Mizzou hunts for another Top-10 upset, as No. 10 Texas is Columbia bound
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Last time the Mizzou football team upended a Top-10 squad was on Oct. 3 in a routing of the then-No. 8 Florida Gators. That game put the nation on notice. However, head coach Eli Drinkwitz and company have an opportunity for another Top-10 upset on Saturday...one that has even bigger implications.
When No. 10 Texas rolls into Columbia for action on Saturday, the Tigers and the Longhorns will clash in a game that will surely have College Football Playoff implications on both sides. Both sides come into the matchup at 6-2 on the year.
"Texas has a tremendous amount of talent at all levels. They're a Top-10 team. They have an unbelievable defensive talent, defensive team, defensive scheme, defensive coaches. Coach Muschamp has done a terrific job there, instilling his personality and his scheme, which is very multiple. They've got elite pass rushers, they've got elite run stoppers, elite linebackers and they're a really good football team, regardless of they have a ton of competitive depth. So, whoever plays you don't really notice a difference in what they're trying to do," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in his weekly meeting with local media members. "Offensively, tremendous amount of talent. I have a ton of respect for Coach Sarkisian and the style of offense that he runs. He's a guy that as long as he's been doing offense, whether it was at Washington, USC, he was a guy that I would always watch. Obviously, he had one of the best offenses in SEC history at Alabama in 2020. They do a tremendous job of having a lot of variance, taking a lot of vertical shots, utilizing play actions to create down the field throws and obviously got a tremendously talented quarterback and wide receiver room...You know, you got your hands full with their scheme with the talent that they have."
You can watch the full press conference with Coach Eli in the video player below.
The Tigers will come into Saturday's game fresh off of a dominant 34-10 rivalry win over Arkansas, where Coach Drinkwitz and the coaching staff emphasized red zone efficiency.
Coming into that game in Fayetteville, Mizzou was converting on 75 percent of its trips to the red zone and had a 50 percent touchdown rate. Drink made it clear that their efficiency in that part of the field needed to get better and he saw some improvements on Saturday.
"You know, the touchdown throw to Donovan was good and the run in the goal line out of our heavy personnel was good. You know, the penalties are still just extremely disappointing for us. We have to be more disciplined as a football team. I think it starts in practice, practicing with more intent and more speed, instead of just making sure we know who we got, to make sure that the how we show up at practice translates to not just the who, but the how and the who together so we don't create those penalties, because at the end of the day the holding penalties, you know, those occur sometimes they occur because of, you know, effort. But other times, it's poor positioning, body positioning. And I think that's what we're seeing right now is poor body positioning. And we got to be better than that, especially on the perimeter," Drinkwitz said. "Then, I mean, the personal fouls are selfish penalties that need to be taken off the tape."
The Tiger offense will need to capitalize on its opportunities against a Texas defense that's limiting its opponents to just 17.1 points per game.
Specifically, the Longhorn defensive front is a formidable group that can stop the run and generate pressure on the quarterback. In fact, that unit ranks No. 3 in the SEC with 26 sacks on the season, with defensive end Collin Simmons leading the way with a conference-best 10.5 sacks on the season.
Texas also had the fourth-best rushing defense in the league, just behind Mizzou, allowing an average of 102.38 yards on the ground per outing.
"Oh man, that's a physical group up front, man," running back Jamal Roberts said. "Just a good defense, one of the best fronts that I have seen so far. And, you know they just come after it and just got some good movements up front and they're physical. They got some good size up front, as well.
You can watch the full press conference with Roberts in the video player below.
The Longhorn secondary can also create some problems, considered a strong and sticky coverage unit. Texas ranks No. 2 in the SEC with its passing defense, allowing just 170.75 yards per game through the air and intercepting six passes, this season.
However, Mizzou reiterated it has an elite group of wider receivers to contend with those guys in the opposing secondary. In fact, Tiger receivers Cayden Lee and Donovan Olugbode both rank in the Top-10 in the conference for yards per game, with 94.5 and 73.0, respectively.
"The Texas secondary, yeah, they're good. A good defense, good scheme, good players. It's going to be a good challenge for us," Olugbode said.
You can watch the full press conference with Olugbode in the video player below.
The Mizzou defense will also have its hands full with the Longhorns.
From quarterback Arch Manning to receivers like Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, there's no shortage of talent on head coach Steve Sarkisian's squad. But, as Tiger safety Santana Banner pointed out, "Death Row Defense" gets to go against some of the best in the league in practice, day-in and day-out.
He said that going against both Lee and Olugbode each week will help prepare them for what they'll see against the Longhorn receiving corps.
"They're two of the Top-10 receivers in SEC, right now. Cayden Lee runs routes like a NFL vet, if you ask me. Very good at tempo on his routes. Donovan has great hands, lay hands, so it's ard to go against that on defense," Banner said.
You can watch the full press conference with Banner in the video player below.
One of the big objectives for Coach Drinkwitz's team in this Top-20 showdown will be making Manning uncomfortable. The senior has thrown for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns this year, but when plays break down has also thrown for seven interceptions.
"He's a guy, you know, you don't want to let him get comfortable. So, you have to figure out a way to keep the pressure constantly on him, keep his feet moving. You know, don't let them get out the pocket. Like I said, he's an athlete, so he's mobile. Just like I said, mix up our looks, have him thinking pre-snap and post-snap," Banner said.
"Oh, he's a phenomenal quarterback and I can't wait to have the opportunity to play with him. But, to to slow him down, obviously, we have to push the A and B gaps, keep them contained and be able to keep him inside where he has to make those tough throws and, of course, where we have become a tightened coverage. But, it's going to be a good game. I can't wait to play against them," defensive tackle Jason Dowell said.
You can watch the full press conference with Dowell in the video player below.
If they can keep Manning from getting the ball to guys like Wingo and Coleman, who have the potential to make big plays, that'll put Mizzou well on their way to stopping the Longhorns.
Coach Drinkwitz is very familiar with the plays Wingo can make, as he recruited the St. Louis native from when he was in eighth grade. The receiver had Mizzou in his list of schools on Signing Day, but ended up picking Texas over his hometown squad.
"Man, Ryan was one of those that broke my heart, honestly. He was a young man that I recruited and I offered him in eighth grade, recruited him extremely hard, him and his family. And we were there, right there to the wire. In fact, I thought on signing day or whenever he announced it, he was going to come to us and it just didn't work out that way," Drink said. "He's obviously had a tremendous career and success at Texas, and it worked out for everybody, you know? So we've got our guys here and he's had and found his success there. You know, that's how life works out, but he's a tremendous young man, always very respectful. He's one of those guys that you know, I probably won't get to talk to after the game because you know, they won't want me to tamper. But you know, he is he is absolutely one of my favorites and wish him all the best except for Saturday."
Of course, one of the biggest storylines heading into this game will be how much of a role running back Ahmad Hardy plays, after he made his highly-anticipated return against Arkansas. In the win against the Razorbacks, the All-American running back got two snaps, as he continues to ramp up into game action.
On Tuesday, Drinkwitz said you can expect to see more rotation with Roberts and Hardy against the Longhorns than you did last game.
"You know, I think for us it's continue to clearly define what his role can be for us, where can we utilize him without throwing off the rhythm of what we've already established offensively with Jamal," Drinkwitz said. "I think you'll see more of a rotation than what we were last week or a more enhanced version of, you know, hey, this is what his role will be."
Mizzou and Texas will kickoff at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Faurot Field. You can watch the game on ESPN.
