Can Kirby Moore Unlock Brady Cook, Mizzou Offense?
With the hire of offensive coordinator Kirby Moore from Fresno State, it signals that the Missouri Tigers want to take the next step on offense.
They were able to see this recipe work out on defense under first year defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who turned the Tigers into one of college football's best defenses.
Now, Moore is tasked with revitalizing what the Tigers are doing on offense, and will have his work cut out for him. This season the Tigers offense was inconsistent at best, scoring 24.8 points per game on 369.9 yards of offense.
In his final season at Fresno State, the Bulldogs offense averaged 30.2 points per game on 402.8 yards of total offense. Where the two teams differed drastically, though, was the passing attack. The Tigers averaged 213.7 yards per game through the air to the Bulldogs' 270.6 yards.
Moore will inherit an interesting quarterback situation, with Brady Cook coming off of a solid season. Cook appeared to finally be putting it all together down the final stretch, throwing for 944 yards and eight touchdowns over Missouri's final four games.
He finished the season throwing for 2,739 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding 585 rushing yards and six touchdowns as well.
Meanwhile at Fresno State, Moore coached quarterback Jake Haener who threw for 2,896 yards to go with 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Moore will hope to help Cook cut down on his turnovers, and take better care of the ball.
The Tigers will also have a pair of elite receivers for Moore to work with, with Luther Burden III showing promise in his freshman season and the addition of Theo Wease from Oklahoma via the transfer portal.
No, the Tigers might not go from a middle-of-the-pack SEC offense to one of the best in college football in a year under Moore, and that's alright. However, there is still reason to like the hire.
If he can unlock Cook's potential, which was inconsistently put on display this season, this Tigers offense could be special. With plenty of weapons to work with and a proven track record, Moore might just make the Tigers offense must-see television.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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