What Went Wrong? Analyzing Missouri Tigers Heart-stopping OT Loss at Auburn
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After starting behind an early 14-0 deficit, the Missouri Tigers clawed their way back to even with Auburn at 14-14 by the end of regulation. The defense continued their strong performance, holding Auburn to a field goal on their first possession of overtime. It really looked like Missouri was the better team and would charge into the end zone for victory, which they almost did.
But then, catastrophe. As Nathaniel Peat extended the ball to cross the plane of the goal line and secure a Tiger victory, the ball slipped. It bounced forward, not out of bounds to the nearby sideline, and was recovered in the end zone by Auburn to end the game.
The ball, and the game, slipped right out of their grasp. Now at 2-2, Mizzou has a lot to think about. Before his costly fumble, Peat had racked up 110 yards, and it looked like Missouri was finding success as the more physical team. Unfortunately, missteps and missed opportunities continue to hold the Tigers back, which isn't ideal heading into the thick of their conference schedule.
Missouri hosts No. 1 Georgia next Saturday, Oct. 1, and that could get ugly if the Tigers don't clean things up. Then they'll face Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee, all ranked teams, in three of the next five games after that. After failing to beat an Auburn squad that played their second and third-string quarterbacks in the game, how can Missouri bounce back against tougher opponents?
For starters, they need to score more points. Had the defense not pitched a shutout for the last three quarters, the Tigers didn't stand a chance at getting back in this game.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz continues to allow wide-out Luther Burden III, who's arguably the best offensive weapon on the roster, to be a non-factor in games. Burden had one touch on the day, which was a three-yard punt return. Why isn't Missouri making any apparent effort to get him the ball? Whatever the case, it needs to be addressed.
Quarterback Brady Cook looked average, finishing with 179 yards passing and an interception, and that might just be what kind of field general he is. Without a legitimate passing attack though, Missouri's run game just won't work. Either way, one thing is clear, Missouri's playmakers need the ball, and they haven't gotten it nearly enough.
The Tigers also lost both the penalty (seven penalties for 45 yards) and turnover battle to Auburn, giving the ball up twice and posting no takeaways. It's tough to win a game without winning either of those categories and it's clear that mental mistakes are continuing to plague this team.
On the bright side, the Missouri defense did look SEC-ready (albeit against a backup quarterback for a rebuilding program) and had it not been for three fourth-down conversions, would likely have held Auburn to even fewer points. They'll have to be the driving force for this squad going forward if they want to have any impact on this year's conference picture.
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