A Deep Dive Into the Mizzou Offense's Search for Identity

Putting the Missouri Tiger offense under a microscope to find the root of the unit's struggles.

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Daymion Sanford (27) tackles Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) in the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The 2024 edition of the Missouri Tiger offense is a curious case study.

The unit was explosive, consistent and efficient in 2023.

Heading into 2024, the quarterback, offensive coordinator remained the same and the receiving core would be nearly identical.

The unit lost a workhouse running back and two key starters along the offensive line, but they were replaced with two workhouse running backs and two of the highest rated offensive lineman in the transfer portal.

Yet, by nearly every metric, the Tigers have taken a steep drop off from where they were in 2023.

The issues have been fully illuminated in the past two games as Missouri has began its SEC schedule with games against the Vanderbilt Commodores and at the Texas A&M Aggies.

In the two matchups, Missouri has been a combined 13-of-37 (35%) on third and fourth downs, 5-for-10 (50%) for scoring touchdowns on red zone drives.

The struggles in the red zone and on key downs has led to the unit failing to do two things — continuing and finishing drives. The Tigers has had just about the same rhythm as a fifth grade choir.

"There just needs to be a more concerted effort to find an offensive rhythm," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said following the Texas A&M loss.

Over the past two games, Missouri has sustained drives of over five plays just five times — all coming against Vanderbilt. Its scored on consecutive drives just two times, in the third quarter and overtime against Vanderbilt.

In the past two games, Missouri has gone three-and-out six times and averaging 29 yards and 3:01 minutes per possession.

Inefficiency on third downs has been an issue Drinkwitz has identified since Week 1. But what has been holding Missouri back on the cruical down has been their failures on the first two. Across the season, Missouri's has faced an average distance of 6.46 yards on third downs. Against Texas A&M, it jumped to 9.2 yards.

"We were in predominantly third and long, which allows them to get into a heavy blitz package and that contributed to the issues there."

Texas A&M generated 26 pressures against Missouri, including two sacks on third downs. Missouri was forced to stray away from the run game after falling to a 17-0 in the first 16 minutes. The Aggies had no question to what Missouri would be calling on third downs.

"Third downs contributed to them continually scoring and us not being able to answer that, which then allows them to pressure the quarterback because they don't have any fear for the run game."

Apart from the loss to Texas A&M, the run game has often been the saving grace for the Missouri offense this season. Appalachian State transfer Nate Noel has been the workhorse, with contributions from Georgia State transfer Marcus Carroll and redshirt freshman Jamal Roberts.

Sep 21, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Nate Noel (8) runs the ball during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Against Vanderbilt, Noel was responsible for 47% (207) of Missouri's 442 yards. He might've been a more significant part of the game plan against the Aggies, but Noel ended up only receiving 10 carries in the Week 6 game, while Cook attempted 31 passes, completing just 13 of them.

The challenge for Missouri will be finding the right mix of Noel's ability and the passing offense.

"I know we can run the football effectively, and we've got to be able to be explosive vertically down the field. We got to figure out how to continue to run the football to force people to defend us, which allows us to create explosive pass plays."

The floundering passing offense, especially in the deep game, is harming the run game, too. Why should defenses worry about the back end when the Tigers haven't been able connect deep?

The deep pass, a staple of Missouri's attack in 2023, has been a rarity this season, Cook sitting at 6-for-24 on passing attempts over 20 yards. He's been 4-for-14 over the past two games.

Sep 21, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) throws a pass against Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Bryan Longwell (4) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

It's an odd drop off for Cook, with the same receivers he completed 46.8% of passes over 20 yards with in 2023, has been unable to establish the right timing and accuracy needed.

Some of it has been defenses playing closer to the line after seeing Missouri gain 991 yards and nine touchdowns on deep passes in 2023.

"The reality of what we're figuring out is that teams don't really want to give up explosive plays versus our wide receiver core. So we have to be willing to make them defend us in a different manner."

A week after Drinkwitz recognized this though, offensive coordinator Kirby Moore told Cook he would be calling more deep passing plays on first and second downs. It was a focal point in practice. When asked after the Texas A&M loss what Missouri's offensive identity will be moving forward, Drinkwitz mentioned the run game creating deep pass opportunities.

There's a refusal to let this aspect of the offense go. Dictated by the game situation, 32.3% of Missouri's passes went over 20 yards, the highest percentage in any game since Moore took over in 2023.

This loyalty is limiting the opportunities to put Missouri's playmakers in the best opportunities to succeed. Star receiver Luther Burden III, for example, is at his best when given the ball in the middle of the field, with space to evade defenders in one-on-one situations.

46 of Burden's 69 targets (67%) past the line of scrimmage in 2023 were in the center of the field. He averaged 4.5 yards after catches between the numbers.

But Missouri has been much more focused on creating opportunities deep down the sideline. Against Texas A&M, only two of Cook's 31 passing attempts landed between the numbers.

The catch and run opportunities for Burden have been limited. If not for generating 23 yards after a catch against Buffalo, Burden would be averaging 1.3 yards after the catch in the area he excelled in last year.

The Missouri offense is in a complete identity crisis, sticking to methods that aren't working in hopes that it will eventually unlock the same product as last year.

The unit will need to find out who it is sooner rather than later. Though one loss isn't the threat to end the season like it used to be in college football, it reduces the margin of error.

After traveling to UMass in Week 7, Missouri will enter the three-game stretch that will likely determine its season, featuring games against Auburn, Alabama and Oklahoma.

Read more Missouri Tigers news:

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