Ad Disclosure
Missouri football: 5 areas where Tigers will be better … and worse in 2023
Published:
The trajectory of Missouri football under Eliah Drinkwitz can be viewed as a very gradual upward slope. The Tigers have qualified for 3 straight bowl games, brought in 3 straight top-40 recruiting classes (via 247 Sports) and have recorded major wins over Arkansas, LSU, Florida and South Carolina.
However, in the end, Mizzou has not experienced a winning season since 2018, and the clock is working against Drinkwitz in getting that accomplished. The 2023 season figures to be one where Missouri can build off a strong end to the ’22 campaign, but for every improvement a team makes, it also has to deal with a new concern.
Improvement: Quarterback depth
Brady Cook was one of the most frequently chastised quarterbacks in the SEC last season, as his early struggles led to many fans openly calling for a new signal-caller. Of course, a torn labrum in Week 2 and a subpar offensive line played a role as well, but there were instances when Cook’s decision-making and limits in the passing game cost the team victories.
The cast behind Cook featured veteran Southern Miss transfer Jack Abraham and 4-star freshman Sam Horn in 2022. Neither appeared to be ready to usurp Cook, and thus the fan base grew more irritated.
This time around, Horn has a year of experience under his belt and should be more than ready to potentially take over for Cook, whether that be due to injury or poor play. The wild card is Miami transfer Jake Garcia, a former 4-star recruit with plenty of arm talent who could challenge for the starting nod. Cook may end up being the starter, but Tigers fans should feel more comfortable with who will be backing him up in ’23.
Decline: Vertical passing threats
Dominic Lovett was THE big-play receiver for Mizzou in 2022, as his 15.1 yards per catch were the best of any Tiger who had 10 or more catches.
Lovett departed for potentially greener pastures in Georgia this offseason, leaving a downfield void. Sophomore Luther Burden III is an incredibly gifted athlete and elusive with the ball in his hands, but he struggled to make contested catches downfield. Mekhi Miller and Mookie Cooper similarly make their bread through the short to intermediate game as well. Oklahoma transfer Theo Wease Jr. has shown the ability to consistently win in the air, but he is not the same burner that Lovett is.
Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore will be hard-pressed to find a reliable downfield threat, although there are options.
Improvement: Offensive play-calling
Speaking of Moore, his addition to the Missouri coaching staff was a welcome one for many fans. After all, one of the biggest knocks on Drinkwitz was his play-calling as the acting offensive coordinator for 3 seasons.
Drinkwitz relinquished those duties to Moore by hiring him from Fresno State in January, although he plans to remain a part of the decision-making process. Still, Moore, the younger brother of Kellen, led a Bulldogs offense that racked up more than 400 yards per game in ’22, and he is an up-and-coming mind in the sport. His system should line up with what Drinkwitz wants to accomplish while adding some needed flare to the play-calling.
Decline: Intercepting passes
This is one of those stats that will be no fault of the defense. The reality is that, after a stellar 2022 season in which the defense recorded 11 interceptions, not as many teams will be willing to test the likes of Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the back end. That duo’s reputation precedes them, and as a result, many teams may take fewer risks in the passing game when playing Mizzou. In a way, this is a positive for the Tigers, although it may not be an exciting one.
Improvement: Limiting explosive plays
The secondary should improve in other areas, namely in preventing big plays. While Abrams-Draine, Rakestraw, Martez Manuel, Joseph Charleston, Jaylon Carlies and Daylan Carnell formed one of the most intimidating secondaries in the SEC, they did have a tendency to give up explosive plays due to broken coverages.
With Manuel being the only departure and Charleston and Carnell feeling more comfortable in their 2nd seasons on campus — as well as this being the 2nd year with Blake Baker at DC — the secondary should clean up some of the mental mistakes from a season ago.
Decline: Pass rush
Missouri’s mantra of “D-Line Zou” rang true again last season, as the Tigers allowed only 127 yards on the ground per game and racked up 35 sacks. That allowed both defensive ends, Isaiah McGuire (Browns) and DJ Coleman (Jaguars), to land in the NFL, creating a void on the edge.
Thanks to the strong depth in the defensive tackle room, veteran Darius Robinson was able to make the transition to DE this offseason. The graduate student has seen a lot of football and is a vocal leader for this program, and he has some great burst to go with his size. Still, Robinson is the current best option at end, and he is a player who is making the transition from another position. While there is talent behind him from the high school and transfer portal ranks, none of it is proven.
Improvement: Winning close games
Since 2020 (Drinkwitz’s 1st season), Missouri has lost 7 games by single digits, including 4 in 2022 alone. From punting rule changes to fumbles out of the end zone, the Tigers have seen it all.
The idea is that, at some point, that trend has to change.
The good news is that key swing games like Kansas State, Florida and South Carolina will be played in the friendly confines of Faurot Field. The Tigers have a veteran squad that has been through some of the toughest losses one can imagine, meaning that they will not be fazed on either side of the ball in late-game scenarios. That should lead to the ball bouncing their way on more occasions.
Decline: An unfavorable bye week
Generally, a team wants its bye week to come at a time when it will really need it. Maybe it’s at the end of a grueling stretch of games, or maybe it is right before the most important game of the year.
In 2022, Missouri’s bye week came at the perfect time. The Tigers, fresh off a 3-game losing streak, beat Vanderbilt and South Carolina in back-to-back weeks following the off week, allowing them to rally down the stretch.
In 2023, the Tigers are not so fortunate. The bye week comes later in the season, Week 9 to be exact, meaning that Mizzou has to run a gantlet of 8 games before getting a week off.
And the game that follows the bye week, you ask? A trip to Athens to take on Georgia. Not ideal.
Improvement: 3rd-down conversion rate
Last year, Missouri ranked 64th in the nation with a 39.4 percent 3rd-down conversion rate on offense. It’s not a horrible number by any means, but when the Tigers offense stalled, it was because it was behind the sticks and struggling on 3rd downs. In losses to Kansas State, Auburn and Kentucky, the Tigers were a combined 11-for-42 on 3rd downs.
This stat goes hand-in-hand with winning close games, as late-game conversions make all the difference. With a more experienced offense and an updated scheme, the Tigers should reach into the mid-40th percentile in 2023.
Decline: More difficult nonconference slate
Yes, Kansas State will almost certainly take a step back from its magical 2022 season after losing the likes of Deuce Vaughn and Felix Anudike-Uzomah. If there is anything to know about Chris Klieman and that program, though, it’s that they will field a tough, physical team that tests everyone it plays. The story will be no different in Columbia on Sept. 16.
On top of that, the Tigers will take on a hungry Memphis team in St. Louis that almost always fields an explosive offense. With veteran quarterback Seth Henigan looking to throw for 3,000 yards for the 3rd straight season and offensive guru Ryan Silverfield still at the helm, the Tigers in blue may have some tricks up their sleeve.
South Dakota to open the season should be manageable, but a scrappy MTSU team comes to town during Week 2, a team that won 8 games a season ago and took down Missouri in 2016 in the same venue.
Compared to the slate of Louisiana Tech, Kansas State, Abilene Christian and New Mexico State from a year ago, the 2023 nonconference schedule is much trickier.
Current Missouri student entering my third year of covering Tiger football and basketball. Contributor to The Transfer Portal CFB and overall college athletics enthusiast.
