahead of only Akron). But I can make the argument that for the last two and a half games, the Tigers have been every bit as bad and maybe worse than that 2015 team was during its worst stretch. Here's a comparison of the streaks of offensive futility (defined as the number of consecutive drives without scoring a touchdown):
2015: 47 drives—30 punts, 2 end of game, 6 fg, 3 missed fg, 3 INT, 3 downs
2019: 30 drives—21 punts, 2 end of game, 2 downs, 2 fg, 1 fumble, 2 int
So Mizzou still needs to go at least the entire Tennessee game and probably the first quarter of the Arkansas game without an offensive touchdown to match the ridiculously awful, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad 2015 offense as far as sheer number of drives without crossing the goal line. But I might argue the 2019 version that has not scored six points in one play since a 74-yard screen pass to Tyler Badie with 12:20 remaining in the third quarter against Kentucky has actually been more futile during its stretch of eye-gouging hideousness.
The 2015 team punted on 63.8% of its possessions over 14 quarters without a touchdown (they scored in the third quarter against South Carolina, then next got a touchdown in the second quarter against Mississippi State four games later). The 2019 team has punted on 70% of its possessions in the last two and a half games. The 2015 team was in position to score on 19.1% of its drives over that 47 drive stretch (6 field goals, three missed field goals). The 2019 team has been in position to score on just 6.7% of its drives (two field goals). I know that discounts a couple of drives that might have ended on downs inside the 10 or whatever, but I assume those numbers are pretty equal over both seasons. As bad as the 2015 offense was for those four games, it was in position to score THREE TIMES AS OFTEN as this one has been. The final note: The 2015 offense was led by a true freshman who wasn't ready to play. The 2019 offense has been led by a fifth year senior and a redshirt sophomore. It should be better. It isn't. In fact, it is arguable it's been worse.
4) So how do you split the blame? As I've said over and over, it's almost impossible to separate one factor from another. I mostly absolve the running backs. They haven't been fantastic, but they've been good enough to have a serviceable offense. I'll go through the major issues I have with the other groups:
Quarterback: Kelly Bryant holds the ball too long. He's slow to make decisions. He has to have a receiver wide open before he throws it. I saw at least a couple plays where he had guys wide open and didn't see them on Saturday. It's going to happen to every quarterback sometimes. It happens to him more often than good quarterbacks. The QB play has absolutely been a major problem the last four games.
Offensive line: Bryant doesn't have much time in many cases. The running backs don't have anywhere to go. There are tons of penalties. It's been awful.
Wide receivers/tight ends: They aren't very good, but they don't even get that many chances. They're far more reliant on the other groups. You can have a good offense without great receivers. Missouri has done it a lot in recent memory. You can't have good receivers without the rest of the offense being good.
Scheme/coaching/playcalling: Here's when I knew the Florida game was over: Missouri takes over on its first possession down 3-0. Screen pass for minus-one, quick pass to a wide receiver for minus-2, incomplete pass. It was over then. The offense wasn't going to get better and wasn't going to be given a chance to get better.
I hope Larry Rountree was hurt in that game. If not, seven carries is a fireable offense. He averaged 4.3 yards a carry. It's not great, but it's good enough to keep trying it. Missouri had 70 snaps. With a bad quarterback and bad receivers against a good defense. It threw called 50 pass plays and gave its running backs 14 touches. For the last three games, the game plan clearly should have been run the ball even if it doesn't work, shorten the game, give the opposing offense as few chances as possible to score and make sure your defense is fresh when it gets on the field. In those three games, Missouri has called 128 designed passing plays and 69 designed running plays (assuming the PFF breakdown is accurate). That is 64.9% passing and 35.1% running. There is not a single justifiable explanation for that.
The week after Barry Odom told us they might have to force the ball to Albert Okwuegbunam he had no catches and one target at Kentucky. The week after he told us they would need to lean more on Rountree he had seven carries and was on the field for 28 of 70 (40%) offensive snaps. Either Odom's message isn't getting communicated to Derek Dooley or he's telling us one thing and Dooley another (or just leaving Dooley to his own devices and not telling him anything).
In the end, I put equal blame on scheme and quarterback play with the offensive line making it a near three-way photo finish. Even if Barry Odom's job isn't on the line in the last two weeks, there ought to be at least two offensive coaching jobs on the line (Dooley and Brad Davis).
Last edited:
