1) When a team keeps losing games in the same way, that's on the coach. Missouri has done it three weeks in a row. There have been some differences. I'm almost willing to throw the Georgia game out because it was Georgia, but bottom line Missouri has either dug itself a hole or not given itself enough room in the first quarter (remember last week Mizzou started its first three drives at its own 45 or better and got three total points) and has lost by one score at the end. Penalties have caused a problem. The losses are all more or less the same and the cause of all of them has been more or less the same.
2) How long can a team keep coming close and banging into the wall and seeing it not break before it stops banging into the wall? There's breaking point. Is it today? Is it two weeks from now? I don't know. But these almosts have to turn into actually happening or the defense is going to get disgruntled and there are going to be problems. I don't care how good the chemistry is, it can't survive having this happen week after week after week. Missouri deserves some credit for it not happening yet. But at some point, it will happen if they don't break through.
3) I said at the start of the season I would start Sam Horn if Mizzou came out of the Florida game 2-4. I said the main reason I would do it is that you have to offer some hope for next season. I'd still do it. I don't really think Missouri will. And I want to be clear, I don't think it would change much. Brady Cook is absolutely part of the problem with this team. There are other problems as well (almost all of them on offense). But changing the QB is the most impactful personnel move you can make. I'd give Horn a look in the next game. Partly to give hope for next year and partly to see if you can possibly get a spark to turn this year around.
4) As far as Cook's actual play, the pick six was damaging, but the second INT was crippling. You can't throw that ball. Tauskie Dove wasn't close to open. Jadon Hill was sitting on the route with perfect position. Throw it away. Scramble. Hell, take a sack. The ONLY thing you can't do there is turn it over. You have to have at least three. Missouri didn't. We've said that Cook hasn't been beating Missouri, but he hasn't been the reason they've won either. He beat them today. If you have a quarterback that isn't going to be the reason you win, he can't be the reason you lose.
5) The wide receivers didn't help on the interceptions. Luther Burden was knocked off his route on the first, Dominic Lovett the second. The blame for them still goes on Cook, but you also have to win off the line of scrimmage. That said, the top three receivers on this team either didn't play or played hurt. I have been impressed with Mookie Cooper in the last two weeks and with Mekhi Miller today, but this is a team severely lacking in offensive weapons that is now losing a lot of those weapons.
6) I do at least want to point out the one impressive thing on the offense. The running backs have been good. After one of the most devastating individual moments I can remember a player having, Nate Peat has run with purpose the last two weeks. He ran for 117 and a touchdown and averaged almost six yards per carry today. Cody Schrader just keeps proving me wrong. The kid can play. He's been productive. Both are really good stories. It's unfortunate we're not really talking about them at all because everything else on offense is a mess.
7) The defense, in effect, gave up 14 points. None of the first half points were on the defense. It was a pick six and a punt return. Here were the numbers at halftime:
Total yards: Missouri 196, Florida 65
Passing yards: Missouri 97, Florida 46
Completions: Missouri 14, Florida 4
First Downs: Missouri 11, Florida 3
Total Plays: Missouri 40, Florida 19
Time of Possession: Missouri 20:49, Florida 9:11
You can't be in a tie game when that's the case. I don't blame the defense for giving up 212 rushing yards and 14 points in the second half. You can't ask them to be perfect. You can't ask them to stop the other team from scoring and score themselves. By the way, the Tigers did that without two starters.
8) The path to six wins is very, very narrow. It exists. Missouri can and should beat Vanderbilt. It will beat New Mexico State. South Carolina isn't anything special. Barry Odom's defense is a mess at Arkansas. Those are games Missouri can win. The problem is it now has to win them all. Tennessee is really good and Missouri simply can't score with the Vols. Kentucky is significantly better than Missouri. If we're chalking those up as losses, Missouri has to go 4-0 in the rest of the games just to get to 6-6 and a very, very minor bowl game. And with what we've seen out of this team, expecting them to go 4-0 in those games seems unrealistic.
9) I still won't really listen to talk of firing Eli Drinkwitz. If everything completely falls apart and they're 3-9 that conversation will be had and probably should I guess. But I still think you have to give Drinkwitz a full year with Sam Horn at QB and Dominic Lovett, Luther Burden, Mekhi MIller et al at receiver and Daylan Carnell as a starter. If there's a mass exodus of Drinkwitz's players to the portal after the season I might change my mind. Otherwise, I'd stick with it another year. I'm not saying I know he is the answer here. I have no idea. But you have to find out. If you make a change after this year, you're admitting it's going to be another two or three years before you're good again and I don't think Missouri can afford that.
10) The bye week is here. We'll have a lot of midseason and big picture coverage this week. We'll regroup for the second half. Missouri will as well. There can't be any more talk of almost wins and moral victories and being close. The breakthrough has to happen. Missouri has to win its next two games. Period. The next couple of weeks of practice are the most critical of Drinkwitz's career at Missouri so far. Plenty of coverage on the front page already and Jarod will have more from Gainesville tonight and we'll have the usual grade card and snap counts in the morning. Enjoy the football or baseball you're going to watch tonight.
2) How long can a team keep coming close and banging into the wall and seeing it not break before it stops banging into the wall? There's breaking point. Is it today? Is it two weeks from now? I don't know. But these almosts have to turn into actually happening or the defense is going to get disgruntled and there are going to be problems. I don't care how good the chemistry is, it can't survive having this happen week after week after week. Missouri deserves some credit for it not happening yet. But at some point, it will happen if they don't break through.
3) I said at the start of the season I would start Sam Horn if Mizzou came out of the Florida game 2-4. I said the main reason I would do it is that you have to offer some hope for next season. I'd still do it. I don't really think Missouri will. And I want to be clear, I don't think it would change much. Brady Cook is absolutely part of the problem with this team. There are other problems as well (almost all of them on offense). But changing the QB is the most impactful personnel move you can make. I'd give Horn a look in the next game. Partly to give hope for next year and partly to see if you can possibly get a spark to turn this year around.
4) As far as Cook's actual play, the pick six was damaging, but the second INT was crippling. You can't throw that ball. Tauskie Dove wasn't close to open. Jadon Hill was sitting on the route with perfect position. Throw it away. Scramble. Hell, take a sack. The ONLY thing you can't do there is turn it over. You have to have at least three. Missouri didn't. We've said that Cook hasn't been beating Missouri, but he hasn't been the reason they've won either. He beat them today. If you have a quarterback that isn't going to be the reason you win, he can't be the reason you lose.
5) The wide receivers didn't help on the interceptions. Luther Burden was knocked off his route on the first, Dominic Lovett the second. The blame for them still goes on Cook, but you also have to win off the line of scrimmage. That said, the top three receivers on this team either didn't play or played hurt. I have been impressed with Mookie Cooper in the last two weeks and with Mekhi Miller today, but this is a team severely lacking in offensive weapons that is now losing a lot of those weapons.
6) I do at least want to point out the one impressive thing on the offense. The running backs have been good. After one of the most devastating individual moments I can remember a player having, Nate Peat has run with purpose the last two weeks. He ran for 117 and a touchdown and averaged almost six yards per carry today. Cody Schrader just keeps proving me wrong. The kid can play. He's been productive. Both are really good stories. It's unfortunate we're not really talking about them at all because everything else on offense is a mess.
7) The defense, in effect, gave up 14 points. None of the first half points were on the defense. It was a pick six and a punt return. Here were the numbers at halftime:
Total yards: Missouri 196, Florida 65
Passing yards: Missouri 97, Florida 46
Completions: Missouri 14, Florida 4
First Downs: Missouri 11, Florida 3
Total Plays: Missouri 40, Florida 19
Time of Possession: Missouri 20:49, Florida 9:11
You can't be in a tie game when that's the case. I don't blame the defense for giving up 212 rushing yards and 14 points in the second half. You can't ask them to be perfect. You can't ask them to stop the other team from scoring and score themselves. By the way, the Tigers did that without two starters.
8) The path to six wins is very, very narrow. It exists. Missouri can and should beat Vanderbilt. It will beat New Mexico State. South Carolina isn't anything special. Barry Odom's defense is a mess at Arkansas. Those are games Missouri can win. The problem is it now has to win them all. Tennessee is really good and Missouri simply can't score with the Vols. Kentucky is significantly better than Missouri. If we're chalking those up as losses, Missouri has to go 4-0 in the rest of the games just to get to 6-6 and a very, very minor bowl game. And with what we've seen out of this team, expecting them to go 4-0 in those games seems unrealistic.
9) I still won't really listen to talk of firing Eli Drinkwitz. If everything completely falls apart and they're 3-9 that conversation will be had and probably should I guess. But I still think you have to give Drinkwitz a full year with Sam Horn at QB and Dominic Lovett, Luther Burden, Mekhi MIller et al at receiver and Daylan Carnell as a starter. If there's a mass exodus of Drinkwitz's players to the portal after the season I might change my mind. Otherwise, I'd stick with it another year. I'm not saying I know he is the answer here. I have no idea. But you have to find out. If you make a change after this year, you're admitting it's going to be another two or three years before you're good again and I don't think Missouri can afford that.
10) The bye week is here. We'll have a lot of midseason and big picture coverage this week. We'll regroup for the second half. Missouri will as well. There can't be any more talk of almost wins and moral victories and being close. The breakthrough has to happen. Missouri has to win its next two games. Period. The next couple of weeks of practice are the most critical of Drinkwitz's career at Missouri so far. Plenty of coverage on the front page already and Jarod will have more from Gainesville tonight and we'll have the usual grade card and snap counts in the morning. Enjoy the football or baseball you're going to watch tonight.
