Game Recap: Missouri Falls at Kansas State
The Missouri Tigers entered Saturday riding high and had lofty expectations of a 2-0 start. Those ambitions came to a screeching halt after the Tigers were dismantled on the road by the Kansas State Wildcats, who captured a lopsided 40-12 victory.
The Wildcats defense had Missouri in shackles for the entirety of the contest. Mizzou (1-1) totaled only 222 yards on the afternoon, with only 94 of those coming on the ground. K-State, on the other hand, racked up a respectable 336 yards on the day and dominated the ground game with 235 rushing yards. The Wildcats having more rushing yards than Mizzou's total yards is not a recipe for success.
To say that Missouri quarterbacks struggled is an understatement. Starter Brady Cook threw two picks and his backup Jack Abraham also threw two interceptions despite only attempting three passes. Cook also carried the ball 13 times for 56 yards. For Mizzou, it doesn't matter how good their young receivers are they don't get the ball in space.
Ultimately, a lot of this blowout can be attributed to how well Kansas State's defense played. And how overwhelmed the Tigers offensive line looked. Wildcats edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah was in the backfield all afternoon and that pressure played a big role in Mizzou's poor passing. There's a lot for the Missouri offense to work on this week and it's going to be a long film session Sunday.
Defensively, the Tigers fared a bit better, but they were on the field so much that their legs eventually gave out. They held the Wildcats potent rushing offense to just 89 yards and 14 points in the first half. Not great, but not bad.
The real back breaker came on a punt that was returned 76 yards for a touchdown by K-State receiver Phillip Brooks. That extended the margin to 20-3 and Missouri could never recover.
Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn finished the day with 145 yards and two rushing touchdowns. The Wildcats offense was no doubt a formidable unit, but Missouri wouldn't have put up enough points in this one to beat anyone with a pulse. The final margin was closer thanks to a later Mizzou score. Missouri was lucky lose by 28 and not 50.
Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz is going to have a lot of decisions to make this week regarding his offense. Could a quarterback change be inevitable? Will Drinkwitz appoint a legitimate offensive coordinator?
The lead up to their Week 3 matchup with Abilene Christian will certainly tell a lot about the Tigers and their direction this fall. Some FCS competition should be a welcome reprieve for Mizzou after getting steam rolled in Kansas.
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