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Missouri Stock Report after Week 1

Parker Gillam

By Parker Gillam

Published:

In a pivotal season for Eli Drinkwitz and Co., Missouri began its 2023 campaign with a 35-10 win over South Dakota. The Tigers jumped out to a 28-3 halftime lead and held on throughout a somewhat sloppy second half.

From Brady Cook and Sam Horn each playing a half, to the offensive line showing positive and negative signs, to a potential new star emerging on defense, there were plenty of storylines to follow. While it may not have been the flashiest victory, the Tigers are 1-0 and should only improve as the season progresses. Whether their improvement is enough to tread water in the SEC remains to be seen.

3 key takeaways:

1. Johnny Walker Jr. and Darius Robinson are more than capable of carrying the torch at defensive end. The duo combined for 9 tackles, half a sack, 1 tackle for loss and a QB hurry. Walker was the star, as he was incredibly active on the edge and constantly found himself around the ball. Nyles Gaddy showed some promise as well, but it is clear that Walker and Robinson have separated themselves. As a result, the defensive end room does not appear to be nearly as big of a concern as it did earlier this offseason.

2. Luther Burden is very ready for his breakout season, and Kirby Moore is more than happy to let him have it. Burden was targeted 8 times and also had a rushing attempt, which translated to 98 total yards and a touchdown. With last year’s leading receiving Dominic Lovett off to Georgia, Burden figures to take over as the star wide receiver. Last year, his main struggle was catching contested passes down the field. On Thursday night, Burden took shot after shot in the middle of the field but kept coming back for more, capping the night with a 15-yard touchdown off a screen pass. Moore fed him the ball early and often on screens and sweeps, and it’s safe to say that he’ll continue to do the same to get Burden in a rhythm during most games. As a result, the numbers should continue to pile up for the former 5-star prospect.

3. Brady Cook has taken steps forward this offseason. The redshirt junior looked comfortable and poised in the pocket, completing 17-of-21 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown, and he also tacked on 17 rushing yards and another score. It was not a perfect night by any means, but the opening touchdown pass on a post route to Mekhi Miller was a high-level throw that Cook might not have completed last season. Now healthy and with a leg-up in the quarterback competition according to Drinkwitz, the St. Louis native seems poised to take control of the offense.

Offensive star: RB Cody Schrader

Statline: 18 carries, 148 rushing yards, 1 TD, 3 catches, 13 receiving yards

The former Truman State star appears to have settled in after a full offseason of work as the presumed starter at Mizzou. After coming into his own down the stretch last season, Schrader looked like a much more polished back, contributing in the pass game early and often. However, his bread and butter will always be running between the tackles, and the man who always falls forward managed to fall into a whopping 8.2 yards per carry Thursday night. His physical running style combined with great vision and determination makes him tough to tackle with just one defender, and he proved that he will be the bell-cow for this offense in 2023.

Defensive star: DE Johnny Walker Jr.

Statline: 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 QB hurry

Just like Ty’Ron Hopper had his coming out party on a Thursday night last year, Walker may have had his on Thursday. He lived in the Coyotes’ backfield and was effective in pass rush and run defense. Robinson was expected to be the star of the DE room, but Walker appears to be giving him a run for his money. D-Line Zou is in good hands.

Position competition updates

Quarterbacks: After the game, Drinkwitz noted that in Cook’s half the Tigers scored 28 points, and in Horn’s half, the Tigers scored 7. That does not tell the whole story, but it does hint at the fact that Cook likely expanded his lead in the quarterback competition.

Cook looked at ease in Moore’s offense. Horn similarly looked more comfortable in his debut as a sophomore, and he flashed his high-level arm talent with a 31-yard completion to Miller over the middle. He did throw an interception, but the pass tipped off a receiver’s hands. Otherwise, his stat line reads 3-for-5 for 54 yards and a touchdown. He had fewer opportunities to throw with the Tigers having a sizable lead, so the sample size is certainly smaller compared to Cook’s. Regardless, the veteran outperformed the youngster, and it remains to be seen if this quarterback competition extends beyond this week.

Offensive line: There was not a lot of shuffling along the offensive line. Javon Foster (LT), Xavier Delgado (LG), Connor Tollison (C), Cam’Ron Johnson (RG) and Armand Membou (RT) started and played the majority of this game, with Eastern Michigan transfer Marcellus Johnson rotating in as well.

All eyes were on a unit that struggled in 2022 and needs to improve for the Tigers to take steps forward as a program, and they stepped up to the plate. The quarterbacks were only sacked once, Mizzou ran for 226 yards averaged 5.5 yards per carry. Running lanes were open all over the place, and the South Dakota pass rush rarely got home. Four penalties — 2 holds and 2 false starts — did leave a stain on an otherwise dominant night from the group.

Linebacker: With Chad Bailey out for roughly a month’s time, sophomore Dameon Wilson and graduate student Chuck Hicks were tasked with stepping up in his absence. They split time on the field, and while both held their own, Hicks recorded four tackles and 1 tackle for loss while Wilson didn’t register on the stat sheet. Wilson is more experienced, having started in 2 games last season, but Hicks may have made a claim to the starting role alongside Ty’Ron Hopper against SD.

Defensive end: The answer to this question mark showed up early and often. Johnny Walker Jr. took control of the competition with a stellar performance, harassing any player in the South Dakota backfield. Darius Robinson delivered a solid performance as well, and Jackson State transfer Nyles Gaddy assisted Walker on a sack. Arizona State transfer Joe Moore recorded 2 tackles, and the 4 of them appeared to make up the main rotation off of the edge. Now, the key will be to frequently get high-quality snaps from Gaddy and Moore, allowing the Tigers to rotate fresh bodies in consistently.

Tight end: Tyler Stephens played the bulk of the snaps and had 2 catches for 12 yards, but freshman Brett Norfleet, a former 4-star recruit, appeared early in the game. Drinkwitz has talked highly of Norfleet and expects him to contribute this season, so his development is certainly worth monitoring.

Looking ahead to Week 2:

The Tigers will take on the C-USA’s Middle Tennessee State next Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. CST on the SEC Network+.

The Blue Raiders finished 8-5 (4-4) last season. In 2016, they beat Mizzou 51-45, the last meeting between the schools. Rick Stockstill leads MTSU in his 18th season at the helm, making him the 4th-longest tenured coach in the country. Despite losing some key pieces from 2022, Stockstill has shown that he can retool a roster year-in and year-out, and his 2023 squad is looking to challenge for its first C-USA title.

Parker Gillam

Current Missouri student entering my third year of covering Tiger football and basketball. Contributor to The Transfer Portal CFB and overall college athletics enthusiast.

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