Mizzou Must Play Simple and Not Complicate Gameplan Against Alabama

The Tigers are taking lessons away from their previous blowout road loss heading into a matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) throws a pass in the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The now No. 21 Missouri Tigers received its wake-up call three weeks ago after a road trip to Texas A&M, losing 41-10. Missouri never had a grasp on the game and was in a big hole right away. 

According to Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, the game plan for the Tigers' matchup with the Aggies was too complicated. The complication of the scheming for the game is what put the Tigers in its early hole and eventually led to a lofty defeat.

“We can't play overanalyzing every situation,” Drinkwitz said. “We can't have too many checks on both sides of the ball.”

It was clear that the Tigers came prepared for every little move the Aggie offense made, but when they didn’t do those small things and audibled, a level of confusion filled the unit. Simplifying the gameplan and playing with freedom might be the solution.

“If they motion to this, we're going to check to this. Or if they show us this coverage, we're going to check to this. Like, we got to go out there and play football,” Drinkwitz said.

On the defensive side of the ball, there is plenty of talent at multiple positions, all of which are capable of making plays. The defensive unit has not been perfect and runs a fairly simple scheme and gameplan weekly, but over-scheming the defense ended in the Tigers allowing 41 points against the Aggies.

Drinkwitz preached the idea of eliminating thinking in the leadup to the Tigers’ matchup with the No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide. The Crimson Tide, like the Missouri defense, is loaded full of talent, arguably more than Missouri. An overcomplication of the game plan could result in the Tigers leaving Tuscaloosa with another blowout loss. Allowing the defense to just play and make plays on their own, to an extent, appears to be the alternative. 

“Just cutting down a play sheet,” Missouri defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. said. “Letting us get calls we're comfortable with, and just letting us play free.

Similarly, star receiver Luther Burden III, who’s coming off a game-clinching fourth-quarter performance against the Auburn Tigers, struggled to get going against the Aggies three weeks back on the road. In a similar message, he wants the offense to play free and focus on the team's performance. 

“We just need to focus on us and we’ll be fine,” Burden said. 

As the Tigers continue to reflect on its blowout loss in its first road game, making calls and decisions that truly benefit the team will be important moving forward. The coaching staff, Drinkwitz included, wants to put its team in the best decision to make winning plays.

“I think sometimes we get caught up too much in the minutia,” Drinkwitz said. “If you just go back and watch our game from 10,000 feet, just because it was a good idea doesn't make it the best idea for our team.”

Controlling what they can control has also been a frequent message of Drinkwitz and company, which has not changed ahead of the tussle with the Crimson Tide. The staff can control the calls and instructions they provide to their players on both sides of the ball. Doing that efficiently while also putting them in a winning position will be an important element to victory.

“We have to focus on what we can do and if our base call allows our guys to play fast and without hesitation, then that's going to be the best thing that we can do in the game,” Drinkwitz said. 

The Tigers kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 26 in Tuscaloosa, Ala against the top-25 ranked Crimson Tide

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