Why Texas A&M at Mizzou Will Be a 'Cat and Mouse' Game

With both teams coming off a bye week, both coaching staffs are expecting some schematic surprises.

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Rylan Kennedy (15) tackles Missouri Tigers wide receiver Marquis Johnson (2) in the third quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Eli Drinkwitz is able to joke about it now that the wound is healed, but last October, his team was surprised, and then embarrassed by Texas A&M.

Leading up to the Week 6 game against the Aggies in 2024, Texas A&M was going through some questions at quarterback as Conner Weigman worked his way back from injury, with Marcel Reed filling in and looking as if he might take over the starting job.

But to Drinkwitz, who the Tigers would face was no question.

"I know on their depth chart, it says the other kid (Weigman) is the starting quarterback, but that's just semantics, in my opinion," Drinkwitz said. "They clearly have a different offensive identity with this guy (Reed) as the quarterback."

"The other kid" not only started, but rolled right past the then-No. 10 Tigers in a 41-10 win at Kyle Field. Missouri was never really able to get past that humiliating loss through the rest of the 2024 season.

“Last year got me in trouble, because I said he (Reed) was the future and they played Conner and he killed us," Drinkwitz said Tuesday.

For as much Texas A&M trounced Missouri last season, Drinkwitz correctly believes that the Aggies are even better this year.

The Aggies sit undefeated at No. 3. Their led by the 11th-highest scoring offense in the country.

The group is headlined by Reed, a top Heisman candidate. He's only the latest in a series of mobile quarterbacks the Tigers have faced this season. He rushed for 108 yards on 13 carries against LSU.

"His added dimension when he runs is really, really impressive," Drinkwitz said of Reed. "It's got some Lamar Jackson-esque type qualities to it."

No. 22 Missouri's defense has held up well against quarterbacks in the run game so far this season. The Tigers held Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia to a season low of 20 yards on the ground. Missouri also held South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers to his quietest day on the ground of the season, rushing for a net of -28 yards on 10 rush attempts.

The Missouri defense is hoping to force Reed to win with his arm instead of allowing him to run through the Tigers.

"I think that opens up a lot of things for offense," Missouri safety Jalen Catalon said of Reed's rushing ability. "We gotta make sure that we make him play quarterback."

Oct 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) drops to throw during the first half against the Louisiana State Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

One of the most-improved areas of the Aggies since the Tigers last saw them is their wide receivers. The Aggies added two speedsters through the transfer portal, signing KC Concepcion from NC State (rated as the fifth-best receiver in the transfer portal by 247Sports) and Mario Craver from Mississippi State (rated as the 13th-best receiver available)

Craver's 716 receiving yards and Concepcion's seven touchdowns both rank second in the SEC.

"Those two guys are dynamic, great speed, open space, catch the ball well, attack it." Drinkwitz said. "They use them in multiple ways."

But like last year, one of the strengths of the Aggies is their powerful offensive line, a unit that returns four of its starters from last season, including three preseason all-SEC members. The group dominated Missouri in the trenches in last season's matchup.

Reed has been sacked just .9 times per game, the 10th-lowest rate in the country.

But, Missouri's defense will be the best defensive unit that Texas A&M has faced so far this season in not only sacks per game, but also both points and total yards.

If Missouri wins this game, it'll likely need its defense to make it a slow, low-scoring affair. The Tigers have been at their best this season when they've been able to control the time of possession and slow down the clock with success in the run game.

But the Missouri offense will have its hands full already on its own, sliding in true freshman Matt Zollers to earn his first start at quarterback after Beau Pribula suffered a dislocated ankle injury in Week 9 against Vanderbilt.

Texas A&M's defense will by no means by an easy introduction to the SEC for Zollers. Though Vanderbilt hesitated to be too agressive on defense when Zollers stepped in during the third quarter, the Aggies' defensive identity under head coach Mike Elko is based on breaking tendencies and keeping teams behind the chains to force long third downs.

No matter how much film Zollers looks at, Texas A&M is going to throw surprises at the 19 year old.

"He's got a really good feel for how to attack you, and does a really good job of calling it and then adjusting his calls," Drinkwitz said of Elko's defensive play calling. "That's when it gets really challenging, is you felt like you had a really good plan, and he busts you in the mouth with something different."

Aug 6, 2025; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers freshman quarterback Matt Zollers (5) walks back for a drill during Missouri fall camp at Mizzou Athletic Training Complex. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

But Zollers taking over also presents a new, unexpected challenge for Texas A&M. The Aggies spent the bye week watching Zollers' high school tape, but there's some uncertainty for how Missouri's offense will change.

"One of the big challenges when you don't have a ton of film is you're not 100% certain how they'll adapt the package around him," Elko said Wednesday on a teleconference.

For Missouri, the process of adapting the offense to Zollers hasn't been a complete change nor a simplification of the playbook. Instead, the focus has been finding what best suits Zollers' skillset.

"It's about playing to what his strengths are," Drinkwitz said. "Are there things that we're going to add? Probably not because we hadn't had a ton of reps of it. But are there things that he's more comfortable with than maybe Beau was? Absolutely. So we can push those things in the playbook that maybe haven't been shown."

How Zollers operates is the question this game hinges on. And for that matter, the remainder of Missouri's season.

The Tigers have been unable to find rhythm on offense for most of this season. At some points, the run game has been excellent while the pass game has been inefficient. At other points, both the pass and run game have been stunted.

If Zollers can unlock a more in-sync version of the Missouri offense, the Tigers will have a chance to take down the Aggies, and therefore, continue a run for a spot in the College Football Playoff.