Burden Stars As Mizzou Dominates Louisiana Tech 52-24
Football is back at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, and the Missouri Tigers are back in the win column.
On Thursday night Missouri opened up its 2022 football season against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs with high hopes of taking a step forward in Year 3 of the Eliah Drinkwitz tenure.
And by the time the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter, that was exactly the case, with the Tigers taking home a 52-24 win.
It was a slightly slow start for the Tigers, who fell behind 3-0 after going three and out on their first offensive possession.
However, thanks to a spark from the defense that included three first-half interceptions, and a defensive touchdown, the Tigers came alive, outscoring the Bulldogs 52-21 for the remainder of the game.
A big part of that blowout on the offensive side of the ball was freshman phenom Luther Burden III, who scored two touchdowns in his first collegiate appearance. Burden ended the game with three carries for 26 yards and a touchdown while catching three passes for 17 yards and another score.
Another was the running game, which saw the Tigers rack up 328 yards and six total rushing touchdowns from five different players. As a team, the Tigers had 557 total yards for the game.
New starting quarterback Brady Cook was also solid in his season debut, completing 18 of 27 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown, to go along with seven carries for 61 yards and another score.
The Tigers were far from perfect on the offensive side, however, committing two turnovers in the red zone and giving away what could have been key scoring opportunities.
Defensively, at least in game one, the Tigers looked like a completely different team from a year ago, thanks in large part to the influx of transfers that came to Columbia in the offseason.
Most notably linebacker Tyron Hopper and safety Joseph Charleston each had a major impact in the game, with both coming away with interceptions and Charleston's going back for a touchdown.
Hopper led the team with six tackles, two tackles for loss, an interception and a sack, while veteran Jaylon Carlies was second with five tackles and an interception of his own.
The defense ultimately held Louisiana Tech and its offensive-minded head coach Sonny Cumbie to 337 yards and just 11 rushing yards -- the majority of which came when the Tigers already had the game well in hand.
Following the win, the Tigers will get ready for their first big road test of the season when they head to Manhattan, Kansas to take on their former Big 12 Rival Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 11 am CT.
You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan
Follow MizzouSportsTalk.com on Facebook and Twitter!
Want More Tigers News? Check Out The Latest In Mizzou Tigers News Here
